How to Apply Gold Leaf Technique
Gilding an object with gold leaf---or any other decorative metal---is a singular way to add glamor and weight to your piece. Objects can be made to look golden, antiqued or textured. It's easy and fun, but do not limit yourself to wood projects, as the gold leaf technique can enhance any object long-term---and any organic product like gourds or melons in a temporary, attention-getting way.
Things You'll Need
- Tarp or newspapers
- Worktable
- Object to gild
- Gold, silver or any other metal leaf book
- Gold sizing
- Sharp scissors
- Gilder's cushion: velvet over cardboard
- Painter's tape (optional)
- Brushes
- Paint base color, or gilding primer-sealer basecoat
- Colored glaze (optional)
- Rags; tack cloth (optional)
- Mineral spirits for cleanup, touchup
- Varnish, polyurethane or other protective medium
Instructions
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Set up a work area that is clean, free of drafts and laid with tarp or newspaper. If you are working on a mirror frame or other multi-surfaced area, you might want to mask the mirror with newspaper and painter's tape to keep it clean.
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For wood projects, sand well beforehand, and clean dust off with a tack cloth. If you are applying a base paint color, let it dry completely overnight or longer. The surface must be completely dry.
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Paint, or spray on---if your object is extremely ornate---your sizing medium. Size is a brush or spray-on product that makes the area tacky or sticky, and prepares a surface to which the gold leaf will stick. Leave the size to cure until it goes from wet to tacky-sticky.
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Cut your gold leaf sheet against the gilder's cushion (optional), which can be made with velvet over cardboard. The best cutting tool is a craft knife, one-sided razor blade or sharp scissors.
Pick up your leaf with your fingers or your brush, and lay over the prepared tacky surface. A brush can be used to lay out the gold in a process called "burnishing," using gentle strokes or slight pouncing into crevices. Fill in any areas that remain blank, called "holidays," with smaller pieces. Let piece dry overnight. -
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Paint a protective sealer over the gold---look for product's made especially for leafing. You want a product that does not yellow or dull the metallic finish.
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For those who prefer an antiqued look, you can paint a special colored glaze over the gold finish. This will creep into any dings or cracks, adding an aged appearance. The surface can also be lightly distressed to bring more of the base color up. Wipe off glaze until you achieve the effect you want, but don't let it sit too long or overwork it---you still want a glowing end product.
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Tips & Warnings
Dark paint colors such as ochre, grays or browns make good base colors. Professional gilders refer to the base color as a "bole," which was traditionally made from clay. Gold, silver or other metallic leaf is generally sold in books---the thin sheets have a tissue between them to keep them fresh. Gold leaf has a flighty, lighter-than-air property, so the air should be still when applying to prevent fly-aways. The extra pieces that fall off should be collected and used in smaller blank areas, as this can be a pricey medium. Traditionalists apply the gold leaf with a squirrel's hair brush.
If the sizing drips onto an area where you do not want leafing, remove with a cleaner such as mineral spirits. Base objects must be free of grease.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Clipart.com
