Materials w/ Matteo Taverna - Silverpoint

A Material review from The Florence Academy of Art faculty featured on The FAA Collective Patreon

We are delighted to present you with the first edition of this exciting new content on The FAA Collective Patreon: material recommendations and reviews! In this article, Matteo Taverna, graduate of and a principal instructor at The Florence Academy of Art, introduces one of his favorite drawing tools, the silverpoint, one of several types of metalpoint used by scribes, craftsmen and artists since ancient times.

Matteo Taverna

'Selfie like Rembrandt'

Silverpoint on Gessoed Paper, 20x17cm, 2020

'Silverpoint, the pencil’s ancestor, is a traditional drawing technique we find in use in early medieval texts and scrolls. From the Gothic period, through the late Renaissance, it was widely popular among Florentine and Flemish artists, thanks to its durability with respect to lead, and the quality of line it produced. Among the the most notable artists who worked in silverpoint are Jan Van Eyck, Leonardo Da Vinci, Albert Dürer and Raffaello. The remarkable individual qualities of each of these artists’ drawings are particularly evident when they used silverpoint. We need only to think of Leonardo’s superbly rendered sketches of nature, and Raffaello’s renderings of the human figure.

In Cennino Cennini’s ‘The Book of the Art’, the early Renaissance craftsman offers ample information on the practice of silverpoint, and the preparation of surfaces.

Leonardo da Vinci, Silverpoint, Studies of Hands (c. 1489–90) and Study for the Angel in Madonna of the Rocks (ca. 1483-85)

There are several metals we can use to draw with: silver, lead, and even gold. Even so, silver remains my preference as it possesses several unique qualities: for example, with time, the original tonality of the line darkens to a warmer shade. In addition, the possibility to obtain light, sharp lines lend themselves perfectly to preparatory drawings. I also enjoy using silverpoint for my personal drawings as well.

Finding a good metal stylus isn’t always easy, but one can search among specialized art stores or in goldsmith workshops to find a good quality point that will last for years.

The paper for silverpoint typically sold in art stores is not always of the best quality, so I find it best to prepare my own surfaces. This will greatly improve the final effects of your drawing. There are various methods we can use to prepare paper, but the method I prefer is applying several layers of gesso ground to papers with a weight of 200 grams or higher.

To make the gesso, first we must make rabbit skin glue, using the following ratio: 65 grams of rabbit skin glue to 0,95 litre of water. Soak the glue in the water for a few hours or overnight, then gently heat the solution until the particles have dissolved. Our glue is now ready for use (it is important to not let it cool too quickly). Apply a coat to our paper (previously fixed with thumb tacks on a board or mounted on a canvas).

While the paper dries, we prepare the gesso (plaster) ground:

1,5 parts of Gesso di Bologna

1 part rabbit skin glue

0,5 parts of marble dust or bianco d’ossa

Mix the dry ingredients starting with the gesso and marble dust (or bianco d’ossa), then fold in the glue. Mix well while keeping the glue warm on a hot plate set on low heat. The gesso is now ready to be applied to the paper with a brush. If the gesso ground seems too thick, add some water to it.

We need to apply at least 3 layers of gesso on the paper - be sure not to miss the corners; the paper needs to be left to dry overnight. With this type of coating, we will be able to erase unwanted marks made by the silverpoint by scrubbing it lightly.

As mentioned before, there are other methods to prepare paper for silverpoint, for example using gum arabic instead of rabbit skin glue; this method isn’t usually recommended as arabic gum might stiffen and crack the surface:

1 part bianco d’ossa

1 part gum arabic (lightly diluted)

Another method I use because it saves time is treating the paper with a generous layer of gouache or casein paint. I always choose light shades for my surfaces to contrast the dark grey mark of the silver, but an interesting experiment is also testing the silverpoint on a dark surface, the result is a white/silver mark.

There are endless possibilities to explore while drawing with this medium, and its versatility and almost permanent quality makes me focus even more on the purpose and meaning of each mark I make. In the past we mainly see silver point used to produce fine “hatching” marks, but nowadays we can explore a wider array of styles that range from delicate sfumato effects to wild linework. Even though silverpoint can be used for many different marks it always maintains its indelebile strength.'

More about Matteo:

Matteo Taverna was born in Voghera, Italy. His childhood was spent in the small town of Valenza Po. A love of nature characterized this time. Matteo began his artistic education at age 14 when he entered the Visual Arts High School in Valenza. There he gained a solid foundation in drawing and the humanities. He went on to train in painting at The Florence Academy of Art, graduating in 2019. That same year, Matteo was also selected to be one of three Graduates in Residence, and has stayed on as a Principal Instructor in the Academy's Intensive Drawing Program. Matteo works privately in his studio in Florence.

To see more of Matteo's work please visit:

Instagram: @matteotaverna25