The process of painting on copper

Here is the start of a painting on copper. I used a 6x8 inch copper etching plate for the painting surface; these can be purchased in most art and supply stores. Copper has been used by painters in the past as a reliable painting surface. It is different from canvas or a wood in that it does not change. It won't stretch or shrink with weather or age. Paintings made by Dutch and Flemish painters back in the 1600's have a remarkable quality to them- as if they had just been painted yesterday. The paint appears to be fresh and rich and does not seem to have dried out. Paintings done on canvas or wood often crack or peel with age. To prepare the copper plate I used a Pre-Raphaelite medium, although you could use most any kind of medium to prepare the surface.