Man of the Future: Step 14

Hello again and thank you for joining me for this Artist’s Studio.
The metal “chasing”- welding, grinding, sanding, etc- has been completed and the piece has been once again sandblasted clean for the next and final step, the “patina”, or finish that both colors and protects the bronze. This actually takes several different steps, so I will be showing it as 2 installments.

This piece will receive a “French Brown” patina, probably the most universal, and one that holds up well outdoors. The first step is to “black” the bronze by spraying it with a solution of potassium and sulfur sometimes called “liver of sulfur” (gotta love that), which actually reacts with the copper in the bronze to turn it black. It’s interesting to watch it actually go from yellow to black as the reaction takes place.

The next step is to scrub the blacking back off the higher surfaces, creating a highlighted effect which brings out the shapes and texture of the surface.


