Imitation leaf is normally available in packages of 25 sheets, 5.5 X 5.5 inches square, for about $8.00(Canadian). The glue (Adhesive Size) I use to stick it down with is the Old World Art brand, because it's waterbased and there are fewer fumes while using it, and I don't need thinner to clean my brushes. Although the instructions on the bottle say the Size will just wash out with soap and water, I have found that it leaves a residue in the bristles that I just can't get out. So I use a soft nylon brush, and wash it out with soap and water, and use that one just for leafing.The imitation gold, silver (aluminum), and copper leaf should be sealed, as they will oxidise over time. The Satin Sealer by Old World Art works well, although it requires a thinner to clean up. You also need a soft brush to help move the leaf to your working surface for application, and to pat it down and brush off the excess. I keep the excess in a little tub, for patching up spots I've missed, or for projects that need a bunch of little particles scattered all over for a broken, sparkle effect.
TO LEAF :
1) Paint on the Adhesive Size anywhere you want the leaf to stick. Although the instructions say not to let the Size settle into puddles, when I am doing a design on a very absorbent surface like paper, I either lay the Size on heavier (as some of it will soak in), or seal my surface before hand, with an appropriate sealer.The Adhesive Size will take about an hour to dry, and will turn from a milky white to clear.
2) Expose a sheet of leaf from your package. This sheet may be transferred in a variety of ways. Sometimes the easiest is to cut the binding holding the tissue pages together as a booklet, and carry the sheet of leaf across in a tissue "sandwich", of two sheets of tissue with the leaf in between. Pull a little of the bottom tissue back from the leaf and touch the exposed leaf to the Size. The leaf will stick right away, and then you can pull the rest of the tissue away and let the leaf float down to the rest of your surface. This sandwich idea also works well for cutting leaf, as normally it will stick to your scissors. (Traditionally, if you can find them, the leaf is cut on a padded board called a klinker, by a gilding knife. The leaf is then carried to your working surface by a special brush called a gilder's tip). The leaf is very light and flies away very easily, so wherever you gild be sure it is free of drafts and you move very slowly, or it will be all over!
3) Pat down the leaf to your surface with a soft brush, patching up spots where the leaf didn't cover as you go. I either use a fresh sheet of leaf for patching, or very gently touch a little piece of brushed away leaf (called skewings) with my finger to the spot I've missed.
4) Ideally we'd all have agate or hematite burnishers for leafing (see image below), but as one burnisher can cost $60 to $80 dollars, it's kind of expensive! These burnishers work better than a steel or metal tipped one, because they are so smooth they polish the leaf and stick it down very well. The metal ones can ruin the leaf, as they will scratch it and sometimes scrape it right off, depending on how hard you burnish. I find that if I place a sheet of tissue paper over the leaf and rub down over that with my finger briskly, it sticks it well enough.
5) Now take your wide soft brush again, and lay it nearly on its side, and brush away all the excess leaf (skewings). You may need to work at some places, like the insides of letters if you are leafing a word, etc. Just keep lightly scrubbing away at it until it has all come away and all you are left with is your design. At this point you are basically done, although I sometimes lay the tissue paper down one more time and give it all a rub, to make sure that after brushing the skewings away all the edges of my design are still down firmly. You can also use a piece of cheesecloth to polish it after, by lightly buffing it in circles over the leaf.
If you find you've missed a spot with the Size, or the leaf didn't stick very well to an area, just touch it up with more glue and re-leaf it when it's dry. As well, if the design's edges are a bit wobbly, you can take a fine art knife (like the Exacto #1 knife)and scrape the leaf away on the edges to clean your image up. Using the two of these "fix-ups", re-leafing and scraping away, you can keep fixing up a project until it is perfect.
TIP!
You may have luck trying a dog's tooth (try your local vet clinic) for your burnishing if you have trouble finding an agate or hematite burnisher. In Cennini's book The Craftsman's Handbook, which I've got reviewed in the Reading Room, you'll find tons of info on old materials... actually in Cennini's book they recommend wolf and dog's teeth, and certainly these can be found probably cheaper than most agate and hematite burnishers. I've also found a nice little agate stone and hematite stone at a lapidary shop and used those instered in a piece of bamboo with some success, but you have to be picky with which stones you get... something nice and smooth. Also, as an alternative, try an old soft shaving brush! Thanks to Brenda for the tips of where to find a dog's tooth and the shaving brush for a gilder's tip technique! :-)
Gilding tutorial copyright 1996, Cari Buziak
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