How to: The Verre Eglomise Technique
Verre eglomise is the process of adding metallic gilding to the reverse side of glass; for example, store windows with the store name or address gilded on the inside of the window. Metal leaf comes in a variety of metals and colors allowing you creative freedom. For beginners, use transfer sheets, individual sheets of metallic leaf backed by tissue paper or wax paper. Transfer paper will not wrinkle or fold onto itself while you are trying to place the leaf.
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Things You'll Need
- Denatured alcohol
- Lint-free cloth
- Squeegee
- Oil-based sizing
- Flat paintbrush
- Transfer sheet gilding leaf
- Soft-bristled brush
- Acrylic paint
- Clear varnish
- Vinyl resist paper
- Utility knife
Instructions
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Basic Techniques
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1
Clean the glass with denatured alcohol and a lint-free cloth. Scrub to remove any dirt or manufacturer's residue.
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2
Rinse with clean water.
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3
Repeat Steps 1 and 2 twice more to clean the glass thoroughly. Remove the final water rinse with a squeegee.
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4
Apply a resist to the glass to create designs like letters, numbers or pictures. This step is optional. Paint the sizing directly on the glass freehand, if desired.
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5
Brush a thin coat of oil-based sizing on the glass where you would like the gilding to be and allow the sizing to cure.
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6
Test the sizing with the flat of your finger, not the fingerprint. If the sizing makes a snap when you remove your finger, the sizing is tacky enough to apply the gilding.
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7
Lay the gilding transfer sheet over the sizing.
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8
Brush the gilding onto the sizing with a soft-bristled paintbrush. Gently peel back the tissue paper backing. Gilding will stick to the glass and the resist since both have sizing on them.
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9
Repeat Steps 7 and 8 until you apply all of the gilding.
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10
Peel the resist off the glass carefully, using the soft-bristled paint brush to push an gilding back onto the glass.
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11
Paint the back of the gilding with an acrylic paint. This step is optional. The paint will show through any cracks or thin areas of gilding, adding another dimension to the gilt.
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12
Seal the gilding with a clear varnish.
Creating a Resist
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13
Trace your design onto the paper backing of clear vinyl resist paper. Flip letters and numbers so they will be readable from the opposite side of the glass. Leave at least a 1-inch margin of resist paper around the design to help you adhere and remove the resist paper.
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14
Cut out the design using a utility knife. The areas of paper that you remove will transfer onto the glass as gilding.
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15
Peel away the upper edge of the paper backing and press the vinyl resist paper onto the glass. Continue peeling and pressing until the resist is completely adhered to the glass.
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1
Tips & Warnings
To create straight lines of gilding, use painter’s tape as a resist.
References
- Photo Credit Matt Cardy/Getty Images News/Getty Images
