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I have created the following essay on the process of creating a gilded wood sculpture, largely because there is very little information in print on the subject, and I thought that it may be of interest to some carvers and sculptors who wish to expand their repertoire of finishes. Normally, this information is passed along person to person, as part of an apprenticeship or internship, as was the case with me.
There are essentially two types of gilding that can be applied to wood sculpture: oil gilding and water gilding.
Water gilding involves a considerable amount of surface preparation including a ground layer of gesso, (a mixture of rabbit-skin glue and whiting) followed by a coloured gesso-clay called a bole which provides the adhesive and an underlying color for the gold. The surface must be perfectly prepared by scraping and or burnishing. The area to be gilded is then wetted with water by brushing in small areas, which dissolves a small amount of the glue in the bole and provides adhesion for the gold, which is applied immediately. The raised surfaces are then burnished to bring out a brilliant smooth finish often associated with Baroque period mirror frames and furniture.
The technique of oil gilding, which I will be describing, is quite ancient and is commonly used on polychrome sculpture, lettering, outdoor work, and some picture frames. Unlike water gilding it is quite weather resistant, and can be applied to virtually any surface that will take a coat of varnish. Gilded ironwork, for example, is quite commonly seen. The carved surface is either given a coat of gesso, or simply primed with paint to seal the pores and provide a smooth non-porous surface to which the oil-based size can be applied. The size is a type of sticky oil-based varnish which provides the adhesion for the gold.
The subject of this gilded sculpture is a heraldic lion, which forms the crest of the high-relief sculpture that I recently completed of the recently granted arms of the Canadian Nurses Association.
The process of creating a gilded sculpture begins like any other carving, with the working out of the forms on paper. Figure 1 shows the use of a rough sketch to formulate the shapes and ideas, followed by a more formal sketch with color for approval by the client. This is not intended to be a two-dimensional work of art, but rather a design concept to convey to the client in two dimensions what is intended to be realized in three-dimensional form.
In figure 3, the design is transferred to laminated block of basswood (similar to lime wood in the UK) 4 inches or 10 cm thick. The transfer was done with a projector, but the grid system works well also, and I have used both. The intention here is to transfer only the most basic forms, essentially the positive and negative spaces.
Figure 4 shows how the rough waste material has been removed by drilling and sawing to prepare for the following steps.
The shape is gradually refined in figures 5 – 8. At first, the essential silhouette is carved, and then a roughly blocked shape is created to define the planes of depth. The forms are then rounded and given a basic shape, and undercut from behind. Finally the details are refined and the carving part is finished. There is very little sanding involved, except for a quick pass over some of the crevices to remove fine fuzzy shavings which are otherwise difficult to eliminate. Otherwise, the surfaces seen here are largely carved smooth.
In preparation for the gilding, the surface must first be sealed. In figures 9 & 10 the surface is primed with ordinary white paint and painted with various tones of oil based enamel to add depth to the gilded surface. Yellow is used for the highlights, reddish burnt sienna for low lying areas, and burnt umber for the deep shadows. As the gold leaf used is extremely thin these colors affect the appearance of the gold in the final product, and add to the depth and richness of the finish.
Once the under-painting has thoroughly dried, the size is applied, as in figure 11. This is a pre-prepared oil-based varnish specifically formulated for this purpose. It is available in various formulations, usually noted for their drying time. A 24hr size was used in this case, meaning that the gold should be laid down 24 hours after the application of the size. However, this is not always the case, and the drying times should be monitored closely as the size gets older. The size is applied in a thin even layer, being very careful that it does not pool or run anywhere. Once it is almost dry, that is to say, when touched it feels just slightly sticky but doesn’t come off, it is ready to apply the gold.
Figure 12 shows the necessary gilding tools including, from left: gilder’s leather-covered pad with a cut sheet of gold leaf, gilder’s knife in hand, two black-handled mopping brushes, two gilder’s tips, small and large, and a book of gold leaf.
The pad is used to hold the gold while working, and functions like a tray and cutting board. It is often advantageous to cut a large leaf into smaller sections, particularly when applying to complex surfaces, small areas, or lettering.
The knife is very similar to an older-style table knife in shape and sharpness. It has a very fine clean edge, without the slightest hint of a burr, but can be run across the hand without cutting.
The mops are used for pushing the gold around once applied.
The gilders tips are a fine flat brush made of squirrel hair pressed between two flat cards. They are used to handle sheets of gold from the book to the pad to the work.
The gold used is 23 carat hand-beaten leaf, sold in books of 25 three-inch square sheets, each separated by a single later of tissue. Most gold leaf is produced in Europe, and the better the quality of leaf used the better the working qualities and end result. The choice of gold is extremely important and can not be taken lightly when it comes to work on any scale. Gold is also sold in various colors, which can be a factor for consideration, depending on the desired effect. Some colors are quite warm with red or dark yellow tones, and others can be cool with green or blue tones.
In Figures 13 & 14 the gilder’s tip is used to lift the leaf from the pad and transfer to the work. The handling of gold leaf is often one of the- most difficult and frustrating aspects of gilding to master. There are several factors to consider. Gold is the most ductile element, and as such can be beaten into unbelievably thin sheets. So thin in fact that static electricity plays an important role in gilding. Static can be used to control gold by brushing the gilder’s tip through your hair immediately before picking up a sheet of leaf. Using this technique, the gold actually leaps up off the pad onto the tip, and is held there until applied to the surface of the work. Again, the quality of the gold is important. Heavier gold handles more easily. The humidity in the room is also important. If it is too dry, static will work against you, in that you can become positively charged to the degree that the gilder’s tip will actually visibly drive the leaf into the leather pad making it impossible to transfer to the work. Some gilders actually wet the floor right before gilding to control static, which actually works quite well. I keep my pad on a chair next to the work to further isolate myself from and build-up of charge. Your footwear can be a factor as well, in that rubber-soled shoes will isolate you from ground and you will become more easily statically charged.
When the gold is transferred to the work, the tip can be used to a certain extent to manipulate the gold into the surface. The leaf immediately sticks to the high points on a complex form and breaks as to flows over. It is important to apply enough gold to fill all surfaces, but not to waste the material. Using a soft brush as in figure 15, to mop the gold, or push it into the crevices allows it to flow over all surfaces, and spreads the small pieces around seemingly paint-like to flow over the surface. This is without a doubt the most satisfying part of the process, watching wood turn to gold.
Once the gold has been applied the gilded surface is finished by toning it down as desired using a variety of possible techniques, according to personal taste and expression. In this case it was desirable that the three-dimensional aspect be emphasized, since the sculpture will be seen from a slight distance. In figure 16 a light dry brushing of artist’s oils in burnt sienna and burnt umber have been applied to the recesses to add shadow and warmth.
Figure 17 shows the piece finished. The gilding has been toned with a very light coating of asphaltum varnish to tone down the brightness, and varnished with clear acrylic varnish to protect the surface. The red on the wreath has been finished with artist’s oils.
Any and all comments or questions welcome
Phil
