Turn on the Kiln -
Pull out your copper, enamels, sifters, brushes
and add some imagination.
Let's get PAINTING!
1. Start with a copper sheet heated with a torch to burn out all the dirt and oil from it
surface. I use an LPG Blow Torch.
2. Clean with brass brush after pickling in a diluted solution of sulfuric acid to make the metal surface absolutely clean. You can also use a combination of Vinegar & Common Salt.
3. After drying the copper sheet with a cotton cloth, I put a spoonful of liquid flux on the center, counter side first.
4. Move the spoon rapidly in circular motion towards the outside, spreading the flux evenly across the metal. Allow to dry thoroughly under a heating lamp or the sun.
5. I remove a fine line of flux from the counter side edge to avoid water marks. Usually, when we apply colors both sides at one time, the other side sucks water from the front creating very bad looking watermarks.
6. Place a flux coating on both sides. I do this to save one firing as well as to protect the metal sheet from warping as I use very thin sheet for these small paintings, (5"x5") less than .5mm thick.
7. Creating the Design. I prefer to scratch the lines with a wooden tool rather than a metal tool. Although I scratch the lines free hand, drawing can be traced on flux coated metal. If your interested in this process, just ask, and I will be happy to post.
8. When the line drawing is completed to your satisfaction, and the enamel is completely dry, you are now ready to fire.
This is the 1st firing.
Note: If your piece is not completely dry before firing the colors will bubble. Use a heating lamp, or the sun ( as I do) to dry the enamels for at least one hour.
9. Although lines darken after firing, they get broadened in further firings, so they need to be protected.
10. After cooling down, apply a very diluted and thin flux coating. I call it "sealing of the lines". This is applied on the entire surface. See that the flux has entered all the lines.
11. Second firing - After firing the the lines turn into a nice dark shiny brown and the surface turns to a beautiful skin color.
12. Now I roughly color the initial sketch. This helps to choose the right colors.
13. Now the coloring starts. I chose a charcoal shade liquid enamel for the background and sky blue for the dress.
14. Liquid White is then applied for highlights of the skin. First a big drop of white is placed where the highlight is required and then picking up water in a thicker brush (#3), I apply it all around the white patch, causing the white to gradually spread and give a nice shading. I use Zinc White instead of Tin White because Zinc is not as strong as Tin.
15. If the white enamel crawls into the lines, it can be removed with the help of a pointed bamboo stick. Dry and give the piece its 3rd firing.
16. Follow the color sketch by having prepared enamels handy to finish the piece fast. Very few tools are required. Use two size brushes (#1 & #3), tiny sieves of #60 & #80 mesh and a pointed wooden stick. My sieves are handmade, and I will be happy to share how to make them in a post.
17. Colors which are to be used wet are kept in the palette and the enamels to be sifted are stored in their jars .
18. Eyeballs, eyebrows and nose lines are filled with wet opaque crystal enamels.
19. Extreme highlights are sifted with Opaque white.
20. Use Transparent enamels so that after firing all the hair lines are clearly visible.
21. Different transparent shades of enamel are used on the hair for interest.
22. Opaque Pink or Light Transparent Red can be used for darker shades of skin. Here I have used Opaque Rose. This is almost the final stage. 4th Firing.
Sometimes one more firing may be required if the surface gloss is not even. A fine layer of flux solves this problem.
THIS IS THE FINAL PAINTING
I always keep this size of paintings.
In exhibitions, if I fail to sell anything (fortunately that has
never happened), these go like hot cakes and
thus the initial cost gets covered.
People buy them because they are:
Reasonable or affordable, original hand painted works.
Enamel paintings are maintenance free.
Handy and giftable.
Happy Enameling!........Vivek Das
http://www.dasvivek.com/
Turn on the Kiln -
Pull out your copper, enamels, sifters, brushes
and add some imagination.
Let's get PAINTING!
1. Start with a copper sheet heated with a torch to burn out all the dirt and oil from it
surface. I use an LPG Blow Torch.
2. Clean with brass brush after pickling in a diluted solution of sulfuric acid to make the metal surface absolutely clean. You can also use a combination of Vinegar & Common Salt.
3. After drying the copper sheet with a cotton cloth, I put a spoonful of liquid flux on the center, counter side first.
4. Move the spoon rapidly in circular motion towards the outside, spreading the flux evenly across the metal. Allow to dry thoroughly under a heating lamp or the sun.
5. I remove a fine line of flux from the counter side edge to avoid water marks. Usually, when we apply colors both sides at one time, the other side sucks water from the front creating very bad looking watermarks.
6. Place a flux coating on both sides. I do this to save one firing as well as to protect the metal sheet from warping as I use very thin sheet for these small paintings, (5"x5") less than .5mm thick.
7. Creating the Design. I prefer to scratch the lines with a wooden tool rather than a metal tool. Although I scratch the lines free hand, drawing can be traced on flux coated metal. If your interested in this process, just ask, and I will be happy to post.
8. When the line drawing is completed to your satisfaction, and the enamel is completely dry, you are now ready to fire.
This is the 1st firing.
Note: If your piece is not completely dry before firing the colors will bubble. Use a heating lamp, or the sun ( as I do) to dry the enamels for at least one hour.
9. Although lines darken after firing, they get broadened in further firings, so they need to be protected.
10. After cooling down, apply a very diluted and thin flux coating. I call it "sealing of the lines". This is applied on the entire surface. See that the flux has entered all the lines.
11. Second firing - After firing the the lines turn into a nice dark shiny brown and the surface turns to a beautiful skin color.
12. Now I roughly color the initial sketch. This helps to choose the right colors.
13. Now the coloring starts. I chose a charcoal shade liquid enamel for the background and sky blue for the dress.
14. Liquid White is then applied for highlights of the skin. First a big drop of white is placed where the highlight is required and then picking up water in a thicker brush (#3), I apply it all around the white patch, causing the white to gradually spread and give a nice shading. I use Zinc White instead of Tin White because Zinc is not as strong as Tin.
15. If the white enamel crawls into the lines, it can be removed with the help of a pointed bamboo stick. Dry and give the piece its 3rd firing.
16. Follow the color sketch by having prepared enamels handy to finish the piece fast. Very few tools are required. Use two size brushes (#1 & #3), tiny sieves of #60 & #80 mesh and a pointed wooden stick. My sieves are handmade, and I will be happy to share how to make them in a post.
17. Colors which are to be used wet are kept in the palette and the enamels to be sifted are stored in their jars .
18. Eyeballs, eyebrows and nose lines are filled with wet opaque crystal enamels.
19. Extreme highlights are sifted with Opaque white.
20. Use Transparent enamels so that after firing all the hair lines are clearly visible.
21. Different transparent shades of enamel are used on the hair for interest.
22. Opaque Pink or Light Transparent Red can be used for darker shades of skin. Here I have used Opaque Rose. This is almost the final stage. 4th Firing.
Sometimes one more firing may be required if the surface gloss is not even. A fine layer of flux solves this problem.
THIS IS THE FINAL PAINTING
I always keep this size of paintings.
In exhibitions, if I fail to sell anything (fortunately that has
never happened), these go like hot cakes and
thus the initial cost gets covered.
People buy them because they are:
Reasonable or affordable, original hand painted works.
Enamel paintings are maintenance free.
Handy and giftable.
Happy Enameling!........Vivek Das
http://www.dasvivek.com/
