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Silverpoint Drawings  

Ayton has recently (circa 2009) been working in the drawing medium of silverpoint, which has been in use since Medieval and Renaissance times. It consists of a length of silver wire held in a stylus, which is dragged over a prepared ground, usually paper treated with gesso. The silver wire leaves a trace of the metal on the page, which gradually (over months and years) darkens and oxidizes to a brownish tint. It was used by artists, along with other metalpoints, such as copperpoint, goldpoint and leadpoint, until the arrival of the graphite pencil. Below is a selection of some of the more successful silverpoint drawings so far. More will be posted. These and others can be seen on the Silverpoint a Day Blog.
The first 15 (tinted ground) silverpoint drawings below are linked to larger versions.

Young Orpheus silverpoint
Young Orpheus -- silverpoint drawing #106
Dissolving Head silverpoint
Dissolving Head -- silverpoint drawing #104
Narcisssus the Beautiful Youth silverpoint
Narcissus, the Beautiful Youth -- silverpoint drawing #111
Woman with Braided Hair silverpoint
Woman with Braided Hair -- silverpoint drawing 77
Cassandra silverpoint
Cassandra -- silverpoint drawing #79
Poverty silverpoint
Poverty -- silverpoint drawing #53
The Underdog silverpoint
The Underdog -- silverpoint drawing #67
Narcissus by the Sea silverpoint
Narcissus by the Sea -- silverpoint drawing #64
Orpheus silverpoint
Orpheus (or The Hero II) -- silverpoint drawing #71
Isle of Mystery silverpoint
Isle of Mystery -- silverpoint drawing #54
Looking Down silverpoint
Looking Down -- silverpoint drawing #58
Lilith silverpoint
Lilith -- silverpoint drawing #62
Young Girl on Burnt Ochre Ground silverpoint
Young Girl on Burnt Ochre Ground -- silverpoint drawing #57
Young Man on Ocrhre Ground silverpoint
Young Man on Ochre Ground -- silverpoint drawing #56
Woman's Head on Blue Ground silverpoint
Woman's Head on Blue Ground -- silverpoint drawing #52
Fear silverpoint
Fear -- silverpoint drawing #3
Eyes Downcast silverpoint
Eyes Downcast -- silverpoint drawing #6
Narcissus Approaches the Pool silverpoint
Narcissus Approaches the Pool -- silverpoint drawing #10
Profile of an Old Man silverpoint
Profile of an Old Man -- silverpoint drawing #14
Head of Achilles silverpoint
Head of Achilles -- silverpoint drawing #19
Large Head with Closed Eyes silverpoint
Large Head with Closed Eyes -- silverpoint drawing #20
Emerging Into Light silverpoint
Emerging Into Light -- silverpoint drawing #22
Song silverpoint
Song -- silverpoint drawing #28
Horns of the Minotaur silverpoint
Horns of the Minotaur -- silverpoint drawing #29
Profile of a Man's Head silverpoint
Profile of a Man's Head -- silverpoint drawing #32
Woman's Head silverpoint
Woman's Head -- silverpoint drawing #39
 Profile of a Woman silverpoint
Profile of a Woman -- silverpoint drawing #40
Note: the above silverpoint drawings have been slightly adjusted in Photoshop to have more contrast for visibility purposes. Silverpoint has a tendency to produce faint, subtle lines and tones.

 
 
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