Metal Creations: How I create the blue colours on my botanical metal sculptures?

I’ve been making my botanical metal sculptures for a while now and more recently I wanted to introduce some colour. After being about the technique called Patina I was interested in exploring this method. After a little bit of research I found out about a bit more. And after a failed attempt with salt and vinegar crisps (don’t ask) and a bit more experimenting, my homemade solution with table salt, water/white vinegar and  ammonia began. Read on to find out how I make my botanical metal sculptures blue

So first things first, what technique do I use to get my blues?

I use a technique called Patina which is a chemical reaction that creates a thin layer of colour on the surface of the metal: copper, brass, bronze and similar metals. A blue tarnish is produced by chemical vapours and  oxidation

Readymade chemicals can be bought or you can make your own. I decided to go down the homemade routs as readymade ones can be pretty toxic and to be honest made me a bit nervous to try them

So after a little bit of research I came across a method of using table salt, water or white vinegar and ammonia. Read on to find out how I use these to create my blue colours on my botanical metal sculptures

Kerry Day Arts Mini Blue Money Tree Botanical Metal Sculpture.jpg

Before we start let’s talk about safety

Because this technique uses ammonia, though not as toxic as premade Patina solutions, it’s still really important to think about safety when using it

So remember to

  • Work in a well ventilated room

  • Wear gloves

  • Wear a mask

  • Wear eye protection

  • Use plastic containers

  • Protect the surface you are working on

 

Before applying the patina

For this Patina I found it worked better on Brass and before applying it to the metal I cleaned the brass with neat washing up liquid and rinsed well with warm water to remove any grease that could prevent the solution from working

Kerry Day Arts Applying the blue patina to the botanical metal sculpture.jpg

How I make my blue botanical sculptures with my homemade patina

I like to make my own patina and for my blues I use table salt, water or white vinegar and ammonia

First I spray the water or white vinegar onto the brass to make it wet then I sprinkle on some table salt

I place the brass in a large plastic container and in a smaller pot I pour in Ammonia and place this in the main container

Put the lid on to seal

The vapour of the ammonia will react to the salt and water/vinegar and produce blue colours

I like to leave mine for about 5 hours

After 5 hours I remove from the container and allow to air dry for a few more hours

At this point you may want to remove any excess/loose salt from the surface. Some of it will remain and create a nice texture

Once dry I then like to protect the Patina by applying a layer or two of spray varnish.

I use Paint Factory clear Matt Varnish which you can buy online

Kerry Day Arts Metal Creations Blue Botanical Metal Sculptures finished pieces.jpg

Watch - How do I create my blue botanical metal sculptures?

and finally

I hope you enjoyed finding out how I make my blue Botanical metal sculptures and maybe feel inspired to have a go yourselves. If you do I would love to hear how you get on by popping me a message via my Contact Page

If you would like to buy one of my botanical metal sculptures then head on over to Shop Sculpture

If you would like to find out how I make my botanical metal sculptures then have a read of Metal Creations: How I make my botanical metal sculptures?

If you would like to find out how I make my sculptures green then have a read of Metal Creations: How do I create the green colours on my botanical metal sculptures?

And to watch more of my metal creation videos and lots of Lino Printing Tips head over to my YouTube channel Kerry Day Arts

Thank you for reading

Kerry

Botanical Metal Sculpture, Metal CreationsKerry Day