anim8it asked this question on the artcone forums: In art class, we made this picture portrait, with a kind of soft metal…and we drew on it with toothpicks and stuff…now, i wanna try that again, i wanna buy the metal online or in some store, but i don’t know what it’s called! What’s called, please? And where can i get it online?
Someone
September 7th, 2010 at 2:40 pm
I’ve been into art pretty much since I was born, and I’m in college now for art, but I don’t know what it is. I’m not very experienced in metal work, but I do know a few things. I haven’t heard of using toothpicks with metal, unless it’s an extremely thin metal.
Actually I think I might know what your talking about, but I can’t think of what it’s called. sorry. I’ll update my answer if I can remember, or figure it out.
Lassie
September 7th, 2010 at 2:40 pm
I think it has to be etching. The metal itself isn’t soft but you draw and scratch into a type of wax coating that has been put onto it which is resistant to acid. The metal plate is then soaked in an acid which cuts into it where the wax has been scratched away to make a printing plate. There are different methods but this is the rough idea. I only did it once at art college so don’t remember too much about it but there’s some more info here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etching
I’m not sure if it’s the type of thing you can do at home though!
TochaTocha
September 7th, 2010 at 2:40 pm
I don’t know if this is what you used, but it sounds like silver art clay. It’s silver mixed with other compounds that make it soft and workable like clay, but the other stuff burns off when it’s fired so you end up with just hard silver. It’s kind of expensive to get into because you need a special kind of mini kiln or torch for firing, but you can find a starter kit for around 300 dollars online. Just google “silver clay”. First though ask your art teacher because maybe he or she already has the kiln if silver clay is what you were working with.
RainDrop
September 7th, 2010 at 2:40 pm
possibly tooling foil, often copper, but other metals as well,
http://www.whimsie.com/toolingfoilcoppermetal.html
http://kitkraft.biz/product.php?productid=4070&cat=232&page=1
http://www.guildcraftinc.com/copper-foil-br-36-ga-rolls-661-113.aspx
http://www.multifilla.com/images/Product_highlights/metal_embossing_tool.gif
http://www.multifilla.com/Product_highlights9.htm
..