Quote:
Originally Posted by Trev  Thats kindawhat I had in mind, although the finish on the Ritter seems "blocky" for lack of a better word. Interesting bass tho. |
That's one of the hazards of applying leaf, especially if it's quite thick as that looks to be. To get a sheen is a trade-off between thickness of leaf & the type of size used. There's a multitude of types of size from acrylic through to various flavours of oil via gelatin & gesso and leaf-thickness varies according to the material.
I suspect that the
Golden Ritter may have been sized with gesso (clay slip) as it appears to be quite highly burnished, something that's a sod to do with oil size, but gesso is great for.
One caveat though, no leafed finish will withstand mechanical abrasion for any length of time unless overcoated - which can destroy the burnishing.
Acrylic gilding is the easiest to pick up, oil slightly harder as drying time is crucial to the final finish, gelatin is a dark art (but once mastered gives the mirror finish you see on shop windows), & gesso borders on voodoo in my book.
If you know any fine art picture framers, they may be able to advise.
Pete.
