Gold leaf on leather

[tim_b125]

I have some experience with gold leafing on wood and other materials and am thinking of doing a leather cover with gold leaf accents. A worker at Talus told me I could pretty much proceed as usual as long as the gold leaf was recessed below the surface to protect it from abrasion. Does anyone have experience with gold leaf (actually, composite leaf) on leather? Can I use the standard paint (bole) and glue or does it require a particular kind? Any other pitfalls? Thanks in advance to anyone giving advice.
Tim

[kitekook]

Tim,

I don't know what "bole" is, but to do gold gilding on leather we usually use a glaire, either egg white power or a synthetic. Egg white powder is mixed with water so it can't be used on any leather that either has been treated to repel water or naturally repels water, i.e. sheepskin. Dependent on your composite gold, you will have to heat your tools to between 170 and 190 degrees prior to pressing it onto the gold. Apply enough pressure to push the gold down into the leather which how you satisfy what Talas said about keeping it below the level of the leather.


Good luck.
Dan

[tim_b125]

Thanks, Dan. What I was thinking of was more freehand gold leaf rather than tooling. The bole is what they call the layer of paint in traditional gold leafing. You start with a layer of gesso, then paint, then glue, then the leaf. Your point about waterproofed leather is a good one. I guess I'll have to experiment on some scraps before attempting the real thing.
Tim

[kitekook]

Free hand? That sounds industrious. I've touched up gold gilding using shell gold and a brush but that's about the closest thing to 'free hand' that I can think of. Maybe someone else knows more but you've reached the extent of my knowledge.

Good Luck!
Dan

[tim_b125]

I may be off on the wrong track. Maybe I misunderstood the worker at Talus, but I thought he said the traditional techniques of good leafing would work on leather. Maybe I'll stop by their shop again before embarking on this project.
Tim

[tim_b125]

On the web I found a tutorial on gold tooling by Richard Norman available for free download at http://www.gold-vault.com/gilding.pdf
I have a feeling this is what the Talus employee was referring to, quite different from the gold leafing on wood I've done in the past.
Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

[euro]

This is my first message and I hope it is addressed rightly!
Could anybody tell me an address where I can buy gold leaves in Australia?
Euro

[denis]

actually, I did something similar, I used a thinned down glaire and spread the leather generously of it, then laid down the gold leaf while still wet and than let dry. A bit like leafing on metal, with a different medium and without the long wait.
Once dry a lot of the gold may be gone and the leather grain will show, leaving the gold the high points. The operation may be repeated until satisfactory,

In the design above, I burnished the gold with a hot brass burnisher. In another design, I used the gold over a relief design, letting a lot of leather showing through, it was a bit flashy specially on a vermillion goatskin, but still I liked it.
If you know frame gilding, think of the leather as if it was the gesso and the bole, the glaire as the water and the rest is artistic license.

[tim_b125]

Thanks, Denis. Your example is exactly along the lines was thinking. Did you seal the leaf afterwards with anything? Would it flake off with wear otherwise? Thanks,
Tim

[Charnwood Books]

This is my first message and I hope it is addressed rightly!
Could anybody tell me an address where I can buy gold leaves in Australia?
Euro

Hi, We would be very happy to post gold leaf to Australia. As it is so light the postage would not be expensive. If you would like a quotation please let us know - sales@charnwoodbooks.co.uk. Regards, Dawn

[denis]

Thanks, Denis. Your example is exactly along the lines was thinking. Did you seal the leaf afterwards with anything? Would it flake off with wear otherwise? Thanks,
Tim

Hi Tim, no sealing, once on the leather, it's tough to remove. This was done over 25 years ago, no idea what it looks now. But I am confident that it should last if kept properly.

[Shastra]

Euro wrote:

Could anybody tell me an address where I can buy gold leaves in Australia?

*************************

Try William Ashcroft & Co. Pty Ltd, in Oakleigh, Victoria Tel. (03) 9568.2344 They have been distributing gold & imitation leaf, and associated products, for years.

Shastra

[euro]

Although very late (I saw the answer only today!) thank a lot Shastra (and "charnwoodbooks" Dawn, for the info about gold leaf sellers in Australia
Euro

This is my first message and I hope it is addressed rightly!
Could anybody tell me an address where I can buy gold leaves in Australia?
Euro

Hi, We would be very happy to post gold leaf to Australia. As it is so light the postage would not be expensive. If you would like a quotation please let us know - sales@charnwoodbooks.co.uk. Regards, Dawn

[ScottC]

Hi,

This is also a late reply, since I haven't visited here in a long time, but I thought I'd post it for the record.

In Melbourne (Australia), you can also get it at a lot of art and craft supply shops like Riot Art. The art supply shop at the bottom of the CAE in Degraves St. Melbourne sells real gold leaf too.

http://www.seniorart.com.au/

You can also get hot stamping foils, in real or imitation gold (or silver, or most other colours) from Milford Astor

http://www.astor.com.au/

They normally supply industry, so they sell rolls from a few cm to a metre or more wide!

Cheers,

Scott.