Shell Gold

This video is about Shell Gold. It wasn't a planned recording, so apologies if it doesn't meet expectations of a professional standard but I think you can see it conveys a precious knowledge which is worth a little effort.
The Bethlehem Icon School is now no longer at the Icon Centre in Bethlehem, but I have now re-launched it online and have students from around the world studying sacred Byzantine iconography together. If you are interested see the other free demonstrations on our dedicated KZbin Channel, The Bethlehem Icon School Online, or visit www.eliasicons.co.uk/the-beth... for details of the Academy Course in Icon Painting.

[@gorway7]

Isn't it priceless when someone passes on a rare / near forgotten skill like this.

[@anniekook]

We are blessed that she is sharing!!

[@heatherheld1240]

thank you so much for this video! Wonderful to see!

[@doaaali802]

@@anniekook stunning

[@1088frog]

Amazing, Thank you for sharing this process. very much appreciated.

[@ijak62]

You are very welcome

[@ozymandiascakehole3586]

Thank you so much for passing on this knowledge, I have been looking for a suitable goldpaint for the parts that are too small to do by gold leafing. I even bought the premade pill shellgold but was very disappointed with the quality. I followed your steps but did add a few drops of distilled water (maybe a little early) while swirling because it was getting too dry to move around. Maybe the problem was that I was using 12 sheets of Rosenobel Double gold so the ratio of gummy and gold leaf might have been off because I also noticed that it was rubbing off a bit to easily while burnishing. So I dissolved the dry paint again in some distilled water and put a few more drops of gum arabic in. That seemed to do the trick. Very happy with what I ended up with so thanks a lot and best wishes from the Netherlands!

[@TheBethlehemIconSchoolOnline]

Thank you. I'm delighted that it worked out and the tip about adding a little gum arabic if its not sticking well is well worth noting!

[@carlenekrsek6010]

Yes!! Thank you sooooo much! Knowledge is power!

[@anelegantera8163]

Thank you so much for sharing a lost art. I have no teachers where I live and I would love to pass the skills down that I have been researching all these years

[@ijak62]

Thank you. Do take a look at my other channel The Bethlehem Icon School Online for more free materials, and also check my website, www.eliasicons.co.uk where you can find details of the online long term formation in iconography that I run. Bless you!

[@sebastianmelmoth685]

Fascinating! Thank you!

[@mariaemilialuciamourrutdeb1764]

Thank you so much Bethlehem School! Thank you so much Olga! Beautiful to glorify God!

[@MichaelPhillipsatGreyOwlStudio]

This video is very useful and I get the gist of it, but are the instructions written down anywhere: exact amount of gum arabic, number of gold leaf sheets, amount of water, what brands to use, a list of the steps, etc?

[@user-pe2lw1ze8i]

I really appreciate this video. I've started making special mirror frames. Hand carved on wood and accepting with gold. This video helped greatly

[@xxkarazxx]

I will give it a try. Many thanks! ❤

[@vlisdero]

Thank you so much for sharing this, Ian! Id love to take lessons with Tony Watts but I live in Argentina so this is golden to me! 😉

[@krystabrooks8941]

Thank you so much. I've made it twice now and the quality is exceptional.

[@munazzakhan9559]

can you use any gold sheet or are these real gold sheets

[@ozymandiascakehole3586]

@@munazzakhan9559 has to be real gold, preferably 23k+

[@user-kp3uz9bh5k]

Благодарю Вас за видео !

[@bluewren65]

Olga smashed it, all right! Amazing. I can't wait to try it.

[@heatherlinakridge]

Thank you

[@amiekim9445]

Thank you for sharing! Can the shell gold be used over oil paints? What paint mediums can this shell gold be used with?

[@ijak62]

It's not designed to be mixed with other mediums but it can be used for a whole range of uses alongside other media such as calligraphy, illuminations and not just in icons...

[@MossyMozart]

I once tried tried mixing in a lot of gold scraps into lacquer and painting with it. There was a slight gleam, but it was very dilute and crude compared to this beautiful shell gold!

[@morgannorman7089]

Is there any additional water if the gum arabic becomes dry?? A very good video.

[@nakinilerak]

Thank you so much for sharing this - very generous of Olga to let herself be filmed. How many leaves of gold went into the mix? I lost count, and wasn't sure every leaf was shown anyway.

[@ijak62]

10 I think

[@nakinilerak]

Thanks! I'll give it a try.

[@ElectroAnnie]

If water re-activates the paint, even after the paint is very old, then how does it hold up on a final, painted object? This is so incredibly beautiful and it's magical to see these old techniques.

[@butterberrydolls]

It should hold up well, since real gold isn’t very reactive to environmental changes.

[@medicinemadisonofficial]

Water also reactivates any watercolor paint in existence regardless of the pigment used. And yet plenty of watercolor works have survived.

[@jdemaestri4300]

Thank you so much!

[@dinagamal3510]

After painting it on for example porcelain, how to fix it in able to use it safely? Specially for dinnerware? Is there any minimum time to leave at the sun for instance?

[@butterberrydolls]

porcelain painting for it to be permanent, you would have to use gold luster. This has to be fired in a kiln at cone 018-019 in order to fuse into the glossy glaze of the plate. Unfortunately gold luster isn’t food-safe so you cannot eat from the plate, only for decoration. This video is just a watercolour and will never stay on the surface of any porcelain.

[@gorway7]

Do you not need gum arabic in the finished product as a binder?

[@ijak62]

there is enough which remains from the process

[@lisajarvis3820]

Distilled water?

[@kdlettering8711]

Hi! I would like to know if you can use a glass muller rather than one’s finger so the oils from the skin don’t go into your shell gold ?

[@TheBethlehemIconSchoolOnline]

Well, I havent heard of either a muller being used or skin oils being a problem...

[@kdlettering8711]

A glass muller is a glass tool that is used to mix watercolour pigments and liquid gum arabic to make paints. I am curious if that tool would work or has been worked with this method. I think using a tool like a muller would or could reduce fingers from cramping.

[@ijak62]

@@kdlettering8711 KD I know what a muller is, I meant I haven't heard of it being used for this. Thinking about it, you need a more gentle touch than a muller... you don't grind you tap, and gradually break up the gold into tiny tiny pieces. If you notice the finger uses a tapping motion and only a round pressing motion later on.

[@gildy_pleasures]

@KD Lettering, probably it would be useful for you: I've just found out from one icon writer (he's Russian, as Olga from this video) that the skin oils from your finger is one of the ingredients of the shell gold. That's why professionals don't like to buy it in the shops - the mechanical way to produce shell gold isn't correct. And also there is the Russian speach in the middle of this video: they say not everyone can do the proper shell gold because of different skin, so prevously it was a special master who prepare it. So don't think you made any mistake, if the qualities of your gold won't be perfect, but also do not be afraid of the skin oils. All the best to your practice!

[@kdlettering8711]

Thank you for your detailed and thoughtful reply. That makes sense. I thought the oils would be an issue so that’s interesting that it actually aids in this process.

[@LayilUmbralux]

I am trying this process, but my gold remains a dark ochre color, and hasn't brightened back to a golden sheen. What am I doing wrong? I am working with loose leaf 24k gold. Thank you!

[@TheBethlehemIconSchoolOnline]

I think you are not rubbing it with your finger long enough.

[@fabiotalharu2908]

Did she used loose leaf or a transfer leaf?

[@mrminer071166]

Having rubbed a few shells in my day, the ROUGH texture on the inside of the shell would help with the griding. A smooth porcelain plate would probably be TOO smooth.

[@gildy_pleasures]

An ineresting thing that in the middle of this video you can hear the Russian speach: two men are talkig about making of the shell gold, according to what they said only 1 of 20 persons can make the proper gold. It depends on the skin and it's oils and liquids. If I understand correct previously there was a special person who made shell gold. And also the voice has been noticed, that he can't make the proper gold - his one is too crumbly.

[@TheBethlehemIconSchoolOnline]

Thanks for the observation... Olga was Russian and she used a recording of her teaching from Russia... I never did know quite what he was saying!

[@gildy_pleasures]

@@TheBethlehemIconSchoolOnline thank you so much for such a detailed video! And many thanks to Olga, her teachers and this knowledge

[@gulnazqureshi5224]

What kind of gold leaf is that

[@TheBethlehemIconSchoolOnline]

23.5ct

[@marziehkaviani5536]

It was great!! Thanks a lot! Hope the quality of taking video was better

[@freehee2]

Is the gum Arabic water-based?

[@ijak62]

Yes

[@liatomaselli6650]

Did she added mineral water or normal water?

[@ijak62]

Normal

[@liatomaselli6650]

@@ijak62 very interesting, useful for recovering all the gold that is lost in the process of gilding. thank you very much for the video

[@br.samuel4754]

Gold leafs are verry strong. You must trapping. You "break" the leaves into pieces. How Longer you tap how better. When you see the "Paint" under the microscope you can controle the Quality and fitness.

[@realfreedomofspeech]

Hello, can leave it uncovered?

[@zelemz8114]

What’s the brand of gold leaf? Mine won’t melt although i am tapping it for ever . It doesn’t turn in to a past

[@zelemz8114]

Paste***

[@ijak62]

I use Wrights of Lyn and Gold Leaf Supplies, both in the UK. Is it genuine gold leaf or imitation? The imitation wont dissolve.

[@annagiraldo7843]

Peccato non so l inglese manca la possibilità automatica della traduzione , Grazie comunque

[@Lola-mn9oz]

Try gold nailpolish

[@maryannehyacinthewhatisara1483]

Gum Arabic is what?

[@adamstewart276]

Gum Arabic... is a binder used in wafercolor.

[@tajweedlearningrulesandtec5738]

From where we can get Arabic Kindly share its link with us. I’m in USA

[@dwbunloaf8245]

@@tajweedlearningrulesandtec5738any art shop will sell Gum Arabic

[@apebass2215]

​@@tajweedlearningrulesandtec5738 any art store, or Amazon.

[@dawsie]

I was not able hear you all talking due to the two men talking over the top of you from the radio my hearing aids just could not seperate your voices from theirs so it just became annoying in the end

[@jonathannadeau6218]

I wish you would have turned off the radio. It was getting hard to understand her.

[@ijak62]

It wasnt the radio, she had a recording of her teacher in Russia which she had on to guide her. Apologies that you found it hard to hear, but anything you didnt understand do feel free to ask.

[@roverman985]

Her goal is to see how much golf leaf she can destroy before they figure it out. Upon discovery she will drink this down so they cant get it back.

[@avecanem]

attn: westerner aggressive tone accompanied by mansplaining

[@ozymandiascakehole3586]

What an awful thing to say to someone who is trying to provide some very hard to come by information.

[@apebass2215]

I bet you don't even know what a woman is.