Metal Leaf Pens

Metal leaf pens (or "leafing pens") come in a fairly limited number of colors, but they can be very useful for adding a gilded touch to polymer clay projects.

Leafing pens are best used to highlight specific elements of a design or to jazz up a piece with a few carefully placed embellishments. You can also use them to gild carved lines. For total coverage of a piece, you may find that metal leaf, liquid leaf, or metallic paints are more economical.

You may use metal leaf pens on raw or cured clay, but curing the metal leaf ink may cause it to change colors. If the surface will get a great deal of wear, it's a good idea to seal it. Some sealants may smear the ink, though, so let the piece dry very thoroughly (for days, even) before sealing it, and use a light touch with the brush.

Examples

Leafing Pens, from Krylon-
Available in 18Kt Gold, Silver, Copper, Pale Gold, and Red Shimmer.
http://krylon.com/

Posh Impressions Accent Pens, from Ranger-
Available in Gold, Silver, and Copper.
http://www.rangerink.com/product_poshpens.html

Liquid Gold/Silver Pens, from Marvy Uchida-
Available in gold and silver.
http://www.uchida.com/what/deco/Deco_paint.htm

Decoro Lackmarker, from EberhardFaber-
Available in four colors.
http://www.eberhardfaber.com

Availability

Look for metal leaf pens in art and craft supply stores with the pens, calligraphy supplies, or possibly the metal leaf. They are also available for purchase on-line.

Links

For more information about using leafing pens with polymer clay, visit this website:

Glass Attic: Letters and Inks
Compiled by Diane Black
http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/MainPages/letters_inks.htm
Search for "leafing pens" to jump to the section of the page dealing with metal leaf pens.