Things You'll Need:
- Pencil
- Paper
- Prepared gum ammoniac or PVA
- Gouache
- Small pointed paint brush
- Gold leaf
- Soft long-haired Chinese brush
- Agate or hematite burnisher
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Step 1
Assemble all your materials before you begin. This saves time, headaches and allows you to concentrate fully on the task at hand.
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Step 2
Make a very light pencil outline of the letter or design that is to be gilded.
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Step 3
Mix the prepared gum ammoniac or PVA with a very small amount of the gouache.
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Step 4
Paint the outline and then fill in the area that you wish to gild. The slight tint that the gouache provides the gum ammoniac or PVC will help you be sure that you have covered the area completely.
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Step 5
Allow the design to dry completely. This could take up to an hour depending on your working conditions.
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Step 6
Cut out a piece of gold leaf that will completely cover your design.
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Step 7
Breathe on the design to create a tacky surface to attach the gold.
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Step 8
Press the gold down firmly with the fleshy part of your thumb, gently tracing the area of the design.
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Step 9
Apply a second layer of gold if necessary.
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Step 10
Brush away the excess gold leaf with the Chinese brush.
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Step 11
Burnish the design with the burnisher to complete the bond and buff up the metallic shine.
