TECH:Gold Leaf application Parts I ,II,and III

OK so I'm a little fired up from this past week.I was out in the shop today and decided to do a small panel to demonstrate my way of doing gold leaf.
I will have a list of tools(some high tech;like the talc jar with the piece of sock over the top affixed by a cable tie)at the end of this.I don't know how many parts it will be but I'm starting part one while the gold is drying and besides my floppy disc was full so I had to come in anyway.
I'm using a piece of gray primed aluminum as a demo panel.After cleaning it thoroughly with wax and grease remover,I set it aside to make the pattern.
It's not necessary to make a pattern if you are only doing one of a particular job,but it is almost essential if you are doing multiples.And besides it will give you an idea of pattern making.
I select a piece of trusty butcher paper and draw the design on the uncoated side.It isn't necessary to have it exactly on center as you can juggle it as you lay it on.However when it's drawn out you should make a center line reference on it to ease in alignment later.
When it's drawn to your satisfaction,a pounce wheel(looks like a miniature pizza cutter)is run over the outline of the letters to perforate the paper.A note here:My drawing board is coated with galvanized sheet(I normally use an Electro-Pounce but my friend took his back)and if you try to use the pounce wheel on it,the wheel will dull quickly and the paper won't perforate very well.I stick a piece of heavy drawing paper under my design to cushion the wheel and allow the wheel to go down through the paper.Don't use cardboard as it's too thick and will make the design tear.
Once you have the design pounced,center it across your panel and affix it with a couple pieces of tape(on the top only as you need to be able to lift the pattern to see if the powder is coming through properly.)and then taking your Hi-Tech pounce pad(the talc bottle)squeeze it slightly to get some powder in the head and then begin tapping lightly all over where the perforations are.I usually tap for awhile and then rub the head across the surface to settle the powder through.Pick up a corner to check it to see how it's coming.
When satisfied,remove the pattern and blow off any excess dust.Take some cellophane(Scotch is good;don't use cheap stuff it leaves residue and sometimes sticks TOO well)tape and lay down on your top and bottom of your letters.Do them individually folding over a corner to make removal easier so it doesn't go under your round letters(O,S,G,etc.).The bottoms of those letters have to protrude slightly above and below the straight bottomed ones.It's a visual thing.
Mix up some 1-Shot gold size in a cup with a hint of color in it(so you can see what you're lettering depending on what the surface color is)and paint your letters as usual(see previous post part II).When finished lettering,pull your upper and lower guide tapes immediately. I usually paint a test strip before I start and after I finish on another surface to test the tack of the size.This is important because if you lay the leaf on when the size is too wet,it will be absorbed by the size and if you put it on when the size is too dry it won't adhere.
To test the size,lay your knuckle on the test strip and pull it away quickly.If the size is set properly you will hear a slight snapping sound.Old sign guys used to do it right on the letter and you use your knuckle because there is no skin oil there as opposed to your fingertip.The oil will mess up the leaf adhesion.
The illustration shows the two basic types of leaf I use:The larger is variegated gold(bronze leaf that has been chemically discolored)and is much sturdier than real gold(the smaller sheet;23K window leaf(no imperfections)but about 1/10th the price.I'll be using the real gold here because I want to demonstrate how I get an "engine turned"effect and the variegated leaf is kind of resistant to that(and it's hard to see on all the colors).
The easiest way to put on leaf is to roll it.I must say here that when doing this you have to have a wind free environment (and don't breathe hard either)unless you are using leaf that is adhered to the tissue.I use loose leaf which is very susceptible to breezes.
Take the package and expose part of the leaf.Align the edge with the bottom of the letter(allow a little overlap)and very carefully roll the package upward gradually exposing the whole sheet.Be careful not to let the tissue hit the sizing or the leaf won't stick there.Repeat this process using a slight overlap until all the letters are covered completely.
I then take a cotton ball and very lightly tap down the leaf all over until I'm sure it has covered everything.I then take an old camera brush(another hi tech tool I got a a flea market for a dime;used for dusting camera lenses)and VERY GENTLY(because it does scratch the leaf)dust across the letters paying particular attention to the edges.I then dust all excess leaf off the surface and let dry for awhile(overnight).
The leaf is now ready to be burnished(engine turned)which will happen in Part 2. Stay tuned!
Ray

 

2

 

3

 

4

 

5

 

6

 

7

 

8

 

9

 

10

 

11

 

12

 

cool.

I like using a big fitch [brush] with a little forehead oil to pull the leaves out of the book. nice work so far!

 

Great timing Ray. I just got some variegated gold leaf and wanted to try this out, and know I've got directions. I can hardly wait for Part two.

Thanks

 

Part II
With the leaf applied and burnished,I now apply the engine turning.Everybody has their own take on what to use;some use a cotton ball(my preference)while others use a piece of velvet attached to a pencil eraser.I've seen guys use a corner of their T-shirt!
Whatever you use,I take my cotton ball and GENTLY press it against the top of a letter stroke and twist it about 1/4 to 1/2 turn,move it down about 1/2 the diameter of the ball and repeat doing this until I've covered the area of the letter.If it doesn't stand out enough I go back over it a little more firmly until I'm satisfied with the result.
I do all the letters and set it aside to dry.I then use my Swirly-Q(I'm trying to remember how I ever survived before they were invented!LOL)to outline the letters.That too is set aside to dry.
In Part III I'll do a shade in a couple of colors and add some hot spots to the outlines.Stay tuned for more!
Ray

 

14

 

15

 

Wow! Safariknut, is there nothing you can't do,... your a " Jack of all trades" brother. Nice tech session...when's the next class starting...teach.

 

16

 

17

 

18

 

WOW thats cool. jamie

 

Awesome post!

 

that's so cool...i've been wanting to learn that

 

OK here goes the last part:
There are two basic types of shadows to add to lettering;the so-called,"perspective"shade(which I am using)and the,"drop"shade.The perspective shade is constructed so that the letter appears to have dimension to it whereas the drop shade makes it appear that the letter is floating in mid-air.
The layout of a drop shade is easy if you have made a pattern for your letters:you just take the pattern and set it over the lettering so that it is slightly lower and either left or right of the lettering on there.The perspective usually(but not always)requires laying out all over again(see first pic).
Another difference is that the color for a perspective shadow should be a complement of the lettering color where a drop shade is usually a darkened version of the background color.Not a hard and fast rule but a good place to start.
The layout I used(and normally use)has the perspective lines at a 45 degree angle from vertical.You may use whatever angle you like but in my opinion 45 degrees works best.I also try and make the shadow equal in width to the widest element of the letter.You can vary this for special effects but again this is agood place to start.
On larger lettering I would have used a regular lettering quill(chisel-edge)but as these letters are only 2" high I opted to use(what else?)my Swirly-Q!
I also only used one color for the shadow but old timers liked to do a 2 color one with serif areas shaded further and a 2 color outline to simulate light spots reflecting off the high side.You can really get carried away doing this and sometimes it can be hard to stop.If you're getting paid for it,it's better to keep it simple because few customers can really understand justifying an outrageous bill.
So the shadowing is done and all that's left is to add the "hot spot" which is nothing but where a light source would reflect on the surfaces.I use a 10 o'clock position for all my light sources which on a concave surface(such as a serif or the inside of a round letter)usually reflects at about 45 degrees.Makes it easier to place my reflections.
And finally you see a close up of the letters and an overall shot.All that remains is to clear everything(after removing all the guide marks of course being careful not to touch the gold)and the job is complete! FINALLY!!!!!
Of course I've barely scratched the surface of the art of lettering but it will give the neophyte an idea of what to do and maybe give some insight on why real gold leaf lettering is so expensive.
Thanks for bearing with me and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did putting it together.
Ray Smith(one day into "coothood")

 

the next one

 

and another

 

still another

 

The final one

 

Nice work Ray! Now...quit givin' away all the secrets!