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I had a Gold Leaf Glass Workshop last week with a chap from London. Seb Lester a very talented typographer designed some great looking artwork with the word ( Peace) for the course.
The lettering was acid etched with wheel cut punties. The stars were gilded in 16crt and 12crt and the lettering and scrolls is 23crt gold.We managed to gild the puntie circles in 12crt with a 23crt circle around them. This was Seb's first time gilding glass and signwriting, he did a great job. These glass panels will be framed in a modern black square frame.
Dave
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Last edited by DAVE SMITH on Tue Mar 01, 2011 4:36 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Wow! Being new to the art form, I am blown away by the control you guys exhibit in this type of work. Beautiful! I agree with Tony, it belongs in a gallery.
Rod. The artwork is screened on these panels but in some places I did add more scrolls but it was difficult.. I like this method for fine details as it would be impossible do achieve this by hand.
I can get down pretty tight by brush on most stuff but when it needs to look right and unform screening always wins in my opinian. I will admit I do miss the feel of a brush in your hand when backing up some of these panels, I make it a point to use the brush after the screening for the rest of the work.
On bigger glass panels a brush is king. If you have plenty of acid work all that is needed is to follow the edge and the carbon paper line...
Thanks Rod.
Dave
How do you make your screens Dave ? Just came back from Ron's work shop where taught the use of photo emulsion. I was raised using hand cut film , Now I plottercut film and hand adhere but loth it. I would like to get set up with an emulsion methoed system
Dave, could you explain the first photo of this series. It looks like he is placing a round piece of material (the 12k leaf ?) attached to a piece of taped show card (?) into the punty. Since the punty is mirror on front, it had to be water sized. Did you cut round pieces from a 12k leaf? It is amazing how this one photo has me so baffled. I’m seeing a small circle of thin leaf already on the glass at the lower right while the rest of the piece is hovering over the glass? Then I look at it again….and I’m not sure what I’m seeing. I’m sure it a very simple thing going on here, but it’s an optical mind twist for me. Thanking you for a reply to set my mind at ease.
.....upon further review, I understand that the black is the paper pattern taped to front of glass and that's the optical illusion I'm seeing, and the punties have not been cut yet, but what is the circle shape and what's he doint with it ?
Glass work is the highest form of the signwriters' craft. I truly believe that the glass work being done today is as good as any in history. Dave's work is the distillation of many modern artisans' unyielding dedication to the craft . True to the name Letterhead, he is recognizing and preserving the skills of the masters, experimenting and innovating and willingly sharing all he's learned. I'm thankful that Dave documents his work so history will reflect this golden century. Kudos to all of you that hold the tip high.
Vance the first image with the circle piece is actually a cut puntie circle which is gilded in 12crt. I then remove the excess silver (stanley blade) and water gild 23 crt over the top. This will then look from the front a silver puntie and a 23 crt outline around it. thats all your seeing . Lars the wheel to cut a puntie like this is a stone wheel shaped to the same curcumfrance as the wheel, if this is slightly out it will start to form an oval cut. You can probably find the tools in the States somewhere, I know Denver Glass make some stone wheels..I do come across original wheels occasionally over here. Sometimes the wheels have been used extensivly and they will not cut the perfect punties but from experience I can still manage to work the ovals to a circle.
Rod I used to make my own screens but due to space I find it easier to buy my own screens and then either take them to a friend locaclly and use his gear for a fee or just pay him to do it,it can be messy sometimes. I use 5 star rather than emulsion (red film) the screen mesh is 90 fine work..... hope all that makes sense,writing quick and no time time to check it........
Thanks Duncan , Russ and others for all your comments on this glass sign.
Hello Dave, I noticed that you referred to "90" regarding screen mesh. This seems rather course or am I reading it incorrectly. I had been advised to use 200 mesh to 320 for the fine detail which seems to be working just fine. Although the courser mesh would deposit a heavier backing coat it would seem to lose some of the fine detail. Your advice would be welcomed, as usual. Thanks. Bob
I use a 90 mesh for fine work Robert, it must be a different number set up for you guy's in the States. It says the mesh size on the alluminium screens over here this one says 90 ,will look into it more incase they have it marked up wrong... Thanks
Dave
Denver Chapter of the Letterheads