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Gilding
We are all familiar with gilding as a decorative painting technique. Throughout history, precious materials such as gold and tortoiseshell have been used to embellish a variety of surfaces in grand interiors. Until the discovery of platinum in the 18th century, gold was the most precious and valuable of metals, and the art of gilding developed as an ingenious method of spreading a very thin layer of gold, either in leaf gilding or powder form, over a less costly surface such as plaster or wood. The effects achieved by these professional gilders were amazing.
There are three main methods of gilding: oil gilding, water gilding and powder gilding, and among the most popular finishes are leaf gilding and gilding frames.
Oil gilding involves placing thin sheets of gold leaf over gold size (an oil based varnish) while the size is still tacky. The size can be painted directly onto wood, sealed plaster or, traditionally, a gesso ground. Gesso gives the gilding a silky smooth finish and makes it colder to the touch than wooden or plaster grounds. Although usually white, gesso can also be colored, often in red. The intention is to color ghosts through the gilding or reveal tiny cracks in the surface. This gives the finish a warm glow.
Water gilding is a highly skilled process that takes an apprentice gilder several years to master. It involves floating thin sheets of gold over colored clay. The gilding takes on a different hue, depending on the underlying color, and has a very lustrous finish, particularly after it has been burnished.
Examples of water gilding dating back more than 3000 years have been found in the tombs of the Egyptian pharaohs and include the mask of Tutankhamen's mummy. Powder gilding is mainly used by professionals for touching up awkward areas, such as highly intricate plaster moldings where the gold or silver leaf will not stick to the surface.
For most purposes, oil gilding works very well, and as such, it is this type of gilding that we address in this section.
Gold Gilding: (Gold Sizing - Gold Leaf)
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After completely sealing your surface, whether this happens to be plaster, wood or other, and having cleaned the area so that it is completely free of dust and oils, brush on a coat of the gold size. |
When the gold size begins to get tacky, place a sheet of the gold leaf on top. Using a small, stiff, clean artist's brush, rub over the gold leaf backing. |
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Carefully remove the backing from the gilding. Make sure that your next section slightly overlaps the previous as you work along the area. Don't worry if you don't get 100% coverage in the crevices, as this will add to the effect. |
Use your small artist's brush and brush away any little scraps of gold gilding. Then, with a slightly damp, clean, soft rag, gently wipe the surface to get rid of any debris. Allow the sizing to dry for 4 hours. |
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Once the sizing has dried completely, take very fine steel wool or a used kitchen scrubby, and gently rub the gilding. You are trying to remove a little of the gilding on the raised areas, where normal wear and tear would have occurred, in addition to smoothing the finish to a shine. |
Brush on a coat of clear oil based varnish, thinned slightly with mineral spirits and lightly tinted with burnt umber artist's oil. Allow it to dry for 24 hours. Rub the entire area with the steel wool and clean it twice. Finally, coat with bees wax and polish. |
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To summarize:
Gilding is a relatively easy procedure that can be completed by both the experienced contractor or the individual home owner. Learning to achieve stunning results, whether they be gilded frames, leaf gilding, or other gilded finishes, does not require one to be a professional gilder. Simply following a few easy steps enables anyone to produce fantastic results at a very reasonable price.
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