Gilding – which size do you use and why?

[Scarlet Blue]

Thanks to your experiments, Stephanie, I think I have figured out where I went wrong with my raised efforts! I am such a twit!!! I needed to add a few drops of water to the size, which would have enabled it to spread more easily. Thank you so much for sharing your process.

[Erica McPhee]

Thanks Michael! Good to know!

Yes, the one with the clock on the label. 

Instacoll Activator is used when working on a large surface, you would apply the Instacoll and the Acrivator to make it 'sticky' again.  On a large object (sign, statue, bust, large frame), the Instacoll would not remain sticky unless you worked in small areas.  Calligraphers are working in such small areas that we do not need the Activator. 

When you say WinsorNewton gold ink, do you mean the bottle with a clock on the label?

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend!!!

Cheers, Michael

[Erica McPhee]

I'm going to have to ask the teacher why she uses the agate. I'm curious to try the Q-tips. It seems like such a different texture and softness v. hardness of the stone. I'll give it a go! 

I just love our community! Such adventure seekers and it's so fun to discover new things together! 

I am not sure if someone did. I just heard (on one of the videos by Jerry Tresser) that he polishes gesso before gilding. I guess because the gesso is quite rough at first. I also know that this technique (building several layers of gesso and polishing them every other layer or so) is also used in traditional tempera painting on wood – where actual egg yolk is used as a binder. If the gesso would not be polished the gold – or the tempera, which has a very subtle sheen – would look dull, as it is quite translucent (the gold leaf, I mean). So rough / dull paper means no shiny gold, as I understand … in my case, the Instacoll lookes quite shiny in the inner parts, but the edges were a bit dull. As I said, that might partly be because of the paper …

The manufacterer suggests also to use cotton wool or this special tissue:

http://www.blattgold.de/Instacoll-Tissue_detail_561_247.html

They advice not to use an agate stone. But if that works too, it works, I guess ! – I just wanted to know I didn't miss doing anything!

[Erica McPhee]

OK, more on burnishing ... I asked and Valerie said she tried the Qtip but it scratched the gold and when they found using the acrylic sheet and agate stone worked, they just stuck with that.

However, she recommended trying a piece of silk which I thought sounded very cool so I will try that when I have a minute later in the week. So then I came across this: The Illuminated Page where they say this:

"It is covered quickly with a piece of silk and pushed quite firmly with the thumb. The illuminator then takes up the burnishing tool; this was traditionally a dog's tooth mounted on a handle, but more common today is the use of agate or hematite burnishers. The tool is rubbed over and around the gold and into the crevices at its edge, gently at first, and more vigorously as the burnishing progresses."

So, ta da, another way! I was thinking you just rub it with the silk but apparently it's just a cover (like the piece of acrylic). I will try it and let you know. Or if anyone else does, let us know! 

[Estefa]

Joi, you really catched that bug too, didn't you ?? Wonderful!

Scarlet, I am glad it helps !

Erica, thank you so much for all your new info and that great link!! I will try that method too. I made yesterday another test, an actual letter this time. It's not finished, but I wanted to show you anyway how the gilding itself turned out – much better in fact than the first tries!! I made 3 rather thick layers of Instacoll, and they dried with some kind of not intended, but nonetheless quite pretty effect (I think ). Still I have very tiny scratches, probably from my cheap Q-tip again. Must buy better ones – Harvest's gilding didn't look scratched at all!! – Also I still had problems to get the ink stick properly to the edges – I guess it takes lots and lots of experience. I also went over the letter with a bone folder, and used a glassine paper to cover / protect the letter while doing that (like Jean suggested earlier).




And here you can see the polishing / burnishing – the upper left corner is already polished with the Q-tip, I hope you can see that the rest of the letter still is much more dull.



Here is also a beautiful (if a little short) overview over manuscript making:



Thanks for all your help and suggestions!!

[joi]

OK, more on burnishing ... I asked and Valerie said she tried the Qtip but it scratched the gold and when they found using the acrylic sheet and agate stone worked, they just stuck with that.

yeah, using the q-tip totally scratched it up...and i was like waaah whaaaat?

[joi]

oh stefanie...look at that polish job!!! wow!!!

and video was amazing...thanks for sharing...can you imagine how long production of a run of Dashiere would take???!!

[jeanwilson]

yes, i have used silk to polish gilding. there are so many kinds of silk. it needs to be something that has no texture to it. i cut up some silk long underwear and that fabric worked very well. it was knit.

[Sarah Foutz]

I want to try this, but may not be as adventurous as joi and stefanie and try it on my own... but all of your pictures are tantalizing!! It's on my to-do list, and I'll revisit this thread for sure, thanks for all the good info!

[Erica McPhee]

Amazing Stephanie! I just want to melt into that gold! 

Thanks for sharing Jean! I figured as much. I have some dupoini silk but it's probably too rough. I believe I have some other soft silk in my fabric stash. OH! I know - I do silk painting and have some silk pieces from that I will try! 

Bummer Joi on the scratching! Yes - that would take forever and cost a not so small fortune! 

Somehow I think you'll cave sooner or later Sarah! 

I have to say the gold foiling (like I did on the Halloween exchange and the hearts on the Valentine exchange) was just as fun and a lot less expensive.

[Estefa]

Hihi, thanks, Erica! Now I need to figure out how to paint minitures . I am afraid my acrylics don't work so great here, because they can't be blended so nicely like gouache once they're dry.

I bought now these tissues

http://www.blattgold.de/Instacoll-Tissue_detail_561_247.html

They are super soft and work wonderfully. I'll post pictures when I have a good example!

Thanks all for the input!!

[Judy G]

Someday (in the not so distant future) I will give this a go. I've been stalking all your IG posts and they're soooo fascinating!

[Erica McPhee]

I bought now these tissues

http://www.blattgold.de/Instacoll-Tissue_detail_561_247.html

They are super soft and work wonderfully. I'll post pictures when I have a good example!

Oooh ... very cool! I can't wait to see!

[Inkysloth]

Just a comment on the reason for polishing the gesso.

The leaf is so thin it lays on a rough paper / gesso like a sheet on a pebbly beach. It's not that the gold is translucent, but that it will lay on & follow any imperfections in the surface below so a rough gesso will cause rough gilding which no amount of polishing will correct.

This can be used to make patterns in the gilding - deliberate, shallow marks can be made in raised gesso that will be seen on the final gilding.

[Estefa]

Yes, that is exactly what I meant – maybe not very well said (I am not a native speaker) ! That's also why my tests with Instacoll (which is very smooth per se) are a bit rough, because I didn't have smooth high quality paper – just some with a bit more structure, and that can also be seen in the gold.