ldakersGilding – most people find it mesmerizing and assume it must be very laborious and difficult, but this is not the case. The basics are surprisingly simple – and I am happy to explain them to you in this hands-on DEMO!
Once you have mastered those basics, you can go in many directions. For example, I myself like to combine gilding with oil colours. Just take a look at the video further on in this BLOG of my exhibition at the Haagse Kunstkring gallery in Holland.
It’s not expensive either, instead of working with real gold or silver leaf, you use metal leaf – which is indistinguishable from real gold, silver or copper! With a starter set, a panel and a brush, you can get started – so why not give it a go?
Here is a list of the materials I use,
NORIS | ART METALL Impact metal
MANETTI | Impact metal
You can also work with real gold or silver leaf, but you don’t have to! You can then choose from loose sheets in a booklet or sheets on a transfer sheet.
MANETTI | Gold leaf
Silver leaf
The glue and varnish I work with here are acrylic-based and suitable for indoor use.
Kölner | PERMACOLL SIZE – glue for gilding
Kölner | LEAF PROTECT – varnish for gilding
I’m working on a panel here, but you can also work 3D.
GERSTAECKER | Painting panel
GERSTAECKER | Gessoboard (optional)
Gilding Board 412X412 002
And beyond that, I use some simple tools – nothing fancy!
GERSTAECKER | Varnishing brush – synthetic hair
I LOVE ART | Spalter – synthetic hair
Léonard | Gold trapper (optional)
Kölner | Instacoll Polishing Cloth
da Vinci | Drawing broom – horsehair (optional)
➽ TIP!
GERSTAECKER has much more for gilding, of course. Take a look at the Mona Lisa™ range of Speedball®, for example.
➽ EXAMPLE 1
To start with, I’ll show you how to gild a flat surface. Here I am working on a cotton-covered painting panel – highly recommended, by the way – with a very fine open texture, which subtly plays into the gilding.
As glue, I use red Permacoll HA from the starter kit here. You can also use standard Permacoll – it’s the same glue, only the HA is slightly stronger. I always pour the Permacoll into a separate container – this way I have more control over how much I use.
You can apply it in different ways. For smaller areas or detail work, a brush is best – I work here with a Vernissage brush. For larger surfaces, I use a roller, so I don’t have any ridges from the brush – as a tight glue layer also makes for a tighter end result!
Here I use gold leaf on a roll. The advantage of this is that I don’t have to lay loose sheets tightly next to each other, which can sometimes be tricky on larger surfaces, as you then get seams, where the sheets join up – but that also adds character to your work! I cut the gold leaf to size with scissors.
TIP: Sheet metal on transfer also works very well. Anyway, loose sheets – whether you use gold leaf or sheet metal – are actually preferable for smaller work and 3D work.
When pasting, it is important to work confidently and without hesitation. Make sure you apply the sheets tightly. As soon as even a little of the gold touches the glue, it sticks and you can’t go back. Make sure you lay down the gold or sheet metal in one smooth motion – this is how you end up with the tightest result.
The rubbing can be done by hand, with a special foam roller or with a dry lacquer roller. Make sure you press it down well. Sometimes, when taking off the transfer paper, the gold or sheet metal does not want to stick well. Then move back and try to stick the remaining part. If this does not work well, you can repair it later, possibly with separate pieces.
Excess pieces of gold leaf or sheet metal can be wiped away with special brushes or very soft synthetic brushes. You can also use a gold placer for this. This is a special brush that you use when applying loose sheets of gold leaf or metal leaf that are not on a transfer sheet. Another option: make-up brushes – these are also soft and won’t scratch the gold when removing loose pieces.
TIP: Keep the leftover pieces in a jar for other projects. You can no longer apply it as tightly, but it can give beautiful effects. For example, sprinkle it over a glued-in piece and press it down – this will give you a crinkled effect. You can also grind it into powder.
I now have a small gilded panel. I can use that as a substrate on which to continue working, or I can leave it as it is and cover it with a varnish or sealer.
Then with the same Permacoll I apply a drawing and my signature in a few layers.
TIP: With Permacoll you can keep working: it stays open and sticky until you stick something on it.
I work here with loose sheets of silver leaf and try to lay them as tightly as possible on the glue. You will always see wrinkles or unevenness – call it part of the charm!
When working with loose sheets, I use a soft brush to press them onto the glue. This can also be done with a soft polishing cloth or a horsehair drawing broom. Again: once everything is glued properly, I remove the loose remnants with a brush.
Now I finish it off with a varnish or sealer to protect against moisture or other damage – and done!
➽ EXAMPLE 2
You can also add extra relief to your support before applying the gilding. This is a classic technique, often used for icons and picture frames, for example.
I then work on a painting panel again – that way you can compare the examples well.
TIP: A 3D gesso board would also be a good option.
On my panel, I created a random texture with gesso – but of course, you could just as easily set up a detailed drawing or an ornament. This texture will be accentuated by the gesso. I then applied another couple of coats of Permacoll.
On one half of the panel, I apply copper-coloured leaf metal.
TIP: A handy trick: I wet my brush a little, making the sheet stick to the brush. Then I gently lay it down exactly where I want it.
For the other half, I take a pick of leaf metal in the form of shreds, so-called flakes – I choose Blue burnished gold here (art no. 29055 to be precise) – and push it into the glue. I gently press everything further again with a soft spalter and wipe away the excess.
Then I rub the panel with a soft polishing cloth and protect it with a sealer – and done!
On the panel you can now see two types of leaf metal on an embossed surface.
About William
William Rosewood is a young contemporary artist. Since graduating from art school – the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam – he has focused on making sculptures and large oil paintings. With exhibitions in Art Basel Miami, London, Amsterdam and Paris, his work has been shown on an international level.
His love and passion for materials is well reflected in his work. William is always looking for new ways to express himself. In addition, his work is characterized by the use of gold leaf. This is a recurring theme in his sculptures and paintings.
Nature and classical antiquity are also important subjects for him. He translates realism and classical antiquity into a modern style and composition – from large realistic works to abstract and graphic sculptures.
➽ In this video of the opening of the exhibition A Thread of Light at The Hague Art Circle (The Hague, 2024), you can see an impression of William’s recent work.
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