silverpoint

[ sil-ver-point ]

noun

1. a technique of drawing with a silver stylus on specially prepared paper.
2. a drawing made by this technique.

silverpoint

/ ˈsɪlvəˌpɔɪnt /

noun

1. a drawing technique popular esp in the 15th and 16th centuries, using an instrument with a silver wire tip on specially prepared paper

Word History and Origins

Origin of silverpoint¹

First recorded in 1880–85; silver + point

Example Sentences

The lines, made with graphite or silverpoint, waver slightly; the surfaces are often smudgy or blotchy.

From Washington Post

The final price of $12.2 million was marginally better than the $11.5 million given in 2001 for Leonardo’s slightly larger silverpoint study “Horse and rider,” the previous auction high for a drawing by the artist.

From Seattle Times

The drawing was created using silverpoint on pale pink-beige paper and is among a number of the artist's small-scale drawings of animals, which date back to the early 1480s.

From BBC

Kudzu, English ivy and others are rendered in silverpoint, a millennia-old technique that transfers lines of real silver to paper.

From Washington Post

Jenny Walton’s exhibit, “In the Space of a Day,” featuring an installation of large-scale watercolors and silverpoint drawings contemplating transformation and renewal, closes Sunday with a reception at 6 p.m. in the Main Gallery.

From Washington Post