The Framers Forum

I want to create a finish where a silver base layer is overcoated in black so that it shows through a little. Any suggestions on what product to use for the silver layer?

Thanks!

For silver I use Bright Silver Bronzing powder C.Roberts and Co mixed in equal quantites with Gilt wax medium both available from here brushed or rubbed on over a smouth base of your choice.

You could make a paint from bronzing powder water glass and water layed over a wax and then dried and burnished but I don't have much success this way (i do with gold though)

Not your average framer is the expert on this though.

You could do it the other way round. Use a black base and silver it and then take some of the silver off.

But if you lay down a silver base you can overpaint it black (acrylic). That's using silver powder bound in varnish. You might have to experiment a bit to get the right look.

btw. There is a finer grade of silver powder http://www.goldleafsupplies.co.uk/acata ... rnish.html. It's pricey, but I find it a lot nicer than the standard. A little goes a long way.

Thats the one I use Prospero. I was actually doing it the way you sugested yesterday painting actually a grey base with silver over the top and then rubbing with a damp cloth to remove some of the wax gilt mix, that i use.