Metalpoint is a dry media technique of drawing in which a special soft metal stylus (typically silver, lead, bismuth, gold or bronze) is used over an abrasive paper surface such as to leave small deposits behind on the paper producing faint lines. The paper was typically treated with bone-dust or calcite. As the particle fragments oxidize, the lines produce a visible drawing.

The technique is commonly associated with the Renaissance but enjoyed a brief revival in the late 19th and 20th centuries.

Examples of the use of metalpoint include the Vitruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci.

External links

• New York University site on Metalpoint http://www.nyu.edu/classes/miller/guide/metalpoint.html
• Cleveland Museum of Art site on Metalpoint http://www.clevelandart.org/techniques/metalpoint.html