There are a few things to consider before you start. The best results will come from using exactly the materials I have used. Rub&Buff™ is a huge favorite of mine and I have tried everything available in the area of metallic rub-ons. Yes, it does have an odor (like turpentine or paint thinner) and it does not wash off easily with soap and water, but sometimes that’s the price you pay to get the results you want. Artists have been smelling turpentine throughout the ages and it hasn’t meant the end of the world yet, so I think using a little R&B is unlikely to do us too much harm. You will not get these results from substituting other, water soluble rub-ons.
The most important tool used in this technique is already in your studio - growing on the end of your hand. It is the ever useful index finger. Now, I don’t like running around with a copper colored finger any more than the next guy, and I have tried every other application tool including latex gloves, but you just can’t do without the tactile feedback your bare fingertip provides. This is a simple procedure, but one which requires a “touch” as you will see as we proceed with the directions. R&B comes off with paint thinner or soap and water and a scrubber type sponge.
The materials for this project are simple. It will be the way you use those materials that will be more exacting.
Black Card Stock - Matte finish but with as little surface texture as possible
Clear embossing ink and powder.
Heat tool and rubber stamps of your choosing
Rub&Buff in the following colors:
Spanish Copper, Autumn Gold, Gold Leaf
Styrofoam Plates & Paper Towels
Cut your card stock into appropriate size pieces for the stamps you will use. I often make 2"x2" pieces, and work with 3 or 4 of them on a strip to avoid burning my fingers while embossing.
Stamp the images on the card stock, sprinkle with clear embossing powder, and remove any stray powder (you can use a Flat brush for this (stiff bristles).
Heat with your heat tool as usual, being careful that you do not overheat at all. EP will quickly sink into matte paper and disappear. You need for this image to be thoroughly melted, but sitting totally on top of the surface of the paper. The hands on the left did not turn out well, and had to be redone.
Healing Hands (Cre8it), Tea Cup (Angi-B & Co)
Squeeze a little dab of Spanish Copper Rub&Buff on a styrofoam plate. Sometimes, an excess of oil comes out of a new tube when you first open it. If this happens, squeeze the oil onto a paper towel and discard. You want the R&B to be about the consistency of toothpaste.
Rub the dab of R&B on the plate in a circular motion with the pad of your index finger - spreading it over a small area. If you feel any hard little grains of paint, get rid of them - they will make big trouble for you in your application. You want a thin, very smooth coating of R&B on your finger.
The whole secret to getting this right is that your touch on the tile is so light, it’s almost like not touching it at all. Spread the R&B with a featherlite, circular motion so it is hitting only the very top of the image and tooth of the paper. You can continue to add color, but if you use too heavy a touch or have a grain of paint on your finger, the color will cover the tooth of the paper or fill in the depressions in the image and you will not be able to back it out. You will have to start over because your image will not be different enough from the background to show up. I always tell students to count on their first couple of pieces being “practice” so they won’t be discouraged.
Once you have a satisfactory coating of the Spanish Copper, switch to Autumn Gold and do exactly the same thing - applying it over the Spanish Copper. Autumn Gold is actually the color of true copper and since Rub&Buff does not make a “copper”, I don’t know why they don’t just call this one copper. It’s one of those mystery things, I guess.
Your third R&B color is Gold Leaf. This one is not applied all over the tile, but just used to highlight 3-4 small areas. When you first lightly touch the Gold Leaf to the artwork, it will immediately become apparent what a wonderful dimension this adds - if used in moderation. There is almost a sunset feeling to the tones of the metals. If you compare Figure 2 and Figure 3, you will see that the touch of Gold Leaf really lights up the copper finish.
Your “ antique tooled copper” is now complete and the following page will show you some possibilities for incorporating it into finished pieces.
The Hands are finished, the Teacup is in progress.
Again, Hands finished, Tea Cup half covered.
Both tiles are finished & highlighted with gold.
