The oldest method of applying gold leaf is that of water gilding, an art form that has been used for thousands of years. Leafed only by hand, water gilding produces a luster and richness unmatched by any other method of gilding.
Genuine gold leaf applied to a frame is an in-depth process. The frame surface must be prepared by being sealed with rabbit skin glue. Following that is the application of fine layers of gesso. The gesso is then sanded to a finish as smooth as porcelain and covered with a thin layer of burnishing bole (colored clay) that will receive the gold leaf. It is a time-honored method that is not practiced by many.
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“I use the old, time-honored method of gilding. I mix all of my own substances and can change them depending on the desired tone and finish. One can really see a difference between the result of water gilding as opposed to more contemporary methods. The difference is certainly worth the meticulous process.” |
Over the past 25 years, Shuptrine’s Gold Leaf Designs has been the leading restorer of gold leaf for a wide range of clients: museums, galleries, interior designers, architects, and collectors of fine art. The different gold leaf types can vary from a yellow gold leaf to white gold, platinum, copper, or others. A unique color of clay or bole is used under each gold leaf sheet, to create a specific tone. The gold leaf is then patinated to the appropriate time period of the piece.