Take a look at my notes on the available foil options for those of you that love to enamel.
Foil options for Enamelist
Thompson’s foil gives you the best dollar value. I have tried many over the years and some not show here have been so thin they were impossible to use.
Thick to thin:
Hauser Miller will roll 24k gold foil to .002 in very nice if you want to emboss the foil or use it on a top layer of the enamels.
Rio grand Tool Supplies is 23K gold and is very easy to use.
The 24 k foil listed here from Coral now being sold by Enamel Art Supply is in third place with thickness.
And Thompson’s Enamel Supply is the thinnest in this group. But also the best value for the dollar. *)
In building a good foundation get to know vitreous enamel flux.
Here I have created to share my enamel flux test plates.
Like any painting technique there are various primers for various jobs. In art of enameling we have quite a few fluxes but they produce various findings. You have heard of a car having the rust primer coat = flux, before the color coat, If you ever finish a beautiful wooden object you would have the sand and sealer = flux, before the varnish coat. And preparing metal to enamel is the same way, as an enamelist I have prepared an enamel flux test plate.
Enamels are reactive to metal, not all but 90% I would say. So flux coats are usually necessary, and there are several hardness of these fluxes from available manufactures.
Vitreous Enamel Flux Comparison with what is on the market today.
Enamels are reactive to metal, not all but 90% I would say. So flux coats on metal before enameling is usually necessary, and there are several hardness of these fluxes.
First, view my test plate.
Flux Test Plate 1 Soyer #3 not fired
Here you have Ninomiya 3 Shippo 110, Vintage Thompson 757, Hirosawa S-1S and Soyer 3. These are all vitreous enamel flux, from different manufactures.I have fired at 1450 for 1 minute and as you can see all the flux has fused except the Soyer 3.
With another firing for 1.5 minutes you can see Soyer has fused.
Second firing of enamel Flux Test Plate Soyer #3 far right.
Right! so Soyer 3 is the hardest firing flux.
Ideally we want our flux, in enameling, to keep the reactive enamels from touching the metal surface. If this is the toughest barrier why not use it!
There are other good products here, and some might use these brands of enamel flux, but when it comes to reds which are usually the most reactive enamel colors, it is the best barrier.
I have spent most of my enameling career as a cloisonne jewelry artist, and making cells to hole enamel can create different challenges that other enamel techniques.
Here are a couple of diagrams to explain.
Flux Fired Correctly
Over heating the jewel causes this..
Flux Over Fired
Cells contain more heat than open surface techniques of enameling. When enamels are over fired they travel to the hottest point, up the walls of cloison wires, lowering your base layer of protection = thinning the flux at the center point and what do you get?…Enamels the color of MUD.
As Lisa Bialac-Jehle puts it “Simple” How to use Graphite on Enamel
Lisa Bialac-Jehle Graphite on Enamel
How to use graphite on enamel?
Counter enamel on copper: Fire
• White or other light enamel: Fire
• Lightly etch the surface with glass etching cream. I use Etch-All For around 10 minutes. (Follow container instructions for use.)
Rinse off Etchant. Dry.
• Draw on the etched surface with graphite: Fire
Done.
BTW: If you don’t like the finished results? Etch-All will etch the graphite off easily.”
PS: I tend to use whatever random mechanical pencil or sharpened pencil I have laying around. 😉
Love these jewels, and such a nice simple effect of using graphite on enamels. Thank you Lisa for sharing!
