Creating gold leaf sight edge

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lehcar32
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Creating gold leaf sight edge

Post by lehcar32 »

Hi all,

I have a customer wanting a chunky oak frame with gold leaf sight edge. I've never done gold leaf before but I'm up for trying it. Any tips and advice? How much would you charge for it? Or is there an easier way to get the same look?
Thanks in advance!
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prospero
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Re: Creating gold leaf sight edge

Post by prospero »

I would add a gold fillet or a gold slip. If the customer wants gen gold leaf then get some plain slip/fillet and
gild that. You could gild straight onto the oak, but it would be a bit of a faff as you would have to gesso a thin
section without intruding onto the rest of the moulding.

It depends on just how the customer want the gold to look. :D Leafing it seems a wee bit OTT to me.
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Re: Creating gold leaf sight edge

Post by vintage frames »

As Prospero said, you can add a gilded slip.
But if you do want to gild the sight edge then here's how -

First sand the sight edge with some fine sand paper.
Now mask it out with some low tack masking tape such as Kleenedge or other.
Give it 2x coats of Venetian Red gouache paint - Winsor Newton or other.
When that is dry, paint on two coats of clear shellac varnish. Use a watercolour brush.

With the shellac dry after 1/2 hour, paint on a coat of Handover 3 hour gold size.
When you've done that, wipe it off again with a clean cotton rag. This will still leave a very thin smear of size and that is all that is needed.
DO NOT buy the water based gilding sizes. These are hobby products only.

Now you can peel off the tape and wait the 3 hours for the gold size to set.

After the 3 hours you can press on some 23ct gold TRANSFER leaf. Just work your way around the frame using up the gold as you go. There's no hurry, you have 3 hours before the size hardens to dry.

After 24 hours, paint over the gilding with the clear shellac varnish diluted 50/50 with meths. When this has dried you can rub gently into the gilding with some 0000 wire wool to create a bit of realistic wear. Then repeat again with the diluted varnish.

All the products I've mentioned are available from Gold Leaf Supplies. They don't cost much. But you will be delighted with yourself and that you have 'done gilding'. The effect you have created is called 'gilding on oak' as was popular with the Pre Raphealites.
And of course you can also pay to view Video 5 of my on-line gilding course which deals with the subject of oil gilding.

Oh and charge around £12 per running foot of gilding.
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Re: Creating gold leaf sight edge

Post by Not your average framer »

That sounds less difficult than I was expecting. I would probaly be wanting to gild a slip, or a liner, settling the gold sight edge back from the front face of the frame tends to add a bit extra visual emphasis, which for me adds a little extra magic.
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lehcar32
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Re: Creating gold leaf sight edge

Post by lehcar32 »

Thanks everyone for your advice and especially the step by step instructions vintage frames! A slip would be easier but I think it may look a bit too traditional for their tastes. Anyway I will put both options to them and see what they say. I agree it's a lot of work/faff but it sounds like a gilded sight edge might be quite a trendy look, if I don't do it for this one I might try it on a solid walnut one.
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prospero
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Re: Creating gold leaf sight edge

Post by prospero »

I have on occasion taken some pre-finished gold fillet, scrubbed all the horrible foiled gold off and re-gilded it
using bronze powder suspended in varnish. :P Sounds a bit bonkers but most gold on factory fillets is a bit dire.

Advantage over plain wood is you have a nice smooth gesso'd base once the gold is removed.
mockmaple_big.jpg
**A fillet looks more part of the moulding than a slip.
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