Golds That Glisten

[DAVE SMITH]

I actually prefere hand painted work also Bruce kind of more satisfying with the end look being hand done. I like to see the brushwork sometimes .I can get a much tighter detailed job with screen printing and that also has it's place. Do you pounce your pattern on your gold? I have used carbon paper with great success and no marking to the glass.. Hey Bruce what is the weather like over your way I bet your nice and warm? I took the dog round the block tonight and it was -5 ,we are cold over here right now..

Thanks Bruce.
Dave

[BruceJackson]

warm? not exactly...the weather here is really quite strange lately. Unseasonably wet. We have suffered 10 years of drought with water storage levels getting extremely low. To the point that for the last couple of years it has been illegal to water gardens, wash cars, fill swimming pools, etc. Another year of drought would have seen the end of many water-reliant industries, spiralling food prices and severe hardship for everyone.

But it broke, not just with rain...but with floods. unbelievable amounts of water across the country, especially up north. (despite which, Melbourne's water storage is still only about 50% and will take another couple of years to fill)

Australia is a land of extremes.

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There's no doubt screen printing goes to tighter places than hand-painting (unless one is extremely fastidious and prepared to spend endless hours striving for perfection)
I can see the tight detail in one of the photos...a shot showing not just a clean even scroll, but it even has an etched centre all the way down to a tiny little curl.

As for transfering design onto the back of the gold...I always use carbon paper. I used to use a pounce, but I didn't like the little hills of chalk that can turn a line into a painted line into something that looks like the perforated edge of toilet paper. Carbon paper is great. I use the soft blue paper (not typing carbon) and go over it gently with a very hard and sharp 6H pencil to render a fine faint line. Don't press too hard, otherwise you get a dark thick waxy line. Then I lightly dust it with talc to make the line much more visible.

Now a question for you...I notice you are using blended gilding in your recent works, including your "studio of" piece featured here. Often a blend from 23 carat to white gold (or perhaps it is silver). I assume you are applying one type of leaf, rubbing it back, then applying the other leaf...but I also note that you use this over etched and chipped sections. I wonder; How does that change your method? Perhaps you are sometimes using angel gilding for the background metal. Would you like to share your techniques for getting this effect?

[DAVE SMITH]

That is Extreme Bruce . We are having some fun over here also with the weather, I hate the cold give me sunshine everyday...

The gold blends are the same for both acid and glue chip, I tend to always gild the gold first and then the 12crt silver look as i find easier to remove the gold than the silver. I have used the chemical process in the past and had good results in removing the silver finish but I find the traditional way of using leaf easier.
Apply your gold and scratch away with a nylon brush almost like a tooth brush but harder,the chipped area kind of blends it self as the chipping helps hide any mistakes and evens out the blend. Attached a panel I designed for a workshop I had here wih Coline Samin from Cork Ireland a few weeks ago. This shows a blend through the letter. The carbon paper works great and I also try to only press lightly or you do get that waxy blue carbon left on the gold .Hope that helps mate.

Thanks
Dave

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[Dan Seese]

I haven't visited the forum for a while. What a treat to see this newest creation, Dave. It is over-the-top-beautiful!

Bruce - I've always admired your work. The photo you've displayed here is elegant in it's simplicity. Exquisite work by itself - but incredible to hear that it is hand-lettered. Very nicely executed.

Thanks for the inspiration, gents.

[DAVE SMITH]

Thankyou Dan nice to see you back on the forum . Have a great Christmas mate.
Dave