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Gildenvern • Personal Work, 2015
This piece began as a test for me to practice gold leafing techniques with Sophie Klesen (AKA SoMK) at World Con last year, in London. I had a great time and learned a lot, but never got around to finishing it… until one afternoon, partially driven by not having created any new art in a while, I sat down with my watercolors and my new paint brushes with the goal of knocking it out in one sitting. This is the result.
(Had I given myself more time, I probably could have managed more details here and there, but it is what it is and what it is is finished so I’m not going to stress the small things overmuch. Besides, I think it looks cool, even if the gold leaf got eaten by the scanner. As usual. You can get a better idea of what the leaf looks like over here.)
Gold leaf, watercolor and white ink on 9”x12” bristol board. Original is for sale; drop me a line if interested!
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- Category:
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Comments
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Beautiful!
What do you mean with "gold leafing techniques"? Does it mean there is actually real gold (or gold leaf) on it? Or is it more like painting in a special way which makes it look like it would be? Or do you even use it as some kind of brush? (Wow, these questions must sound really stupid.. xD )-
Not at all! But you had it right on the first guess! Sounds a little crazy, but there is actual gold stuck to the paper (around the eye and the tips of the horns, mostly; you can see it really catch the light in the twitter pic I posted). Some leaf is composite—not real gold or silver—but in this case it's actual gold, so I didn't have to seal it.
Metal leaf is basically SUPER thin foil, which you stick to your canvas by way of a seising medium (special glue), which is then sealed by a varnish if it is silver or copper or composite gold, to prevent tarnishing. The practice goes back ages, to Medieval illuminated manuscripts and religions icons. My own avatar here includes some gold leaf!
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Thanks for the explanation! I knew gold leaf only from old jewellery, statues or huge frames (and even food, at least from TV). It's fascinating that you can actual use it on flat artworks, too, not only on sculptural things. Do you get this in an art store or is it too special, so you have to order everything on the internet?
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I know you can get metal leaf and all the materials necessary in art stores in the US—and I'm pretty sure in the UK as well. Not sure about Europe, but I don't see why not!
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ShujinTribble
Well..... DAMN!