How to Use Prismacolor on Copper

• 1
  Use the very thin blades of a jeweler's saw to cut shapes from a copper sheet.saw blade image by laviniaparscuta from Fotolia.com
  
  Decide what pieces you will need and cut the desired shapes from your copper stock using tin snips or a jeweler's saw. Consider working on the pre-made copper shapes available at hobby shops. File the edges of the final shapes and drill holes for connectors, rivets, bails or wires. Many artists make holes which will be used to rivet their copper piece to a more "skin-friendly" backing, such as silver.
  
  
• 2
  Use 60 grit sandpaper to roughen the surface of your metal.Metal texture image by Zaichenko Olga from Fotolia.com
  
  Roughen the surface of your raw copper shape with 60-grit sandpaper to make the patina, which will be applied later. The rougher the surface of the copper is, the better the patina will adhere. Wear gloves and safety glasses while cutting or abrading your copper.
  
  
• 3
  Use dish soap, which is made to remove grease, to wash your copper pieces.Washing up I image by Sophia Winters from Fotolia.com
  
  Wash the copper pieces thoroughly with liquid dish soap and water; degrease further using alcohol on a paper towel. The metal must be completely free of oil from your fingers for the patina to adhere to the copper. Apply oil with an artist's paintbrush in a deliberate pattern if you wish to have copper showing through the final colors
  
  
• 4
  Adding a patina to a roughened surface gives the color something to adhere to.copper plate ,texture image by charles taylor from Fotolia.com
  
  Patina your copper pieces by painting on a commercial patinating formula, gesso, or liver of sulphur. Warm your copper pieces in a toaster oven before using liver of sulphur, let sit until desired patina is obtained, and rinse well. Debra Weld, who is a pioneer in this technique, suggests using JAX Green Patina for Copper because it leaves a rougher surface than other products. Let the patina sit for 24 hours before coloring your work.
  
  
• 5). Color your patinated copper with Prismacolor pencils, which have a higher wax content than other colored pencils. Use a thin coat of the lighter colors first then move up to your darker colors. Swab your work with turpentine to smudge the color. Work the color into your piece with an artist's paint brush and the turpentine. Be sure to clean your brush between colors, unless mixing colors is your goal, which can give a beautiful effect.
  
  
• 6
  Use a toaster oven or standard oven to bake your pieces.micro wave oven image by mattmatt73 from Fotolia.com
  
  Bake the pieces for about 10 minutes at 275 degrees. Spray the pieces with clear acrylic fixative. Sand lightly with 0000 steel wool, add more color, turpentine, bake, and spray again until you achieve your desired color or until the copper will not take any more layers of wax. Seal the color with Renaissance Wax and bake it for another 10 minutes. Use a soft cloth to remove any residue. Buff and polish your pieces to finish them.