Instruction by Baroness Jervisa Wainwright, OP
Applying Gold leaf to a scroll is a special step in producing amazing works of art for award recipients. The basic information I will be sharing is based on the information in The Middle Kingdom Scribes Handbook, (where it is written in more detail) by Master Randulfr Asparlundr, OL, KSCA.
What Materials/Tools will you need?
Slaked plaster
Honey
Brush
Eye dropper
Burnisher
Dry Pigment: either Armenian Bole, Indian Red, Terra Vert, or Saffron
Shot glasses
Double Boiler
¼ tsp measuring spoon
X-acto knives
Glassine paper
Dry ground Rabbit skin glue
Gold leaf
Let’s get started!
The first thing you need to do is prepare the glue solution. Place ¼ level tsp. of the rabbit skin glue into a covered bowl and add to it 14 level ¼ tsp of water. Let it soak for a few hours, place the container in the double boiler and slowly melt the mixture on low to medium heat. When it has dissolved, pour the glue into a shot glass for immediate use, or let cool and cover and place in the refrigerator until needed.
The second thing is to make the bulk former. Measure a level ½ tsp of slaked plaster (instruction on making it is on the last page). Make sure that it has been ground well to make a smooth surface for gilding. Add to that an amount of dry pigment the size of a ½ grain of rice, also ground well. Mix thoroughly.
Once the glue solution and the bulk former are made, you can start making the gilding seat.
The Gilding Seat (Gesso)
¼ level tsp of bulk former
About 6 drops of pre-warmed honey so that it can flow in drops from an eye dropper
¼ tsp of glue solution
Gently mix the solution with your fingertip without creating bubbles.
To make sure the right amount of ingredients have been used, brush a small amount of the gesso onto a sample of the paper you will be using. When it is dry it should be pale in color and look stiff and dry, but you should be able to put a small dent in it with your fingernail. At this point it should be dry to the touch and not sticky. To really make sure it is ready to continue, breathe a long slow moist breath onto the patch. If it gets darker and becomes sticky for a moment, and then lightens up and becomes hard again, you are good to go.
The Application
I prefer to paint 2 to 3 thin layers of gesso, letting it almost dry between coats. This gives me a good base, without risking applying too much. Applying a thick layer will cause it to puddle and dry with dimples.
Once you have finished applying your layers of gesso, you can breathe on it to get it moist and lay your gold leaf on it. What we will be using today is patent gold. It can be applied like traditional gold leaf, but it has the advantage of also working as a decal. Place the page of leaf over the area you want to cover. The gold is attached to the glassine, so once you have your area covered you can start to burnish it lightly at first and then harder as you feel the gesso hardening. After a little bit you should be able to gently peel the paper off your work and burnish directly on the gold. Once you’ve finished gilding your initial, you can take the glassine and place it over the area you covered to see if there are any spots that were missed. If there are, just go ahead and repeat what you have just done to recover the missed areas.
Just like any new technique, it will take practice to improve and feel confident in your skills. I was a beginner just like you once. If I can manage to do it, anyone can. J
Slaked Plaster
1 part Plaster of Paris to 2 parts water
Stir continuously for 1 hour. Do not be alarmed if it starts to get thick. As the plaster grains are re-hydrating, they will expand a little. After that, stir every few minutes to make sure the plaster is still in solution. Do not cover. Check it every so often, you do not have to stir it but make sure that it is still fluid. It can take up to a week for it to completely dry so you can break it up and grind it into a fine powder. For quicker evaporation of the water, mix it up in a wide-mouth, shallow bowl.