The Colouring, Bronzing and Patination of Metals (Hardcover)

by Richard Hughes (Author), Michael Rowe (Author) "Metal colouring, bronzing and patination are not processes that can be considered in isolation from the overall surface quality of an object..." (more)
Key Phrases: sawdust technique, boiling immersion, granular sawdust, Adequate Ferric, Adequate Potassium, Inhalation of the Boiling (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The techniques of metal colouring, bronzing and patination are assuming a new importance in contemporary fine metalwork and design. Richard Hughes and Michael Rowe have assembled and tested the recipes included in this book, which is the most comprehensive work on the subject currently available, an essential reference and sourcebook for practitioners and all those involved in sculpture, architecture, design and the decorative arts. It brings together hundreds of recipes and treatments previously scattered in a variety of old books and technical papers, and provides the artist-craftsman with a very wide range of coloured finishes.



Each of the recipes included has been tested and evaluated by the authors, and the practical procedures involved are clearly explained. In addition, they have devised techniques that considerably broaden the range of surface finishes that can be obtained.



The metals covered are bronze and yellow brass in cast form; copper, gilding metal, yellow brass and silver in sheet form; and silver-plate and copper-plate. The book is easy to use; all the recipes are classified according to the colour and surface finish they produce on each metal. Colour illustrations show over 200 examples of finishes as test pieces of metal, or as cast or spun bowls. Notes accompanying each recipe draw attention to potentially dangerous processes or chemicals, and to the correct safety precautions. Safety procedures in general are covered thoroughly in a separate section.



Detailed information on practical workshop methods and how to avoid any problems that may be encountered is given in sections on the various techniques. A glossary of archaic chemical terms and their modem equivalents is included. An historical introduction outlines the various metalworking traditions with which the use of colouring techniques is associated. An extensive bibliography gives over 400 references of historical, practical and theoretical interest.

About the Author
Richard Hughes studied industrial design at the Royal College of Art, London, and philosophy at the University of Surrey. He has worked as a designer and as a lecturer at Brunel University and a number of colleges of art and design, and first became involved in fine metalworking as a visiting lecturer at Camberwell College of Arts, where he worked jointly with Michael Rowe. He was most recently Director of Postgraduate Studies in industrial design at the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, London Institute, until his appointment in 1990 as Dean of Art History and Conservation at Camberwell College of Arts. Michael Rowe is an artist and designer. He studied silversmithing and design at High Wycombe College of Art and at the Royal College of Art, London. He has been using colouring and patinating techniques for a number of years and his work has been exhibited internationally and is represented in public and museum collections in Britain, Europe and Australia. He was a visiting tutor at the Royal College of Art, Camberwell College of Arts and Buckinghamshire College of Higher Education until 1984 when he was appointed Course Leader in Metalwork and Jewellery at the Royal College of Art in London.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 372 pages
• Publisher: Watson-Guptill (February 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823007626
• ISBN-13: 978-0823007622
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 7.7 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #207,432 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

103 of 111 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Only for certain metals, November 18, 2002

By	Rene A. Martinez (Palmdale, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I bought this book and found it to be very thorough with recipes and pictures for hundreds of types of finishes. However, I did find the title misleading. The recipes are only for copper, brass, bronze, and silver.

The metalwork I do is with steel and I bought the book to color steel. This huge medium is never dealt with in the book.

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply incredible, June 18, 2004

By	wiredweird "wiredweird" (Earth, or somewhere nearby) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

Patination is a way of coloring metal, using the chemistry of the metal itself to create colored oxides, chlorides, etc. It's a controlled form of corrosion, usually for decorative effect, but sometimes to put a protective layer on the metal. Outdoor copper and bronze show some of the greens and browns that are possible. This book puts that chemistry, and a much larger palette of colors, into the crafter's hands.

This book is encyclopedic. Three factors affect each patination: the alloy or element being treated, the chemistry of the solutions applied to the metal, and the way the treatment is applied (time, temperature, and so on). Hughes systematically explores all three dimensions. The discussion includes reproducibility of each patina, since some have squirrely chemistry that gives variable results. It also describes the mechanical and chemical durability of each patina, factors that define the kinds of applications where it may be used.

This book is not for the home hobbyist, though. It uses very harsh chemicals in most treatments. Many are highly toxic, and many present special hazards in handling and storage.

The only weakness I found in this book is the range of alloys covered. A number of interesting copper/gold combinations are traditional in Japanese metalwork, valued for the unusual colors of their natural oxides. These were severely under-represented. No book can cover everything, though.

Just thumbing through this book is wonderful, seeing the range of colors and textures that can be coaxed from the metal's surface. It's also helpful to anyone who loves metal artwork, as explanation of effects that you mught see displayed.

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Too nice for the studio, too useful for the library., April 21, 2003

By	D. E. Naisuler (Los Gatos, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Beautiful book, irreplaceable info. I saw this years ago at a price of over $100 and balked, but I should have bought it then. If you are a committed bronze artist/ crafts person and you want to get good patinas you will eventually buy this book, as it is the only one in print that is top notch in sophistication and comprehensiveness. Some might think this book with it's great technique descriptions, over 250 high quality patina chip photos, over 1000 distinct patina formulas and an incredible bibliography as esoteric and overly demanding in terms of chemistry and technique, but the rest will consider it priceless. Best patination book in print, possibly the best ever.