Patination

One of a variety of finishes used by sculptors on metal, it is a technique involving naturally or artificially created surface alterations. It also includes coatings applied such as drying oils and paint. Bronzes may be coloured by patination with chemicals; colours can vary from deep brown, through gold, to greens and blues resembling the natural corrosion of the metal. A chemically patinated surface could then be coated with a drying oil and a lacquer to give a gloss or more colour.