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Tips Of The Day
Q: Can you recommend a practical way to replicate the gold grounds often seen in medieval and Renaissance paintings?
A: Although there are several excellent gold acrylic paints on the market today, the brilliant effects of gold leaf grounds found in many medieval and Renaissance paintings can't be easily duplicated by the simple application of a painted ground.
On the other hand, gilding, the ancient art of adhering thin metal leaf to a surface, can emulate the appearance of these ancient paintings. Two gold leaf gilding methods are used for this purpose: water gilding and oil gilding, also called mordant gilding, which is the simpler process of the two.
There are three essential tools required to master this delicate art: a gilder's cushion, a thin 6"-x-10" padded palette on which the leaf can be laid out flat; a gilder's knife for handling, straightening, and cutting the leaf; and a gilder's tip, a rather flat brush with sparse hairs, for picking up the leaf and laying it on the surface.
Metallic gold leaf can be purchased in tissue-paper books. Bear in mind that because it has been hammered and rolled under great pressure to a thickness of only about 1/300,000 of an inch, gold leaf is exceptionally flimsy and fragile.
For the water gilding method, it is necessary to prepare a meticulously smooth surface; otherwise, every imperfection will appear in the final work. A gessoed surface requires a gelatin glue size. There are two types of gelatin glue that serve as excellent alternatives to rabbit skin glue size: leaf gelatin and Colnasol Gel. Leaf gelatin can be purchased in 3-1/2"-x-l0" sheets that are impressed with a diamond pattern. Four diamonds can be broken off and dissolved in water to make the size. Made by Colner of Switzerland, Colnasol Gel is a prepared gel that comes in 10 gram tablets that dissolve in water.
Many artists use a clay surface for water gilding. Prepared clay panels can be found in many art-supply stores. Colner also makes a line of clay that doesn't require glue size. Gold leaf is applied directly on top of the clay and burnished with an agate burnisher.
Before applying the gold leaf, I recommend first applying a thin layer of a warm red earth tone acrylic paint. The easiest way to redden the surface is to add a reddish tint to the gesso. Next, spill a few gold leaves onto the gilder's cushion. Then pick up one leaf at a time by sliding the knife under it. Let an edge of the leaf touch the cushion and fall from the knife by gently rotating the knife between the thumb and fingers. The aim is to unwind the leaf and lay it flat without any wrinkles or folds. To remove any wrinkles that may occur, blow directly onto the leaf. Next, gendy cut the leaf to a size that's larger than the area it is intended to cover, avoiding cross cuts. Then, while holding the cushion in one hand and the gilder's tip between the forefinger and second finger of the same hand, with your other hand use a soft brush to wet an area of gesso larger than what is intended for the gold. At this poi" at, some gilders add a small amount of glue solution or gelatin to increase the adhesive action of the wet gesso.
Next, press the gilder's tip against the leaf to make it cling to the tip's underside, and then let the leaf touch the wet gesso, which attracts the leaf like a magnet. Be careful not to wet the tip. Press the gold leaf flat with a cotton wad, making sure that the gold overlaps the surface in case repairs will need to be made later. Once the surface is completely dry, rub an agate burnisher over it.
In mordant gilding, which is an easier technique to master, artists can use a paint surface such as. canvas, panel, glass, or metal, as long as they apply gesso or a fast drying shellac to make the surface absorbent As with water gilding the surface must be smooth or else the gold will show every speck of texture. A thin and layer of size should then be either brushed or stippled onto the surface. While the surface is still tacky, apply the gold leaf by pressing it down with a wad of absorbent cotton, being careful to overlap the edges. void rubbing the area because any lateral motion will damage the surface. For size, use either the more convenient japan gold size-a clear, amber colored synthetic varnish (also called quick-drying size) or regular gilder's oil size, which dries slowly and is more difficult to use, but contains golden chrome yellow, which makes the areas clearly visible and flaws inconspicuous from a distance. Oil size should be applied the night before, as it remains tacky for up to 48 hours. To slow down the drying time of the japan gold size (once dry, the size is no longer adhesive), add oil size or some oil color.
Q: Can you recommend a practical way to replicate the gold grounds often seen in medieval and Renaissance paintings?A: Although there are several excellent gold acrylic paints on the market today, the brilliant effects of gold leaf grounds found in many medieval and Renaissance paintings can't be easily duplicated by the simple application of a painted ground.
On the other hand, gilding, the ancient art of adhering thin metal leaf to a surface, can emulate the appearance of these ancient paintings. Two gold leaf gilding methods are used for this purpose: water gilding and oil gilding, also called mordant gilding, which is the simpler process of the two.
There are three essential tools required to master this delicate art: a gilder's cushion, a thin 6"-x-10" padded palette on which the leaf can be laid out flat; a gilder's knife for handling, straightening, and cutting the leaf; and a gilder's tip, a rather flat brush with sparse hairs, for picking up the leaf and laying it on the surface.
Metallic gold leaf can be purchased in tissue-paper books. Bear in mind that because it has been hammered and rolled under great pressure to a thickness of only about 1/300,000 of an inch, gold leaf is exceptionally flimsy and fragile.
For the water gilding method, it is necessary to prepare a meticulously smooth surface; otherwise, every imperfection will appear in the final work. A gessoed surface requires a gelatin glue size. There are two types of gelatin glue that serve as excellent alternatives to rabbit skin glue size: leaf gelatin and Colnasol Gel. Leaf gelatin can be purchased in 3-1/2"-x-l0" sheets that are impressed with a diamond pattern. Four diamonds can be broken off and dissolved in water to make the size. Made by Colner of Switzerland, Colnasol Gel is a prepared gel that comes in 10 gram tablets that dissolve in water.
Many artists use a clay surface for water gilding. Prepared clay panels can be found in many art-supply stores. Colner also makes a line of clay that doesn't require glue size. Gold leaf is applied directly on top of the clay and burnished with an agate burnisher.
Before applying the gold leaf, I recommend first applying a thin layer of a warm red earth tone acrylic paint. The easiest way to redden the surface is to add a reddish tint to the gesso. Next, spill a few gold leaves onto the gilder's cushion. Then pick up one leaf at a time by sliding the knife under it. Let an edge of the leaf touch the cushion and fall from the knife by gently rotating the knife between the thumb and fingers. The aim is to unwind the leaf and lay it flat without any wrinkles or folds. To remove any wrinkles that may occur, blow directly onto the leaf. Next, gendy cut the leaf to a size that's larger than the area it is intended to cover, avoiding cross cuts. Then, while holding the cushion in one hand and the gilder's tip between the forefinger and second finger of the same hand, with your other hand use a soft brush to wet an area of gesso larger than what is intended for the gold. At this poi" at, some gilders add a small amount of glue solution or gelatin to increase the adhesive action of the wet gesso.
Next, press the gilder's tip against the leaf to make it cling to the tip's underside, and then let the leaf touch the wet gesso, which attracts the leaf like a magnet. Be careful not to wet the tip. Press the gold leaf flat with a cotton wad, making sure that the gold overlaps the surface in case repairs will need to be made later. Once the surface is completely dry, rub an agate burnisher over it.
In mordant gilding, which is an easier technique to master, artists can use a paint surface such as. canvas, panel, glass, or metal, as long as they apply gesso or a fast drying shellac to make the surface absorbent As with water gilding the surface must be smooth or else the gold will show every speck of texture. A thin and layer of size should then be either brushed or stippled onto the surface. While the surface is still tacky, apply the gold leaf by pressing it down with a wad of absorbent cotton, being careful to overlap the edges. void rubbing the area because any lateral motion will damage the surface. For size, use either the more convenient japan gold size-a clear, amber colored synthetic varnish (also called quick-drying size) or regular gilder's oil size, which dries slowly and is more difficult to use, but contains golden chrome yellow, which makes the areas clearly visible and flaws inconspicuous from a distance. Oil size should be applied the night before, as it remains tacky for up to 48 hours. To slow down the drying time of the japan gold size (once dry, the size is no longer adhesive), add oil size or some oil color.
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