How to Apply Gold Leaf to a Painting

By applying gold leaf to a painting you can create subtle accents that add interest to your artwork. These accents create shimmering highlights that can not be created by traditional paint or techniques on their own. It is not difficult to apply liquid or traditional paper gold leaf to any painting.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Application of Liquid Gold Leaf

1. Remove dust and other residue from the canvas surface with a clean dry cloth.

2. Apply liquid gold leaf to a painting with a natural bristle artist brush for the best results. Start by applying to small areas of your painting to create accents.

3. Step away from the painting from a distance of 10 to 15 feet to get an overall view of the painting. What may appear as being too little gold leaf close up can be too much at a distance and vice versa. Add additional leafing as desired.

4. Allow to dry completely and apply a sealant or glaze to the painting. This will prevent the painting from fading and will keep the gold leaf in place. Frame your painting if desired.

Application of Paper or Traditional Gold Leafing

5. Remove dust and other residue from the canvas surface with a clean dry cloth.

6. Lay the painting on a flat surface. This will prevent the gold leaf adhesive from dripping when it is applied.

7. Apply a thin layer of gold leaf adhesive to the area or areas you want to apply the gold leaf to your painting. If the painting is large and/or has multiple areas where you will be applying gold leaf, you may want to apply it in sections rather than all at once.

8. Wait for the gold leaf adhesive to dry 10 to 15 minutes before applying. The adhesive needs to be slightly tacky in order for the gold leaf to adhere to the painting.

9. Gently pick up the gold leaf and apply it to the painting using an orange stick or other applicator. Carefully separate the leafing from the paper because it tears easily. Once one area is covered move onto the next section. Ideally you should not overlap areas, but minor overlaps are acceptable.

10. Once gold leaf has been applied to the painting, use a small natural bristle brush and carefully sweep over the applied areas. The goal of this step is to remove any excess gold leafing that may have been applied. Do not use any pressure otherwise the gold leaf will be removed completely or will shift to an undesired location.

11. Repeat steps 2 to 5 in this section if the application of additional gold leaf is required.

12. Allow to dry completely and apply a sealant or glaze to the painting. This will prevent the painting from fading and will keep the gold leaf in place. Frame your painting if desired.

Tips & Warnings

• When applying gold leaf adhesive only use a small amount, otherwise it will drip, pool or puddle depending on how the painting is positioned. Start by applying gold leaf in small sections. It is easier to add gold leaf to a painting than remove it.