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Ruth Tappin, Gilder
Online gilding and restoration courses
Gilding courses
Water gilding course.
This course takes you through every stage of water gilding. From gesso, bole, water gilding, burnishing and aging the gold. Not only do I show how to do all these stages, but I also show what to avoid or look out for. Either how to put it right or avoid in the first place. From total beginners to people already gilding looking for a more comprehensive understanding of water gilding.
The course covers
Water gilding on flat wooden boards.
Water gilding on 3d decoration and how to patch the gilding if needed.
Taking a wooden frame from bear wood to aged water gilded frame.
Aging new water gilding on an antique picture frame.
Problem such as pin holes in the gesso, sanding scratches, holes in the gilding, burnishing scratches.
Including tips I have learn on my 24 year gilding journey.
Watch free trailer below.
Click below to look at gilding courses available.
There is no time limit on the courses, watch as many times as you need.
How to make and use gesso putty.
Gesso putty is the most useful material to use in frame restoration. You can fill cracks and missing sections of gesso faster than layering up liquid gesso.
I'll show you how to make my gesso putty. Give you the exact weights of ingredients I use. Also the ratios so you can adapt and make any quantity.
Then take you through the do's and don'ts of using gesso putty.
Click on the button below to go the the gesso putty course.
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I'm currently filming some more in depth gilding courses, next will be oil gilding.
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Over 50 free gilding and restoration videos on the YouTube channel @RuthTappinGilder
What is gesso
Gesso - a whiting (chalk) and rabbit skin glue mixture, which is heated and painted onto wooden frames. It is sanded to a smooth finish. To remove the wood grain and gives a solid gold look once gilded.
What is compo
Composition - (compo) a mixture of glue, rosin, and whiting melted together. When heated, can be pressed into moulds or carved when cold. It sets hard over a few days but over the years it does dry out and small cracks appear.
What is bole
Bole - Coloured clay and rabbit skin glue. This is heated up and painted on top of the gesso and compo. Depending upon when and where the Frame originates, the colours can vary.
What is water gilding
Water Gilding - A water and glue solution is brushed onto the bole. Wetting the bole activates the glue in the bole, the gold is laid on immediately with a gilders tip. By using this technique, the gold can then be burnished. For indoor use only.
What is oil gilding
Oil Gilding - an oil size is painted onto a prepared surface and after becoming tacky the gold is applied. This form of gilding cannot be burnished. Oil gilding can be used for both internal and external surfaces.
What is burnishing
Burnishing - rubbing the surface of the gold with an agate stone to create a mirror finish. This can only be achieved on water gilding.
