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Gilded Bird - Geo's new Thunderbird related project
- Thread starter JIO
- Start date
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,626
- 222,190
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
...and ladies and gentlemen... that's how it's done! 
Need to let it cure for at least 24hrs before doing anything further. Very meditating gilding - it's all about being in the zone.
Looking close - the faux V-joint is there for studying.
Another view of the V joints -
Need to let it cure for at least 24hrs before doing anything further. Very meditating gilding - it's all about being in the zone.Looking close - the faux V-joint is there for studying.
Another view of the V joints -
Nice Geo!...and ladies and gentlemen... that's how it's done!
View attachment 5122132
View attachment 5122133
Looking close - the faux V-joint is there for studying.
View attachment 5122134
View attachment 5122135
Another view of the V joints -
View attachment 5122137
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,626
- 222,190
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
I especially like how it appears to be levitated in place.just floating there. What is this sorcery?!?!?!?
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,626
- 222,190
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
...and ladies and gentlemen... that's how it's done!
View attachment 5122132
View attachment 5122133
Looking close - the faux V-joint is there for studying.
View attachment 5122134
View attachment 5122135
Another view of the V joints -
View attachment 5122137
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,626
- 222,190
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
It's ok - I think gilding is somewhat mis-understood. It's a very simple process that has a long history but is currently relegated to high-end decorative arts. Technology can easily replicate a version - but a hand made application is pretty unique. It's why I prefer applying leaf the way I do (not butted squares) - I compose the shards/islands as I apply it. There may be times where it's more 'random', but at a certain point even 'random' (how it's implemented) is composed. At least that how I approach it. In this specific way - even another (same) gold-leafed guitar will be - unique. Unique is the key word.
With AI becoming a 'thing' - it reminds me of when I lived in Chicago in the '80s. I attended the "Maxwell St... fair" a number of times, and one time a guy had a small carved something (man? horse? I can't remember) I picked it up to study it and he said; "...made by a human being" (hand carved/made). At the time I thought it was very funny - now, I want to hope people still appreciate something "made by a human being"...
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I always admire your approach, JIO. You never compromise.
And yes, the hand-made things in life have a special magic.
I had several conversations with artisans recently…both gentlemen were artists; one was a painter and the other was a professional cabinetmaker/wood carver/instrument maker. The conversations were separate but both involved me speaking to the one artist about the other, as well as their own art. They both recognized in the other the artist approach of doing things completely by hand, and they both saw in each other how the true artist adheres to a high, personal standard and an ethic that does not allow for any cut corners. No compromise. Both appreciated and respected the other for that artistic purity despite a substantial age difference and their very different Art.
Yes, they celebrated that not only was their work "made by a human being," but that it was the finest effort that they could possibly undertake.
All that stands all by itself just fine. We all can understand and celebrate these artists. But to really understand it, compare this approach to the shabby, "I really don't care" attitude that we all discussed recently with regards to deliveries and other customer care fails.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,626
- 222,190
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Caring how one does anything in life is key, even the simplest of things. Doing the day-to-day stuff doesn't have to be overly 'done', but at the same time it should be done right. Like walking our dog Mona - I always consider it an adventure for her and love watching her while we're out & about. I don't look at my phone, I don't listen to music - I stay engaged with her adventure. Sometimes that entails meeting neighbors and having conversations. Sometime just enjoying being outside. In this way life is art if it's addressed creatively. And one doesn't have to 'make art' to live an artistic/creative life. It's part of the process more times than not, but I never feel I need to prove anything to anyone to consider myself an artist - it's something I've always known.
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- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,626
- 222,190
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Thanks! More to come! Today I coated it with the same size to seal the leaf. Once sealed I can do further work on it starting tomorrow. That will include using a Scotch-brand/fiber-pad to knock off any little 'fuzz' and get it ready for staining. I mixed a stain using artist-oils of Raw Umber, Raw Sienna and Van Dyke Brown. I didn't have Burnt Sienna, in which these three pigments blended are considered the "classic antique glaze". I'll also rub through the size and gilding to expose area's of red-oxide. This process involves improvisation - letting the process as I progress dictate where it goes. Being an advocate of relic'd/distressed finishes - I'll incorporate some of that technology into the 'look'. It's part of "antiquing" history way before it became popular with guitars - to create a convincing illusion of use/time wear incorporating artisan techniques. You can Google "gold leaf guitars" and see many examples - but most are pretty straight forward. (gilded only)The Gibson Thunderbird bass was a daring guitar design in 1963 - and being the owner/player of a '64 T-bird II (since '78), I want this recent revisitation (most accurate so far) by Epiphone to turn heads on stages visually. (it already does sound-wise!)
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- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,626
- 222,190
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Gilding is mostly seen as a craft, and most gilded things you see are only that. Gold tchachke's, figurines, vases, picture frames, furniture... start looking and you'll see gold-leafing everywhere. Depending on the desired look one is after, you could stop after gilding and sealing and it can look pretty cool. The high-artisan version of 'gilding' is what can happen next - and it's where the gilding itself is a platform/foundation for an artistic effect.
First step was wet sanding the varnish until smooth. It's delicate work as you want to get it smooth w/o breaking through the seal. The closest to smooth guarantees the final clear-coat to be glass-smooth - "factory finish".
I used a well-used sheet of 220 wet-sanding and feeling the finish unit smooth. Dulling the varnish is also important for the following steps.
Once the whole bass is smooth/dulled, I start removing the varnish & gilding with targeted wet-sanding. It's sort of a 'negative effect' - removing rather than adding. "Wear" other than nicks/clips is worn/created by rubbing against it over and over. So for a bass guitar, I focused wear where one interfaces with their instrument while playing over time. The closer mimicking 'real' wear - the more convincing the look. That 'look' is not an attempt to 'fool' anyone - it's an artistic interpretation of natural relic-ing after studying real/natural wear. I started this thread - SHOW YOUR DISTRESSED FINISHES! 10 years ago to act as a reference library for distressed/relic'd bass guitars and have used it for my own projects - including this one.
Selectively broke through the red oxide to the black factory finish - I guess I'd consider this a moderate relic-job. (mild/moderate/heavy)
Remembered I had a black "Goth" pg to use as an in-progress mock-up. The black pg will visually link with the black hs-face and provide a counter-point/accent to the gold.
Wear mostly at the 'cash register' section of the neck.
After relic-ing, the next steps come into play. This is the artist-oils glaze mix I mentioned. It's thinned with thinner and brushed over the finish.
Once thinly brushed on, I use a rag to pad it which removes glaze and starts to even it out over the surface.
...then, I use a very soft/dry make-up brush to pad the glaze creating a fine stipple texture.
Neck/hs and one wing done - the glaze is translucent so the gold-leaf is still present underneath. Gives the finish an "antique gold" hue.
More breaking through the red oxide at key areas allowing the factory black (halo) to peek through - which are like visual punctuation points.
The wet-sanding allowed the glaze to stick/stain in a random manor which looks very natural/organic. Key to the look is avoiding effecting wear that looks deliberate/designed.
Now, before you say "but, but Geo - it's not shiny gold anymore" - the next step will address that concern. (tomorrow)
First step was wet sanding the varnish until smooth. It's delicate work as you want to get it smooth w/o breaking through the seal. The closest to smooth guarantees the final clear-coat to be glass-smooth - "factory finish".
I used a well-used sheet of 220 wet-sanding and feeling the finish unit smooth. Dulling the varnish is also important for the following steps.
Once the whole bass is smooth/dulled, I start removing the varnish & gilding with targeted wet-sanding. It's sort of a 'negative effect' - removing rather than adding. "Wear" other than nicks/clips is worn/created by rubbing against it over and over. So for a bass guitar, I focused wear where one interfaces with their instrument while playing over time. The closer mimicking 'real' wear - the more convincing the look. That 'look' is not an attempt to 'fool' anyone - it's an artistic interpretation of natural relic-ing after studying real/natural wear. I started this thread - SHOW YOUR DISTRESSED FINISHES! 10 years ago to act as a reference library for distressed/relic'd bass guitars and have used it for my own projects - including this one.
Selectively broke through the red oxide to the black factory finish - I guess I'd consider this a moderate relic-job. (mild/moderate/heavy)
Remembered I had a black "Goth" pg to use as an in-progress mock-up. The black pg will visually link with the black hs-face and provide a counter-point/accent to the gold.
Wear mostly at the 'cash register' section of the neck.
After relic-ing, the next steps come into play. This is the artist-oils glaze mix I mentioned. It's thinned with thinner and brushed over the finish.
Once thinly brushed on, I use a rag to pad it which removes glaze and starts to even it out over the surface.
...then, I use a very soft/dry make-up brush to pad the glaze creating a fine stipple texture.
Neck/hs and one wing done - the glaze is translucent so the gold-leaf is still present underneath. Gives the finish an "antique gold" hue.
More breaking through the red oxide at key areas allowing the factory black (halo) to peek through - which are like visual punctuation points.
The wet-sanding allowed the glaze to stick/stain in a random manor which looks very natural/organic. Key to the look is avoiding effecting wear that looks deliberate/designed.
Now, before you say "but, but Geo - it's not shiny gold anymore" - the next step will address that concern.
(tomorrow) 
For some reason I'm picturing Overend Watts playing this bass.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,626
- 222,190
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,626
- 222,190
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Time for a little sun-bathing...
screen-test!
screen-test!
That's gonna look awesome! I mean, it already does look awesome, but it's gonna look even more awesomer.
