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Silverpoint, and metalpoint more generally, is the practice of marking with soft metal on a specifically prepared drawing surface. Practiced for centuries, the artform is experiencing a resurgence in recent years, with contemporary work exploring abstract as well as realist, conceptual as well as traditional. Silverpoint and Metalpoint Drawing is the essential manual of metalpoint technique, written by Susan Schwalb and Tom Mazzullo, contemporary masters of the medium. This book is the first treatise on the subject for artists and art teachers with chapters on early history, materials including grounds, supports, metals, and tools, techniques for working in metalpoint as well as mixed media, and finally, the care of metalpoint works. Not only beautifully illustrated, this book also demonstrates how to photograph and exhibit metalpoint art. Featuring a gallery of drawings by contemporary artists, along with their tips and insight, Silverpoint and Metalpoint Drawing is a perfect introduction for students of the medium and an inspiration for those already more familiar with it.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword by Bruce Weber
Preface:  Why Metalpoint Now?
Introduction:  What is Silverpoint and Metalpoint?
Chapter 1:  The History of Metalpoint As a Drawing Technique
                by Thea Burns
Chapter 2:  Tools, Metals, and Tarnishing
Chapter 3:  Grounds, Preparation, and Supports
Chapter 4:  Drawing with Metalpoint
Chapter 5:  Mixed Media by Carol Prusa;
Chapter 6:  Storing, Framing, Photographing, and
                Shipping Metalpoint Work
Chapter 7:  Contemporary Metalpoint Drawiing
Appendix:  List of Sources for Materials

184 pages, 125 color illustrations

Available in hardback and paperback

"There is no better example of the timelessness of drawing than metalpoint as, in contrast to all the other graphic techniques, it has changed the least from the 14thcentury to today which means anyone tempted to pick up a stylus faces the same challenges in using it successfully as those confronted by a workshop assistant in Renaissance Florence. But now they do have an advantage over their 15th-century counterpart thanks to this guide written by two vastly experienced metalpoint practitioners, Tom Mazzullo and Susan Schwalb. I could not think of better or more encouraging mentors to encourage artists, as well as scholars, to explore and experiment with metalpoint drawing."
— Hugo Chapman, The British Museum

"Any artist who is considering trying their hand at this fascinating technique, whether in a traditional or experimental mode, will benefit tremendously from the wealth of technical details the authors include. With such an extensive selection of examples, and strong historical overview, it's hard to imagine a more comprehensive treatment of metalpoint."
— Clayton Merrell, Carnegie Mellon University

"In Silverpoint and Metalpoint Drawing you are in the practiced hands of two contemporary masters of the medium
Susan Schwalb and Tom Mazzullo who, with a unique understanding of the technique teach it step by step, from
creating fine lines with a stylus to subtle tones with metal wool pads and wire brushes. They take you through the
entire process from preparing the paper to photographing and framing the finished piece. This book, full of the
insight that comes with experience, will be a valuable tool for both artists and historians of the medium. "
— Nadine M. Orenstein, The Metropolitan Museum of Art