Oil Painting On Copper Plate

How to prepare a copper panel for oil painting.

Oil painting on copper plate.

Hammered or rolled metal provides a non absorbent surface that can increase color saturation. The usefulness of copper in metalwork is known to all but few people realize how much it has contributed to art and painting throughout history. Depending on the plate s preparation the reddish orange metal can also provide a warm tonality to the finished painting much like other supports including wood or other paintings. Copper based pigments were an important ingredient in ancient paints and the metal itself was frequently employed as a canvas on which renaissance artists painted.

The use of copper as a substrate for an oil painting dates back to medieval times. Copper also served as an engraving plate for etchings and prints by master artists. Copper based pigments have long been an important source of colour for artists but copper plates have also functioned as a support for paintings instead of the more familiar canvas or wood supports for a long time. Painting on or with copper has a long history.

Paint on the prepared copper plate the artist may paint on the freshly dried garlic juice rubbed copper surface right away with pure oil paint or apply primer to create a silky smooth white surface for paint application. Paint on the prepared copper plate. The flemish masters and other artists including jan breughel the elder claude el greco guido reni guercino rembrandt carlo saraceni ambrosius bosschaert ii copley fielding and vernet painted on copper.