What can you water gild and why

[@RuthTappinGilder]

Water gilding online course now available ruthtappin-gildingcourses.thinkific.com/

[@kerry-anne652]

I absolutely love your tutorials. I’ve recently discovered a new love for gilding and your videos are so useful thank you x

[@ThinkForYourself2025]

This was a great explanation. Very comprehensive and helpful.

[@RuthTappinGilder]

Thank you 😊

[@kerrypitt9789]

And now I understand your instruction for metal hooks. Makes perfect sense! I owe you an apple Teacher!

[@michaelgilbert6635]

You can also gesso and Crack the fabric, and the glue the fabric to wood or a frame and apply bole and gild, the result will be very natural looking cracks. I have done this on a number of frames. I always use linen fabric.

[@RuthTappinGilder]

Yes it's a nice look, you can have some control over the cracks to. Crackle gesso can be difficult to get the look you are after.

[@ffotograffydd]

Thank you for a great explanation! It’s one of those things that’s really obvious, but only once someone has pointed it out. 😊

[@RuthTappinGilder]

@@ffotograffydd you're welcome 😊

[@michaelgilbert6635]

Your best video, I think. Clear understandable statrments. I'm now retired but I am a gilder carver framemaker 45 years, Michael Gilbert

[@RuthTappinGilder]

Thank you 😊 tried to make it as clear as I could for beginners. And to try to stop people using resins to repair compo 😬 45 years is a long time but my 22 years have gone by so fast! Hope I keep learning for the next 23. 😁

[@bazafacts6587]

I'm in love with Ur tutorials and accent..thank u

[@nabeel164]

What a great video, so informative, and such precious knowledge. Thank you Ruth

[@katharinatrub1338]

Thank you Mrs Tappin. I am experimenting with waterguilding on paper but, drawing a.s.f. I have not yet found out the good way to succeed, I think mainly because I don't know the perfect Timelaps between painting the Glue on to the Paper and transferring the leaf.. Now with you video, I feel confident to search... so, just what I needed to listen to this morning.

[@RuthTappinGilder]

😁 Sounds like if you are using glue you are oil gilding rather than water gilding. They are different techniques.

[@katharinatrub1338]

@@RuthTappinGilder , thank you, on the bottle I read 'adhesive size'

[@junghyunkim8884]

Hi! I've tested it with 3D printed plastic and it works! Because they have layers it can say quite porous, it's different with product plastic. It works well and I've sealed it with spray cuz I used an imitation one. I'll try with real silver and keep updated. Thank you, lovely tutor!

[@RuthTappinGilder]

For me the hold up at the moment is the scanning. The affordable ones are not really good enough yet. A few more years.

[@junghyunkim8884]

@@RuthTappinGilder Right, it should be take more time to use it. But I just want to share the material to others! It's better to 3D scan, print and use it as a cast with making mold. And I'm trying to do illumination gold leaf, I have red clay bole and made gesso with rsg, but it doesn't raise. So I'm searching instacoll, cennni gesso technique, but I feel I can make my own with red clay bole. If you have any advice and references in your mind and let me know, I would really appreciate about it. Thank you for your lovely videos always. Hope you spend lovely weekend!

[@RuthTappinGilder]

@@junghyunkim8884 sorry I was answering the wrong question about 3d printing. 2 similar question at once. You can oil gild plastic but the gesso and bole needed for water gilding will flack off in time. I haven't tried illuminated manuscript gilding yet. I know they put Armenian bole in with the gesso. I have purchased some slip trailer/applicator used for ceramics, which should be ok to use for gesso, to create the raised pattern/letters. Just haven't had chance to try it yet.

[@junghyunkim8884]

@@RuthTappinGilder Ohh sorry it's my bad. Yh illuminated gilding looks quite different, I should do experiment a lot. So exciting!!

[@samamber9370]

You are an amazing teacher

[@fabshelleyg]

Thank you!!!

[@susanmitchell4744]

Excellent explanation; brilliant tutor. Thank you.

[@joshuabutton3988]

Thanks for the excellent explanation. Time to go try for myself 😊

[@RuthTappinGilder]

You're welcome 😊

[@debrabradford3344]

Thank you for sharing.

[@youutubestinks4580]

lovely, and the explanation too

[@AcornMurals]

Love the visual, very helpful. Does this mean reverse glass water gilding is actually a modified oil gild???

[@RuthTappinGilder]

@@AcornMurals Thanks 😊 glass gilding is usually water with gelatin, so although it looks like the same thing it's different.

[@greghaff229]

Great video, but didn't you do a candle stick and a metal kit? How about CA, epoxy, and or rubber glue?

[@RuthTappinGilder]

Everything that you can't water gild you can oil gild.

[@LesleyBevan]

So informative! I'm a potter, and I came here to find out if I could guild an already glazed ceramic piece (decorative, not intended for food). Got my answer: not porous enough! Can you tell me if there is method that might be available to me? I am not interested in china paint, gold luster glazes and the like--I'm really just drawn to the gold leaf process, and I'd love to incorporate it into my work. Thank you, you are a wonderful teacher.

[@RuthTappinGilder]

You can oil gild anything non porous. Its basically the opposite of water gilding.

[@mathav9700]

Really nice video! Your channel is very entertaining. But I have a question, for the rock did you put varnish before the gesso? And after the gesso, is it paint before the red bole? Thank you!!! ☺️

[@RuthTappinGilder]

No it needs to be a porous surface for the gesso to stick. The yellow was just me using up yellow bole. To help build up the layers.

[@michaelflint4159]

Great video Ruth. Very informative. Sunday can't be Sunday without your films. Why "tolamay"? All the best, have a good week

[@RuthTappinGilder]

First name that came to me. What will your gilded pebble be called? 😁

[@michaelflint4159]

@@RuthTappinGilder "Rocky" ha ha. I.... Pause for drum 🥁 roll, have just extracted fro the book, two leaf's of gold perfectly and layed them on a picture frame in an ace Ruth style. Good teaching on your part. Dancing round my little work shop 🏪

[@RuthTappinGilder]

@@michaelflint4159 I remember that feeling of being so pleased with yourself when it finally goes right. Happy gilding.

[@hairlesscactus]

I hate to bother you with questions, but since you are so skilled, I will ask. I have an old heavily carved teak trunk I want to gild. I like the idea of water gilding, but don't want to paint the chest with the bole, for fear of doing some sort of irreversible damage to the surface. Is it possible to gild over wood without the bole?

[@RuthTappinGilder]

@@hairlesscactus you can oil gild. You will need to seal the wood first before putting the oil size on.

[@hairlesscactus]

@@RuthTappinGilder I want to thank you again for your videos and knowledge. I painted the trunk with shellac and used 12 hour size. Took days to finish and at first I was so shaky and scared. Now, I love the process. It's so much fun!!

[@RuthTappinGilder]

@@hairlesscactus so glad you now enjoy gilding. Thanks for letting me know. 😊

[@kevinwallis2194]

a few things come to mind when i think about why it wont stick to metal. Metal is a smooth surface, but like with painting a car or anything metal, the surface has to be sanded in order for primer to stick to it. that brings up 2 questions. If sanded, would that let it stick then? If sanded and primed, would it stick to the primer, Because primer is actually a bit porous. Another things is no mater what, anything on untreated metal with a water in it could start the rusting process.

[@RuthTappinGilder]

You can oil gild metal and Kolner Instacoll high gloss if you need a gloss finish both can go out side, unlike water gilding. It's best to start off with something porous like wood for water gilding so the rabbit skin glue in all the layers can penetrate and hold everything together.

[@maryward5221]

Good morning Ruth, I’ve just watched your last video I was wondering if you can’t gild non pourers objects like metal how did you get the gilding to stay on the cocktail you gilded

[@RuthTappinGilder]

That was oil gilding, next week's video 😁

[@MrByrd-ep5pd]

Nice video Ruth. However, I still have a question: Can I water gild over pre-existing gold leaf? The pre-existing leaf is chipped and it is clear that there is gesso over wood with red bole. But is the remaining leaf sufficiently porous that I can just cover it with new coats of gesso, bole and leaf? Thanks.

[@RuthTappinGilder]

I've come across this a lot. I then mostly have to remove it down to the original layer. Not recommend, if you leave any of the original gilding between the original bole and your added gesso it will eventually peel/crack away. It can also loose detail in decoration and crisp lines. I would either repair all the bits or if the gesso is bad remove sections of the original and start again.

[@alexkochetkov1506]

Hi. Nice video. What brand of the gold did you use? Thanks

[@RuthTappinGilder]

This is the gold I use. www.goldleafsupplies.co.uk/23-75ct-loose-gold-leaf/

[@timknigge4764]

Hi Ruth, thanks a lot for your instructive videos! I have a question with regard to gilding on metal. In the past I have used oil gilding numerous times on organ pipes and that works just fine. There you are typically not looking for too much bling anyway. But I have also experimented with a little bit of decorative gilding on steel frames of bikes that I build and there I was looking to get a bit more gloss than oil gilding generally gives. I used Kölner Instacoll and got a reasonable result, sprayed the (slightly diluted) mixtion on with an airbrush to get a smooth surface resulting in a decent gloss, but still not the mirror effect I was looking for. It's been on my bikes for a few years and it has not come off (the bikes are however hardly ridden in bad weather). So now I am in the middle of a 'water gilding' experiment with leaf gold that I can polish with an agate stone. I am trying this with the Kölner KGGG system, which has 3 components, but since the metal is non-porous I use only the bole (about 4 layers) and the colnasol glue and not the primer. So far it seems to hold up pretty well and I can indeed polish to a mirror finish. Do you have any experience with the KGGG system? I was hoping that since this bole seems to have some artificial binding ingredients it would stick decently to metal.

[@RuthTappinGilder]

Hi, I've tried the Kolner Fond on a plaster piece. I'm hoping next year to do more tests with all the Kolner range. Some good products some not so. Have you tried Kölner Miniatum for flexible surfaces? That's very impressive. I hadn't thought to try the fond on metal, so thanks for that will have a go. As you say it's not trodishnaly made so won't have the same restrictions that the rabbit skin glue stuff had.

[@jettaphillips5023]

Is there any option for nonanimal glue?

[@RuthTappinGilder]

Sorry no not for water gilding. You can oil gild or use acrylic size like kolner instacoll but the gloss dulls over time.

[@jettaphillips5023]

Thank you for the reply. I watched the oil gilding videos. Thanks for the great info, Keep it up!@@RuthTappinGilder

[@fabshelleyg]

Question; please explain the different colors used for the glue aka rabbit skin? I'm in America and just order water based glue for gold, it's clear.

[@RuthTappinGilder]

@@fabshelleyg that's acrylic size for craft. It's like oil size used in oil gilding but unlike oil size it won't dry so the gilding remains tacky

[@jacquesomersavard7257]

I plan to put gold on a stain glass work but it look like impossible not porus or maybe pas by sand blasting before

[@RuthTappinGilder]

Gilding on glass is a different type of gilding it's call Verre églomisé. You need gelatin in the water not rabbit skin glue.

[@Shadia851]

Hi Ruth, I just found your videos by chance, searching for tutorials for frame decoration. Your videos are really high level and I extremely enjoy watching them. I got a question concerning the glue. You are saying it needs to be natural and animal glue. Are there any vegan glues using plants or flowers which have the same effect? I am struggeling a bit with that animal in the animal glue....:S Greetz from Germany =)

[@RuthTappinGilder]

Thanks for watching 😊 I have looked into this, CMC powder (carboxymethyl cellulose) makes a glue, which can be mixed with whiting. But it makes a poor gesso, the glue isn't strong enough to hold like the rabbit skin glue. So the gesso is powdery and can rub away. I understand where you are coming from. I eat very little meet now, only a few times a year. In my head I'm trying to balance it out.

[@Shadia851]

@@RuthTappinGilder Thanks a lot for your answer. Yes, you got me right.. Well, I will see if I can balance it in my head as well, feels difficult at the moment though. Looking forward to watching more of your videos and to all videos that still might come. All the best, Simone =)

[@paulmaryon9088]

Oh another good one thanks , will hide glue do the same as rabbit glue? Always have some in my workshop, but a complete lack of rabbits here!!

[@RuthTappinGilder]

Yes but it can be stronger than rabbit skin glue and than it's hard to sand if in gesso. Just make it weaker if it is strong.

[@jacquesomersavard7257]

but still possible to put gold on the welding part of stain glass maybe ?? do you try this before

[@RuthTappinGilder]

You could oil gild the metal.

[@ΗΛΙΑΣΚΟΥΤΣΟΥΚΟΣ]

Your tutorials are perfect!!! Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us !!! I woul like to ask you a question: I want to water guild an icon so i need gold to be smooth in the surface. For this reason i use transfer leaf of gold. My question is: Is it possible to place the transfer leaf over the dry bole and then put a lot of water guilding water over the transfer leaf and then put away the paper of the transfer leaf in order to stay only the gold over the bole?

[@RuthTappinGilder]

Don't think that will work. The gold will wamt to stick to whatever is wet. Have you tried the Thorn Tip? It's a box with a mesh that picks up whole sheets of gold. Which you can then lay the gold down flat.

[@ΗΛΙΑΣΚΟΥΤΣΟΥΚΟΣ]

@@RuthTappinGilder this is the first time I listen it . I saw it now on video. You are fantastic ☺️. I believe that this is the perfect tool for my problem. Thank you very much!!!

[@siouxsiewild6296]

Would I be able to watergild a stretched canvas if the back was strengthened so it won't be flexible?

[@RuthTappinGilder]

As long as the canvas doesn't move at all while you're sanding the gesso, give it a go.

[@siouxsiewild6296]

@@RuthTappinGilder experiment commencing! I've put resin at the back of the canvas, I'll let you know how it goes

[@adriansalamandre]

Hi Ruth and thank you for your videos! How can I gild on plastic with a gesso primer? I would like to do a clay bole foundation on the gesso, but can it be done by another process other than water gilding? Thanks in advance!

[@RuthTappinGilder]

You can oil gild plastic, but you won't be able to use bole. As it has the rabbit skin glue in it need to go on a porous surface. If you would like a colour under the gold you can paint it with an appropriate paint for plastic. Hope that helps. R

[@adriansalamandre]

I'm glad I found your videos, as I have already put a couple of coats of gesso on the plastic (it's an old globe of planet Earth that opens up as a drinks cabinet) My idea is to gild the continents on in gold leaf and paint the oceans black. I'll carry on looking at your tips before I make a mess of it! :)@@RuthTappinGilder

[@chinarasharshenova2497]

how did you gild a church chicken? wasn't metal?

[@RuthTappinGilder]

That was oil gilding. Everything the can't water gild you can oil gild.

[@stel1000]

Can it bond on golden or Lascaux varnish?‘I know with some alcohol the varnish can be removed (?and maybe with water?).

[@RuthTappinGilder]

You would need to remove the varnish if you're gessoing, boling and water gilding. You can oil gild on top of the varnish.

[@nicolaspablo4616]

Hi Ruth, great explanation and straightforward videos! I wonder if you can use Plastic Primer as it adheres to almost anything, leather, aluminum, metal etc. as a barrier for the gesso to bond on?

[@RuthTappinGilder]

Not tried it but I suspect it will still problem. It's the barrier bit that's the problem gesso need to bond to a porous surface. I might give it a test though. Thanks

[@nicolaspablo4616]

@@RuthTappinGilder Thank you for replying, that’s a good idea, give it a try and then we’ll see 😊

[@humbertobarragan4066]

Is it possible to gold leaf on plastic with a mirror finish ?

[@RuthTappinGilder]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJLVmWyona57l8k This video shows that.

[@humbertobarragan4066]

@@RuthTappinGilder thank you so much !!!! I have some cool projects for that.

[@sarasayed12]

what about textured metal?

[@RuthTappinGilder]

You can oil gild it like all metal. But it's still not porous, so the gesso will fall off.

[@SavardJacques]

you do not give detail info about 3 layer of glue ? you put on the rock jakc 47 71

[@RuthTappinGilder]

@@SavardJacques 3 layers of glue? Not sure what you mean.

[@SavardJacques]

I made stain glass work and need to sein my work whit my name on glass waht kind of trick I do use for the moment I si-ein by dremmel put gold on and cover whit microscope glass about 15x15mm probaly you have a better way to do so jack 47 71

[@RuthTappinGilder]

@@SavardJacques you can oil gild onto glass. Or a different form of water gilding using gelatin

[@joangrant5248]

Hi Ruth, I need to ask a stupid question- can we water gild glass. Or is it some other type of gilding.

[@RuthTappinGilder]

It is water gilding, but different in the glue used. You would use gelatine for gilding on glass. And there is no use of gesso or bole like you need on frames.

[@joangrant5248]

@@RuthTappinGilder That is really helpful, thanks. I love seeing you and the other restorers on Salvage Hunters.

[@gazsto6733]

Hi again Ruth, just watched this video and I have a wooden planter box with a design I have created on the front. This has been painted with a satin acrylic coating which is weatherproof. I heard you mention about the acrylic and modern coatings, what would you recommend would work for the gilding? water gilding or oil gilding, would I need to coat the area for the gilding with anything? Big learning curve and your help has been invaluable.

[@RuthTappinGilder]

If the wood has an acrylic coating you won't be able to gesso and water gild. But you will be able to oil directly onto the acrylic.

[@gazsto6733]

@@RuthTappinGilder Thanks Ruth.

[@gazsto6733]

@@RuthTappinGilder Ruth, may I ask a few more questions please, as I have ordered some supplies. The base coat, noted from your video is yellow, doe's that have to be primer, matt, or gloss finish? As you indicated the leaf is thin and can show the background colour (suppose depends on how many applications of leaf is used. Also watched others vides, regarding making size and base coats and I have purchased some oil size from an online retailer, but I did see someone make a mix of linseed oil, turpentine and yellow pigment, would that be a suitable alternative for a base coat mix. Thanks again, Gaz

[@RuthTappinGilder]

@@gazsto6733 Sounds like they are making a tinted oil size, which is so you can see where you have missed. I wouldn't recommend just that tint as a good under colour. For oil gilding it doesn t really matter what paint as long as it's an appropriate paint for the material i.e. metal paint for metal etc. If you use a matt paint you will need to seal it. Where as a gloss paint won't need sealing as it's not porous.

[@gazsto6733]

@@RuthTappinGilder Appreciated Ruth. Thanks once more for your time!

[@alashibany168]

please what you mean RSG what rsg can please to explane me

[@RuthTappinGilder]

Rabbit skin glue.

[@saras1487]

So does this mean I could use water gilding in my watercolor paintings because they’re on 100% acid-free cotton rag paper? Will any thing harm the paper at all? I think this would be fun to try but I’m a complete novice.

[@RuthTappinGilder]

Yes you could. But you could try shell gold. It's gold in a tiny block and you can use it like watercolour paint. Just like your normal watercolour blocks. But it's actual gold not gold coloured paint.

[@saras1487]

@@RuthTappinGilder Never heard of it. I’ll investigate. Do you apply it over gesso and bole as you demonstrate? Thanks so much for responding.🙏

[@villiamaugust]

This golding in surface like skin and paper was not made in old day, I think it is too brittle. But there was a different recipe, alabaster and lead and sugar, and white of the eggs. I think that this, was the watergolding in paper. You can read it on >>book of painting>>.

[@arramos6802]

Can I use varnish, as a adhesive?

[@RuthTappinGilder]

Not for water gilding. I've never tried it as an alternative to oil size might work if it takes long time to dry.

[@arramos6802]

@@RuthTappinGilder the other type of varnish the plastic one that easy to dry. Can you make a video if it's work?

[@RuthTappinGilder]

@@arramos6802 think you're talking about acrilic size. If you watch the oil gilding video I explain why you can't use it on antiques.

[@Simonjose7258]

What "bowl"? Bole?

[@RuthTappinGilder]

Bole is the clay paint under gold. Here is a video on bole kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKabaaOud5JjfKc 😁

[@andrewarnst9673]

To say its not gold leaf looks mint

[@1429376]

Hi Ruth, thanks for the video! I understood what you were saying about the release agent 😊 However the animal glues are the best! To attach compo to frames do you use pearl glue , you call it that? Never seen glue with more names 😊 Thanks and have a great Sunday! Manuela

[@RuthTappinGilder]

There will de a compo video coming. Beat animal glue I have is fish glue. I can only find it at AP Fitzpatricke fine art materials. It's liquid at room temperature 😮 and has a plepleasant smell 😯

[@1429376]

@@RuthTappinGilder Thanks Ruth!!! I didn't realize that, I thought it was strong glue-bone glue or another among its many names😁. I forgot, I would love to share your profile on instagram or facebook, but only if you agree and if you like it you let me know. I like to share the beautiful things my friends do, I do it just for that , not for other reasons 😊 Can't wait to see the next videos! See you soon! Manuela

[@RuthTappinGilder]

@@1429376 I do use pearl glue as well as a strong hide glue as well in the workshop each has difrent uses for me. I'm on Instagram and Twitter under the user name @goldinmycoffee

[@1429376]

@@RuthTappinGilder Sure, I guess. I've used them in wood furniture restoration. Some vendors here now give them out as being the same thing but with different names. The restorer I had learned from had different recipes for use, i, depending on the nature. Sometimes he used them the same way. Now I was looking at some suppliers, I'm curious to see if I can find one that diversifies them. Thanks again, I will share today, I know your profiles, I follow them 😊. Have a great Sunday

[@RuthTappinGilder]

@@1429376 I needed a high strength hide glue for a project, so I started looking into the Bloom strength scale. But that refers to the strength as a gell not the final strength 🙄 gave up looking after that. I would be interested if you come across anything good. 😁

[@maryward5221]

Sorry I meant cockerel.

[@Lucinda_96]

Wow so bummed. I covered my frames in an acrylic gesso 😳😭

[@RuthTappinGilder]

😬 but at least the next one won't be! 😄👍

[@imesche]

I know for a fact that it depends on what acrylic gesso you use. There are some brands which work actually very good and do not include PVA.

[@Lucinda_96]

@@imesche It actually ended up working. The crazy thing is that the bole came off quite easily, if I was digging into it, but it stayed in place with sanding. I used the Artist Loft gesso paint from Michael's. Gold stayed on top quite well. Let's see how long it lasts - but its up in the gallery now.