Repoussé (or Repajado in Spanish cultures) is an ancient form of relief sculpture in which a design is pressed into a sheet of metal to create a 3-dimensional surface. Ancient Greeks worked in bronze to decorate armor. Byzantine artists described religious events and persons in bronze and gold. Mexican and South American artisans have used copper and tin for centuries to produce jewelry and ornamental items. Gold, silver and bronze metals are heated and formed by hammering or using special tools, while copper and tin are suitable for working by hand. Softer metals are usually attached to a permanent base when finished, such as wood, stone or other metals, to retain the shape.

This classroom-friendly repoussé project uses a matte-black aluminum foil sheet and soft colored pencils. Unlike smooth metal foils, the matte surface readily accepts pencil shading. Students can draw on the front and the back of the piece, creating different levels of embossing. The contrast between the patina-colored metal surface and the colored pencils resembles stained glass or enamel inlay.

Grade Levels

5–12

Lesson Objectives

• Students will learn to employ a basic metalworking technique by embossing lines and textures into a soft metal
• Students will apply design elements including line, texture and color while considering their relationship to a 3-dimensional surface. They will be required to divide areas of color with an embossed area or line
• Students will look for and recognize examples of embossed metals in historical and contemporary examples.
• Students will be able to recognize the visual differences between cast metal and embossed metal.

Historical/Cultural Relativity

Refer to historical examples of plates, jewelry, masks, armor, shields, swords, picture frames, etc. Look for examples or imitations of repousse in use today. If you are linking cultural studies, look for examples from Mexico and South America, Celtic nations, and ancient Mediterranean cultures in particular.

Preparation

ArtEmboss is easy to cut with scissors, craft knife or paper cutter. Cut into 4-1/2" x 6" pieces or smaller. Cut matboard backing pieces so that they are 1/2" shorter and narrower than the metal piece, leaving 1/4" on all sides to wrap the edges. Cut paper for the preliminary drawings the size of the matboard.

Procedure

1. Have students prepare preliminary drawings. Students will need to understand that areas of color will be divided by black embossed lines, so line work is very important. Have them draw over their pencil lines with a black marker. Looking at stained glass examples or patterns may be helpful.
2. Caution students before they begin that the metal is thin and fragile, and can be torn by too much pressure, sharp tools or even overly sharpened pencils. Pencils that are slightly dull make the best tools for this project, so they may need to wear a point down on their preliminary drawing sheet before applying it to the metal..
3. Embossing should be done on magazines, newspapers, etc, not on a hard desktop. Center the matboard on the back side of the metal sheet. Using the modeling tool or a pencil, have the students trace the edges of the matboard to form a rectangular border.
4. Center the preliminary drawing within the border. Students can transfer their sketches directly onto the back of the piece by tracing over the lines with a pencil or modeling tool.
5. As students work their drawings with the colored pencils, have them press alternately from the front and back to create varying raised and lowered areas. Blending colors to shade and highlight areas will enhance the 3-dimensional effect.
6. When the drawings are completed, have students turn the piece face down and place the matboard on the back. Snip the corners of the metal sheet at an angle towards the matboard on all four corners. Fold the metal sheet around so it's secured to the matboard. Use the modeling tools to press down and smooth the sides and corners.

Variations

• Use a small piece of ArtEmboss and add a pin back to create a brooch, or attach a magnet back.
• Cut matboard in various shapes and wrap ArtEmboss to create circles, letters, photo frames, etc.

Topics for Discussion

1. Explain the differences between embossed metal and cast metal. What are advantages of each? (material strength, detail, expense, time considerations, creating multiples)
2. Why do you think ancient artists created repousse instead of paintings or sculptures?

National Standards

Content Standard #1 — Understanding and applying media, techniques and processes

5-8 Students intentionally take advantage of the qualities and characteristics of art media, techniques and processes to enhance communication of their experience and ideas.

9-12 Students apply media, techniques and processes with sufficient skill, confidence and sensitivity that their intentions are carried out in their artworks

Content Standard #4 — Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and culture

5-8 Students know and compare the characteristics of artworks in various eras and cultures

9-12 Students analyze relationships of works of art to one another in terms of history, aesthetics and culture, justifying conclusions made in the analysis and using such conclusions to inform their own art making.