hello. Im doing gilding with copper on glass,, to get an antique mirror effect ,,,, any advise about this material _ is it copper acting the same as gold or silver.? ,,, thanks !
I have antiqued copper leaf by exposing it to ammonia fumes for various amounts of time. It works well, and quite quickly. You must enclose the leaf in a sealed area. Put the ammonia in a dish near the leaf. the fumes will do the rest. SAFETY PRECAUTIONS MUST BE TAKEN WHEN DOING THIS PROCEDURE. Wear a respirator, and eye protection.
When applying copper, you will need a stronger size than for gold. If using capsules make the size at twice as strong as your usual mix. Follow the same strength enhancement for gelatin diamonds. It will work well either mix.
The way shown has been used by glass workers as a fast method for a very long time. Making the tool is easy. Some double sided tape, and wet, dry sand paper is all you need.
Hope to see you at the Society of Golders Conference in Charleston, South Carolina. August, 5 to 9. My class is the 5th to 7th. A very comprehensive class about gilding on glass , and 3d items. Pattern making , sign painting with 1Shot, and Ronan paint. Silk screening, horizontal, and vertical. Lots more, including how to price for profit.
Two more videos being made 7-13'23. Explanation of all equipment needed for shop, or to travel. Second video is to demonstrate how to silk screen verticaly. The method , of course can be used for first, and second work. Demo will include info on adding metalic finishes to first surface printing.
You are mistaking what I am demonstrating with " surface " gilding. The size for second surface, meaning the back side of glass, is gelatine melted in water. The size you are referring to is a solvent based product called gold size. It is basically kind of varnish which dries at a specific rate. Two kinds are made, fast size, and slow size, Four hour, and twelve hour. That is the amount of time to wait till the gold is applied. This is a brief, simplified explanation. For more info. look up Dave Smith in Torquay England, Paul, The Happy Gilder, also in England, and Sean Michael Felix, Illumination Art and Design, he is in Chicago, USA Hope this is a help.
Thanks Joe, this is such a brilliant video! I learned a lot of new things that I'll be trying out. I'm especially keen to try the addition of a few drops of dish soap to my size mix. Never heard that one before. I'll definitely be checking your other vids out!! :D
After putting on the gold, what are the next steps and waiting times. eg dry time, burnishing and whatever steps that follow. Keep up the lessons. Thanks
I will be attending the Society Of Gilders event in Ashville , NC in Sept 22. Have been asked to do a little teaching during her class by the incredible Anne McDonald. This is a real honor for me. Please look up the Socieyy of Gilders for info on our organization.
Wherung and Billmeier Glld Leaf in Sheboygan WI AKA. W&B GOLD LEAF. They sell every gilding supply you need as far as tools, or equipment required. They also sell all kinds of gold, and variegated leaf you could ever imagine. I have been dealing with W&B since 1973.. My go too source for all my supplies. I am not associated with the company in any capasity. Only as a customer. I have known three generations of the Billmeier family, great people.
Hello Joe,Did I miss what was in your size? I thought there was only size in a can(one shot,ect.) Can you please explain that to me,what you use,how much and so on?/ Please. Thank you, your videos are so kool!
Sorry Joe,I just watched #2 and got my answers.Sorry I was dumb. Please make a whole bunch of videos,its hard to find great tutors and you are awesome!!
In the size used for gilding second surface [ the back side of the glass ] I used 2 00 size gelatin capsules. Melted into distilled water. I recommend using gelatin diamond shaped leaves, 2 per quart of water as a better alternative to the capsules. I did not have any of the gelatin diamonds at the time of the video. There are essentially 2 kinds of varnish sizes [ in cans ] slow size and fast size These products have nothing to do with the kind of size I was demonstrating.The varnish sizes are for use in first surface gilding. As you have seen on statues, picture frames domes on buildings, etc. Please review the videos again to see the size making procedure. I will be making more videos soon to review size making using gelatin sheets instead of capsules.The videos will concentrate on procedures for gilding on glass. Subjects covered will include set ups for silk screening vertically on glass. Shading, and convexing letters, paint prep. to do outlines , etc. hope this info. was a help.
Review the first video for basic procedures. I will do the procedures in more detail, and camera angles to clarify procedures. The initial set of videos will be focused on second surface gilding. After that I will start first surface techniques. The glass procedures ard being done becsusr they are the ones people are most anxious to learn, and cant find help.
It is always dependent on conditions. I have been on jobs where a hair dryer was needed. I have also blotted the leaf by putting a sheet of news paper on the gild and gently used the side of my hand to rub from top to bottom , 1 time per sheet to help things along. Have been on jobs where the gold had that bright look to say I am ready for a burnish, then iost a third of the gold because it was raw. Usually, under normal conditions, as soon as the first burnish pleases you, you can second gild. Thank you for asking this, I will show the procedure on the next video. I will include comments about it. Also show the blotting method. As soon as you burnish the second gild you can paint on it with no problems. Thank you for good question. This will help direct the next video. I hope this was a help for you.
Lesser people would have edited out the misshaps but we can all see you know what you are doing and gives emphasis that it is a tricky job as you say, even for the best of us.
Love all four of your videos. I hope the hand is healing well! I'm just starting off with sign painting & glass gilding and your videos have been a really huge source of inspiration and help.
I hope you will still produce part 3 of the gold leaf series, I’ve enjoyed every video of yours. I’ve been sign painting for close to two years and am hoping for my first gilding project this year now. Thanks for all of your insight and guidance. -Bailey Clayton, California
Joe, Hope you're ok in these cover times - are you still planning on producing these insights into your industry? It's the best introduction someone interested in your craft could ask for.
what a nice guy Joe seems to be!! his tips are great!! his sign workshop looks just like mine!! Love all his books!! keep on gilding Joe !!!! Lovely Guy.
This lesson was so well done! I have a job gilding a business glass storefront, and the logo has no outline, or drop shadow. Should I lay down the leaf first, as illustrated here? Then paint the reverse logo in black? Let set, then remove excess? Leaving a shiny flat gilded logo on the facade? I am subscribing now! THANKS!!!
always difficult without the outline..but yes you are correct lay the leaf first then back it in the black lettering or logo in reverse remove gold excess the next day.when the black is fully dry. back all in clear varnish to protect.
@@peterstevens7109 Thank you! We decided to use gold leaf paint instead. But I will be gilding in a upcoming class this year, so this research will pay off later!
Christopher, Sorry for the late reply. Yes gild then paint, or silk screen the image on the gold. Remove excess leaf, then varnish the entire image. overlap the edge of the work about 1/8". I will be making a video showing how to set up a silkscreen to print vertically. I know many people have problems doing this technique. All will be shown in the video. It is a lot easier than it sounds.