Supervised Progress on a Copperpoint Eagle

Eagle
16x20
Copper on paper

Here is todays progress. I enjoy doing metalpoint drawings. This is my biggest one so far. I was a little intimidated to start this because of the size, but once I started working on it, I decided that for the most point, the details were minimum and I could easily get this done in a couple of days. If all goes well, I may put this in the show. I would like to have a few pieces to show and I hate to rob the houses of the people that I have given work to. This eagle looks pretty "American" and around here, that is a popular subject. I don't think anyone else works with metal materials, so this might be a fun piece to put in the show just for its unusual materials.

I have a spot in the right (his/her left) wing that isn't accepting anymore copper. I may have to sand that a little to give it some grab. I have three coats of gesso on this so it can take light sanding without much of a problem. I have figured out that having a small strip of sandpaper handy to scratch and sharpen the point is crucial. It also helps for sanding the surface. The shine of the copper on the very matte surface of the gesso is creating a very nice contrast in texture. I think I like how the shine is affected by the very bumpy surface of the watercolor paper. Finally, an experiment that is turning out to be a success.

I don't have any metalpoint supplies, really. There are lots of great tools out there to make this process easier. Quite honestly, I like using minimum supplies at times so I can just sit on the couch and still be a part of everything while I work. Today it was just a plain ol' piece of copper, a drawing board, a lap and a supervisor. As you can see, I had lots of help working on this today. My supervisor was one of those typical bosses that made me do all the work while she took a nap.

The kids seem to really like this one. I am not sure if it is the materials that makes it "so cool!" or if it is the subject. I like the way the wingspan fills up the space and leaves an interesting shape in negative space.

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