Posted by Robert Beverly on August 04, 2002
As I practice my hand brushing which has eluded me up to now in my design work, I was interested in knowing if:
1. Is it worth it to use vinyl or cut paint mask for registering for gold...or just continue to improve the skills in runnin the brush.
2. If it is, as has been eluded to by Mike J, what is suggested and what would the method be? An earlier post suggested gerber mask and "pushing it in" Can y'all elaborate on your experiences in this area?
3. When is using screens for paint transfer advantages besides multiple application...and is there a step by step out there in proper layout og "glow lines"...etc.
Just working thru the mechanics!
Thanks!
Jeff Lang
Mike JacksonRobert,
I have used masking for painting glass for gilding. One thing that helped was to remove the area where the gilding would be as soon as possible after painting the glass. Removing the mask allows the paint to flow out away from the edge preventing most of the hard edge. I have left the rest of the mask on as to avoid any overlap of the gold that would traditionally need to be cleaned off & then I paint the back up on. I also cut an extra outline in the mask & remove it after backing up but before clearing over to aid in consistant & quick clear coat.
Jeff
Assuming your question is related to reverse glass...the short answer is "Yes, it can be done".
The long answer is...BUT, there can be problems. The biggest problem area for me it the ridge left by the build up of paint against the stencil. It is much harder to get gold leaf into those ridged areas. Maybe other people have figured out how to successfully get around the ridge. Hand lettering and silk screening are better alternatives as far as I am concerned. You might "get away" with the process on larger letters, but below about 2", I'd say you are asking for complications. Also, remember the original glass has to be very clean and free of oils. It is possible that the transfer tape and event the masking can leave traces of gunk on the glass when you remove it. Putting down gold in those areas might result in odd imperfections.
Surface gilding is a different story. We did/do that all the time. We cut the letter and outlines in mask, weed out the letters, leaving the outlines. Apply the stencil to the panel. Gild the letters, then peel the outline. You can be sloppy on the outsides of the outlines into the masked areas, but need to be careful along the edges of the gold letters.
Good luck,
Mike Jackson
Denver Chapter of the Letterheads