Ahhh...he's no fool, our gold leaf friend!
I'd have to agree with you Jerry, sometimes the backgrounds are the hardest part. They really can make, or break a piece. On more than one occasion, I chickened out from even painting the backgound and opted to slightly standoff the glass from a fabric covered panel. Sometimes this works quite nicely. I've taken my actual piece into the fabric store and tried it against many options. That's also a good way of visualizing a solid painted color. I've also stood the glass off of a smalt background, which adds another dimension to the piece. Mr. Dickinson introduced me to the clear static cling film, which you can carefully place over the inscription, then test various colors without actually painting them on the glass. I noticed a very large selection of different colored papers over at the scrapbooking supply store. I suppose one of each could be purchased and used to hold up behind the glass to visualize different colors. I know that feeling of painting in a background and turning it over and thinking, "huh, that sucks". Not a lot you can do at that point, although I have rescued a few.
This is a fabric background. It's stood off from the glass slightly and the shadow cast by the inscription on the fabric adds an interesting dimension.
This is also a fabric backgound. This fabric has an irridescent floral pattern which changes as you walk by.
This sign had a faux marble panel, and blended color painted background, then it was stood off a smalt background.
Here's the static cling film in use, testing colors.
Keep up the good work!
Aho!
Oh, a drop shadow on the word "signage" would've give it a little extra punch.
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Denver Chapter of the Letterheads