Verdigris Bath
By Lady Symonne de la Croix
Equipment
- Copper plates
- Vinegar (I used Fehlbergs double strength white vinegar which is extra concentrated)
- Container (I used a glass Moccona jar)
- Safety blade
I used 99.9% copper which I sourced online, which I cut with kitchen scissors to fit in clean jar with a lid.
Then I poured in about a cup of double strength vinegar. The vapours (fumes) will be what reacts with the copper to make the verdigris.
I put on the lid then put container on a warm place (would have been in a dung pile in period).
After only 24hrs!! Working very rapidly. I then left it for a month.
I removed copper from the verdigris bath and allowed it to dry.
Interesting that the verdigris only occurred on the parts that were not submerged in the vinegar.
The vinegar was a pretty blue colour. I am going to reuse it and the copper after it is scraped.
I used a safety blade to scrape the verdigris away. It came off quite easily.
Gloves and face mask is recommended for this part of the process.
I am happy with the outcome so far. It yielded a lot more pigment then I realised.
Next step is mulling the pigment and trialling it in different mediums.
I added the copper back into the original vinegar bath to see if there will be any further reactions. I tried to keep more of the copper out of the liquid this time.
Alchemy is fun.