Lake Superior Agates
A finish that is rarely used today is burnishing your dried pigment with an agate. Agates are a very hard naturally formed stone that is primarily used for jewelry because of its beauty. Naturally smooth, agate burnishers were used to give gold and silver leaf a uniform finish that adhered to the surface of a decorated object. You can press down and polish the dried pigment on your painting changing the finish and the color. You can get some truly unique effects.
Burnishers come in different sizes and shapes, so take a look online for the right one. If you don’t want to bother with a professional burnisher, you can pick up an agate at your local rock or beading shop. Some of us live in areas where agates are strewn beneath our feet at the lakeshore. Have fun!
Grab one of your secret turkey paintings from its hidden corner(you know you have one) and start experiment burnishing different colors. You start to see what I mean. There is a depth that didn’t exist before. Next, take a digital photo of the burnished sections and study the effect. The richness and iridesence will “confuse” the digital camera and the camera’s program will make its own decisions about what it “sees”. This could be very bad if you are planning to sell a burnished piece online. If you’re selling in a brick and mortar setting, it could add a very valuable component to your painting.