Mark Leavitt's portraits are created with a unique Metal Point technique, drawn with a stylus of gold, silver or alloy metal to create an exacting likeness of the subject. The stylus is applied to a durable drawing surface that is not affected by temperature or humidity and will not deteriorate over time — unlike paper.

This drawing style is reminiscent to Italian Renaissance Silver Point drawings, one of the oldest of the drawing media, valued for the subtle grays that pencil drawings cannot achieve. Pencil work is not suited to create the refinement and delicacy that is produced by Metal Point.