Guilding plastic

Tools, Techniques, and Reference Materials Techniques
1

Hi all I’ve been asked several times how I do my gold leafing.

First the things you will need (Highly specialised stuff)(most can be got at the pound shop (apart from the size and shellac)( or borrowed from your missus)

first is the Size

Other manufacturers are availiable (this is just what I use)

then the Shellac this is to protect the gold as it is very soft and easily rubbed off.

something to clean your brush in if using the make I use

I have run out of gold leaf so will be using copper leaf (the process is exactly the same for gold)(although you should wear cotton gloves if using copper or brass leaf as if not the sweat from your fingers will cause the copper or brass to tarnish)

Now for the tools, a soft cloth, a pair of scissors, your missus blusher brush and a brush for applying the size.

Here’s the little lady we will be tormenting.

Your size is a milky colour but dries almost clear

make sure you cover everything you are going to guild

when shes ready she should look slightly shiny and feel a little tacky

cut off a manageable piece of gold

lay on the piece to be guilded

press on with the soft cloth

continue in the same fashion with the rest of the part, when you have done brush off all the excess gold with the soft brush(also on the fine or deeper areas dab with the soft brush (this will help to push the leaf into deeper areas the soft cloth could not get) when you’ve brushed all the excess off you will find little cracks which will need filling so just cut a small piece of gold from you’re leaf and fill (you wont need to re-size.

now its time to use the shellac (I find with my brand as it dries it goes cloudy, DON’T PANIC it will go clear when its dry)

I now use this for a wash (you can use other things,I’ve used panel line washes to great effect too)

I open the lid then just fill with white spirit give a stir and that seems to be pretty good for a wash.

And finally, whats that you say she was supposed to be flesh coloured I read the instructions wrong. oh well a trusty toothbrush and meths, all sorted

2

Cool!!!

3

Yeah, that was intetresting - thanks for sharing!

4

Very nicely done. I’ve also found that those metallic egg coloring kits at Easter work well too and come in multiple colors! :slight_smile:

5

Kpnuts, you’ve obviously mastered a challenging skill. I’ve never had much luck with gold leaf. I always end up with a slightly grainy texture. You’ve conquered that problem.

That being said, I can’t resist offering one small correction. The word is spelled GILD. There’s no U in it. (The word “gilding” is visible on the label of the copper leaf in your photo…) A GUILD is something entirely different.

With that bit of crotchety grumpiness out of the way, I’ll sit back and admire your superb gilt work.

6

Nicely done.

The gold will only go where the size is laid down of course. And see how KP is holding the piece of backing with the actual leaf. on a bare spot.

You cannot touch it. The old sign painters wiped their brush on their cheek, and then used the resultant staic charge to pull a piece off the paper.

If you want to buy real gold leaf like KP uses here, the stuff at Blicks and Flax isn;t it. Buy it from the online icon people. I do because I write icons now and then.

http://www.iconofile.com/storefront.asp?page=Gilding&session_id=Byzantine

Father Brendan is my teacher.