Gilding - what do I need to get going?

[Nagg2000]

Hi everyone,

I am keen to learn how to gild my hand-finishes frames. What exactly do I need, equipment-wise?

I am going to practise with Wessex's metal silver leaf, simply because I have an order to do with them. Is there anything else that I need that's vital to a good job??

Can anyone recommend any good you tube videos to watch?

Thanks all

[prospero]

Is there anything else that I need that's vital to a good job??

Plenty of sandpaper and patience.

Most of it is preparation. The quality of the finish is mostly dependant on what's under the actual gold. Get a
good ground and you are 99% done. Putting the gold on is the icing on the cake.


It's a big question though. A lot depends on just what end result you seek to achieve.

[Nagg2000]

image.jpeg (1.82 MiB) Viewed 10973 times

Something like this, but silver and less 'distressed'...

I have patience and a steady hand, so hopefully it won't be as difficult as I'm thinking it might be! Practice, practice, practice, I suppose!

Thanks Prospero

[prospero]

Someone asked me to copy a frame very much like that once.

This is what I did....



The gilding is done over acrylic red paint using gold powder bound in varnish. A lot less
bovver than leafing. Less shiney it has to be said, but that's the way I like it.

[vintage frames]

Prospero is correct - as usual - gilding is all about preparation, preparation, preparation.
You asked what equipment to buy. The only advice you need is - to buy the best. All the equipment used in gilding is available over several price points but then you would never learn to cut glass with a cutter bought in B & Q?
Goldleafsupplies do a "beginners kit" but all you really need is
a gilding cushion
a best quality gilding knife
a gilder's tip
and a pure sable gilder's pencil
oh - and a copy of Practical Gilding.
The sample you showed looks like watergilding but the finish is rather clumsy. Prospero shows his skill using metal powders but I'm sure he won't mind admitting that it's really a paint effect. So don't be distracted.
You could rummage around in You Tube but the book is better.

[JFeig]

I agree with Vintage Frames. It looks like poor quality burnished water gilding.

The list of tools, costs and skill level is like comparing "apples and oranges".

[Nagg2000]

Prospero that is a very lovely frame!

Thank you Vintage Frames for the recommended bits and pieces...I'm going onto Amazon now to look for the book & I'll take it from there. Ive been collecting all my off-cuts to practise on.

You've all been most helpful, as ever. I'll come back to you if i need any more help - thanks!

[Jo the gilder]

Hi
As said above key to gilding is preparation and practice but above all is your recipes if u do not have good gesso, bole and gilding liquor you will never get the result you want, also gold will high light any imperfections as in scratches so lots of fine sanding.

Also practicing with metal leaf is not the best as does not handle the same as gold leaf

MARTY HOROWITZ Santa Fe has a book can't remember the name he is collage and very knowledgable I believe there are recipes in it and these will be good starting point as not many gilders will share those.

I am more than happy to give you any tips or hints you need and iv attach a pic of recent reproduction I made in different stages

[Timh]

completely agree with Jo
you can get some interesting finishes with metal/dutch leaf but try some of the gilding suppliers out there
they also sell some good books to get you started
There's one called practical gilding which gives you a great introduction into gilding

look at www.goldleafsupplies.co.uk
They sell this book (and everything else for gilding)

very nice work to Jo!

[Nagg2000]

Thank you Tim H and Jo for your advice!

[standenfineart]

An excellent series of YouTube videos explaining the process start to finish - Gilding Lessons by loveitframeit :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NOfPSQfINY

[Jo the gilder]

Don't not use the vids above these are not how gesso should be made if u over heat rabbit skin glue u damage the molecule structure and bloom rate weaking the glue!! Can see this glue is over heated should always use a double broiler also whitning shouldn't be added in all at once should put layer on top and let sink allowing and bubbles to migrate to surface before next also over mixes and gesso will be full of pin holes these don't always show up in gesso and can wait till u put gilding water on before appearing on surface and this is not a good look!

I trained in conservation specializing in gilded objects and was lucky enough to train with 1 of the founders of the society of gilders

Lots of framers are self taugh in gilding and do not learn the science behind the prosses of gildIng this is important to learn if u want best results

[vintage frames]

Well said Jo.
Anyone wanting to learn to gild should really knuckle-down and read the book. Videos, although sometimes useful, are for the infantile and those too lazy to read.

[prospero]

.....the last two posts......

I watched the whole series of vids. Quite interesting. But as the last two posts illustrate perfectly,
there's more to it than there might appear. Gilding is an ancient and fairly mysterious art and every
practitioner will have their own little ways. So anyone learning will read one book and then read another
that contradicts the first.

I know enough about it to leave well alone.

One of my regular trade customers got his missus to learn water gilding so she could do the odd frame where people
want 'real'. I make a plain frame and she gilds the edges. She's not a bad hand at it judging by the few examples I have
seen. One thing she neglects to do is sand off all the gesso dribbles that accumulate under sight edge and back.
Which spoils the job IMHO. She told me that she applies 16 coats of gesso. This seems a bit OTT to me but WTH do I know?
Whosoever taught her obviously deemed this necessary.

[Jo the gilder]

The amount of coats needed depends on the gesso recipe and whitening used there are more than 1 type of gesso depends on what u are doing to it for example if I'm doing recutting or punch work on frame I will alter my recipe will make it slightly softer if I'm doing detailed carved intricate and don't want to lose definition I will use finer partial whitening it's a harder gesso but saves in the recutting and cleaning up time but I will also change my bole for the harder gesso

But to answer your question if it was my gesso and just a gilded back edge or basic molding 10 would be more than enough
Yes traditionally higher where applied but they were carved and had recutting punch work and need that for that iv seen me put 30 coats on box I was cutting Celtic knots into and doing punch work

[vintage frames]

Gesso dribbles under the sight edge? Yes, I used to do that. Another delicious little annoyance is to leave little dollops of hard gesso in the corners under the rebate.
So what if someone wants to slap on 16 coats of gesso - why not another 35 just to make sure! The easiest thing to do is to spray on the gesso and provided the glue/whiting ratio is good, sanding it all smooth is a reasonably brief labour. As Jo says, you can fiddle about with the mixes if you want to create some interesting surface effects, but the main thing is to fill the wood grain and provide a perfectly smooth surface to work on. ( rather like using Ripple Paint .......WHO SAID THAT! )
I never considered gilding a mysterious art, more just a skilled craft where you really do have to follow the instructions. This is because it's not until you've reached the final process in gilding that you find out if you've made a mistake earlier on!

[IFGL]

Videos are for the infantile, probably the most ridiculous statement I have ever heard, sorry read, what about videos with sub titles, would that be OK?

[vintage frames]

No.

[IFGL]

Of course forums are for those to lazy to send a telegram.

[Graysalchemy]

Just sent you a message by pigeon darren, it should get to you.