Thank you, exactly what I needed to know with out extra nonsense, cats walking across the surface and discussion about anything other than the glue and how it worked!
I know this is an older video but just in case anyone was wondering why a lot of long time users use size especially in the automotive scene is simply the act of burnishing very large areas with a powered burnisher causes the leaf to lift from some glues.
Elmer's Glue IS P.V.A glue.....the only glue that is. I stock up in back to school specials or Dolleramas.. Has to be Elmers !! 👍...I water down a pit to thin out the tack time for gold leafing
@@ThisDesignedThat Sorry, my friend, meant no offense. Really did enjoy your video and was quite useful. I recently began investing into arts and crafts for both personal decor and (hopefully) supplement my income and I greatly appreciate folks like you who take the time and generously share their expertise.
This is a great video. I have a question. I tried sticking imitation gold leaf with a gel gloss medium and it stuck well, but I need to paint with acrylics on top (well some overlapping). I did a test and painted on top of the imitation and it looked fine. But I know they say you need to varnish it first. Any recommendations?
Perhaps if you would "burnish" the applied leaf before brushing off the extra... Short of using an abrasive scouring pad, the brush you are using is as "rough" as you can get. Try using a softer brush. A glue stick probably won't be as permanent. Less than 24 k gold leaf will tarnish. I guess it depends upon how long you want/need your project to last.
yay i thought i could use PVA but then people are mentioning Adhesive size... and im like shit do i really have to buy a special glue... i just want to make an odd gold mirror actually gold XD its textured so smoothness isnt really a factor for me but the glue pen was an unexpected success!
I use PVA watered down to a half and half mix, leave it to go tacky then place the leaf on, leave to let the leaf rest into the PVA, then brush for a smooth finish.
I’m glad to see someone show that there are cheaper alternatives to the expensive gilding glue. If your working with genuine leaf, which is very expensive, then stick with the real deal for adhesive, but if your working with imitation leaf or guilding flakes, PVA tacky glue, DecoArt paint adhesion medium, or any water based glue that says “stays tacky” works depending on the surface it also has no odor which is why I don’t like the guilding glue. On glazed ceramics I prefer the DecoArt because it’s made for slick surfaces. On porous surfaces like unglazed ceramics, wood or canvas, I seal it first with slightly watered down gesso or acrylic paint (to heavy cream consistency)and apply as smoothly as possible. After the paint drys, If you still have brushstrokes showing, try gently rubbing them out with a piece of brown paper bag, then apply the tacky glue or medium. Some helpful suggestions: the smoother you apply the glue the smoother the finish. Use a dampened softer brush to apply the glue. If your surface is coarse and you want a smoother guild, water down some gesso a little and coat the surface to fill in the pores. Let that dry thoroughly first before applying the glue. Apply the glue thinly and smooth out as much as possible. If you want texture, use a coarser brush and the way you stroke the glue on is the way the guild will show it. When the glue is tacky, lay the foil on gently with a very soft brush as smoothly as possible starting from one end on over. Pat down gently and let it rest for a few minutes, then burnish gently with a soft brush until it shines up. Fill in gaps with the pieces. If the leaf won’t stick to spots, reapply a thin dot of glue, smooth out (ok to go over edge of a guided spot) and repeat the process. Tacky glue works, tacky medium works ( but a little hard to get a really smooth finish because it’s really thick which is ok if you want that look ie: stenciling or texturizing) spray adhesive works but does smell significantly and needs to be sprayed in a well ventilated area for large projects. For small hard surface projects I use clear nail polish to top coat, other small surfaces I use Ranger Glossy Accents or DecoArt DuraClear high gloss. Large projects like picture frames and outdoor signs I top coat with Varathane ultimate Spar Urethane which is UV protective, water based, seals out water, mold and mildew and is low odor. It also comes in satin or gloss and works really well for wood.
@@sarahschwass8618 I don’t know for sure because I have never tried it, so you will have to experiment a bit. My first go to product to try would be the Decoart medium for slick surfaces.
Dear CraftyDevil, thank you for sharing that information with us. I'm going to buy a bottle of the Deco Art glue, I've used other Deco Art products before and they're all really good. Do you know if the Deco Art Medium is available from Amazon? And, is it called Deco Art Medium or Deco Art Glue? Thanks again, love from Amanda Jones in Australia
@@sarahschwass8618 a ZIG 2 way glue pen with fine tip will be perfect for lettering. I make fine gold lines on glazed ceramic pots. They also make a chiseled tip for thicker lines.
This video was so well put together and easy to watch. I learned everything I was trying to, thank you. Do you know which adhesive works best on glass?
Gold leaf adds a hint of glamour to anything it is applied to, whether that be a vase, picture frame, or furniture. To show you how to apply gold leaf. This is nice technique may be made on different surfaces.
Regarding the Sakura Quickie Glue pen - it can be used straight away as a normal glue but also will stay tacky once 'dry' like the gilding adhesive does. I use it to write or draw with and add the gold leaf much later
Many years ago, I would use a picture frame (with glass), trace or draw a picture with ink on the smooth side of the glass. Then I would use an adhesive spay and either gold or silver leaf on top of it...made for some interesting decorative pictures. Using brown or blue inks also added to the flavor.
Thank you so much for this video! I mean you're going to be helping all us beginners with this in years to come. I'm watching this in 2019. And wow did this video helped me breath again. One question, can we use PVA method on canvas if we want to use gold leaf in a painting? Thanks again for such informative video.
Nice to discover your channel. I'm looking to use some gold leaf in a drawing, so your video was very helpful. I see the paper in the video was affected by the water in the glues. Have you tried using stone paper (manufactured from calcium carbonate bonded with high-density polyethylene)? It's unaffected by water.
T Amazon set I bought with size, it says to lay the leaves once it is tacky. When I wanted to put the leaf, it was completely dry. It does not say to wait for how long.
I guess the only thing that would matter when looking for glue is to make sure to check whether its archival or acidic. If you are looking to making art prints then you'd want to use the archival non acidic glue
Thank you for doing this even though it was 4y ago this was helpful for me I’m adding these to my wedding invites and the pen didn’t work well for me and I’m definitely doing glue stick
Thank you for posting this! I wanted to just try out gold leafing to see if it’s something I like, but didn’t want to buy the glue in case I don’t care for it. I’ll give it a shot now with glue I’ve already got:)
Any of the cheaper adhesives work if one wants to use for something temporary. But it's one thing to use it for that short-lived purpose, and another to use it for something that is archival. Sure they all seem to work. But the most expensive one intended for art and archival use is going to last longer, far more than when the rest gets subjected to temperature and humidity factors and the adhesive starts to get removed with time.
For the kind of application you are doing I think you would be just as happy with imitation, gold leaf and spare yourself the expense of 23 or 24 karat gold as you’re using here. your video is super helpful for anyone that wants to play around with leaf, the elements you’re missing are raised gilding, water gilding, and topcoat. Obviously real gold will never tarnish so it does not require a topcoat but imitation gold leaf does require a topcoat. Additionally, the shine of the gold is very dependent on the absorbency of the surface you are gilding, and the adhesive you are using, and whether or not, you can polish it afterwards. If you do want to work with genuine gold leaf, I think you will be happy if you do just a little bit more investigation so that you can get the most brilliant glow from your gold. PS the leaf adhesive that you were using in your last sample is actually meant for imitation leaf. If you use a softer Brush, she will not get so many scratches in your gold.
I use the exact same adhesive size and it works brilliantly. Although just a warning- you added a bit too much of the size. Usually, i let the tip of my brush rest on the liquid and then paint over. The layer's so thin you can't see it but it greatly reduces any wrinkles, i personally feel. So its so smooth you can literally see your own reflection. I'm a modeller and I use a modeller's tiny brush, which I find works better than a foam brush. However the size is always clumping the bristles together. Any thoughts? :)
Hi there, I want to gold-leaf some metallic buttons I bought from amazon. I want to use them for clothing so there will be some rubbing every time they're slipped through the button holes. Is there a way to seal it in place to make sure it doesn't rub off?
how do i reduce the seam for every sheet? i want it to be more seamless bacuse im going to use it as my painting background its about 100x70 cm surface and im sure if im not applying it correctly there will be some seam between every sheet. thankyouu in advance!
Great video. I have been using the expensive sizing glue and have a big project. I will use white glue when I run out. NOW--what's an economical way to seal the leaf? I'm working on glass.
MaryBeth Strassel I’ve known people who’ve used clear coat nail polish or hairspray, I usually use spray sealer for around $3.00/can. Just depends on what effect you want.
Warning to EVERYONE: The Mona Lisa adhesive NEVER EVER dries. Even after various top coats and sealers. Anything I've EVER used Mona Lisa adhesive to gold leaf it is still sticky and I'm talking years... YEARS later. I was told by a pro gilder that water based adhesives are okay with paper projects, but any hard surface has to be done with an oil base size, or rabbit skin glue & water, for fast smooth water gilding. Luckily I was able to get the gilding and the Mona Lisa adhesive off easily with a toothbrush Dawn Foam and water. I wasted so much time and money. I should have done better research before I started. That was my own fault
This was AWESOME! EXACTLY what I wanted to know! Simple and straightforward. I only want to add bits to collage, so no "professional" anything, just messing about so I didn't want/need to buy and special glues, you've shown me Incan just use what I have! Thanks!
If you think glue application will mess up your previous work, fixative may be a good idea. If using imitation gold leaf or any color besides yellow gold, then you'll want to seal it to prevent tarnishing/oxidation.
