Gilding

applying gold leaf

A great deal of patience is required to work with gold leaf and it is important to have the right tools and materials. For a calligraphy project on paper or parchment you need to build up the surface to be gilded with gesso, which can be applied with a brush or a pen. Gesso and other gilding materials can be bought from most good art suppliers. Scribblers.co.uk is a good place to start looking.

Once the gesso is dry, it is breathed on to give moisture and the gold applied to the moist surface. With real gold you need to work quickly and with confidence as the gold will stick readily and removing it is almost impossible. As it is very difficult to cut the gold to shape and size you will always have some excess gold around your gilded piece. This can be brushed away with a soft brush. Make sure you save the pieces for future use.

If there are any gaps in the gold, you can breathe on the work again and stick some of the scraps over the gap. Gold will stick to itself, so there is no further need for gesso. The final stage of burnishing (or polishing) is done with an agate burnishing tool (again, this is available from most good art suppliers). The burnishing will flatten out the creased gold and give it the shine and lustre familiar to anyone who has studied illuminated manuscripts.