As another side note, I'm currently reading Alan Moore's Swamp Thing. Awesome comic, it's a great retelling of a classic that only Moore can do, and rife with inspiration about human nature and natural things, and what exactly those are. So far, anyway, I'm only on book 3.
Anyway! Here's my progress on enameling the copper pieces I etched a few days ago. More info on Champleve, from Darty's enameling book: "The term Champleve comes from the two French words "champ," a field, and "leve," raised. In this technique raised fields, or areas of metal, are incorporated into the finished design and the enamel is inlayed into recessed compartments." She also details that the Celts were doing it as far back as 1BC, and the Romans, in their vast conquests, adapted it from them and were using it on armor, swords and shields in 5AD. If I had helmet in ancient Rome, it would totally have Champleve on it. Of a ram, or something hardcore.
Oooh, I love the red and yellow one! And all of them really, but especially that one.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you do! I wasn't so sure about the colors, but they're growin on me.
ReplyDeletevery cool! they look so old - do you have to do anything to the copper (oxidation) before you enamel the surface?
ReplyDeleteMike - yea, the copper has to be SUPERCLEAN before I enamel it, otherwise, as you've noted, the oxidation wouldn't allow it to stick. The copper that will still be visible I'm gonna purposefully oxidate with a patina once all the enameling is through, so you won't see the cracked black and colored lines on the copper that you see in these images.
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