HOW ITS DONE

I use these tools for most of my embossing. Some are common tools that I've modified. Chisels, punches and screwdrivers can be ground into many shapes for different uses and wooden tools are helpful too. I sometimes use steel ball bearings or other metal objects to form shapes into the metal. Ancient embossers used a substance called pitch to support the metal as they worked on it. Pitch is made from different mixtures but when it's hot, it's soft like putty, you cover the front side of the metal with a thick layer with the pitch, as it cools, it becomes hard but soft enough to allow the metal to be formed into it. The design is then embossed by hammering shapes into the back side of the metal. When the embossing is done, the pitch is removed by heating it again. The front side is cleaned and then additional tool work and engraving can be done to the design. Most of my repousse is done on thin metal so I have been using rubber for backing instead of pitch. It is nothing like using pitch and the process is different too. I work from both sides of the metal.

Different stages of forming the shapes into the design

These photos show some different stages of repoussé work. I sketch the design on the metal and then carefully start bending and shaping the metal from the front side and then from the back side using wooden and Steel tools that I made as needed. Early repousse work was done by working the metal from the backside into a special pitch, then worked or chased from the front. I had no instructions when I started doing this, I started experimenting and found that I could use a thick piece of rubber as the working surface. I work the metal from both sides until I'm happy with the design and then use volcanic pumice and acid to treat the surface. Some of them are polished of given patina.