Metal Patina - experiments revisited.
Non-toxic patination
This is non-toxic metal patina how I do it! This is not NEW, I haven’t invented it, however I have taken the information and recipes and made them my own. This is what I suggest for anyone else wanting to have a go. Read below for some tips and things I have learned along the way, I should say this is not a quick or always predictable way of working but thats what I love about it.
I began this journey into non-toxic patination back in 2021. I was producing oxidised silver and copper pieces and wanted to explore other colours in metal, however I really didn’t want to get involved in more chemicals. I have always used liver of sulphur for oxidising but wanted alternative ways of creating colour and pattern on the surface of the metal. I did a bit of research and found various recipes online, the most useful being a paper written by Julie Jerman-Melka in 1996. Of course, I also have the ‘patina bible’ The colouring Bronzing and Patination of Metals by Richard Hughes and Michael Rowe which although references many chemicals has been a great resource. The other crucial thing was TIME, to be able to experiment and find things out for myself. Thanks to Arts council England and the Developing Your Creative Practice fund this was made possible.
With all of the experiments I did I wrote on a piece of masking tape, the metal, the solution and the date that it went in. Most of them were left inside an airtight container for between 4 days and 2 weeks, I would check part way through and sometimes add more liquid.
Metals I have used - varying results, copper is the best.
Copper
Brass
Silver
Liquids I have used - these create the colour either by contact or fumes.
Vinegar (cider, red wine, white wine)
Soy sauce
Hendersons Relish
Things I have used to carry the liquid - these keep the liquid in place and can create pattern.
Sawdust
Rice
Barley
Grass
Salt
Moving from flat pieces of metal to actual objects was a bit of a learning curve! Some things worked very well and easily translated onto a more three dimensional form but others were a challenge, more about that next time.
Have a go yourself! Something simple to get you started.
COPPER AND VINEGAR - Blue/green using the fumes of the vinegar.
Prep the copper by cleaning with something abrasive like cif or the pink stuff and a scourer.
Place a copper object into an airtight container, you need to be able to get the lid on and closed. Add a small amount of vinegar into the bottom of the container, no more than 1cm, then place the copper piece into the container. If any of the copper is in contact with the liquid it will remain copper coloured so think about this when deciding which way to put it.
Leave for approx 4-7 days. When you take it out, leave it to air dry. Once dried you should be able to rinse under the cold tap, the colour may change, I should say this can be an unpredictable aka exciting process! Then leave to dry again, to seal the colour I use Renaissance Wax.
Alternatively if DIY is not your style you can shop my range of patinated pieces below :)
