How to Learn Gold Gilding Techniques

What is Gold Gilding?

Gold Gilding is the decorative skill of applying a thin layer of gold to a prepared, solid surface, to create a shiny, metallic gold coating. 

Where can you use Gold Gilding?

With the right preparation, you can apply gold leaf to a variety of different surfaces such as metal, wood, stone, glass, and ceramics. In our iconography classes and courses we apply gold leaf over areas of our painted wooden panels or clayboards. Gold Gilding is also commonly used in interior and exterior architectural decoration, sign writing, picture framing, wall murals, and more!

Are there different types of Gold Leaf?

Yes, there are different types of Gold Leaf available, so finding the right one for your project is important. Gold leaf is commonly sold in ‘books’ made up of sheets, and can be quite expensive as it is real gold! The 2 common types of sheets available are transfer sheets (the gold leaf is easier to handle as it’s attached to tissue paper) and loose sheets (the leaf is much more fiddly and needs to be transferred using a brush). 

Transfer Sheets 

• Our recommended type of real gold leaf sheets for beginners 
• Available in more affordable 5-sheet books 

We Recommend: Wrights of Lymm Ltd – 23.75ct Extra Thick Gold Leaf Transfer (5 Sheets) 

Loose Sheets 

• Recommended for those with more experience in gilding techniques
• Usually sold in books of 25 sheets or more (so are more expensive) 

We Recommend: Wrights of Lymm Ltd – 23.75ct Extra Thick Gold Leaf Loose (25 Sheets) 

How Can I Learn to do Gold Gilding?

There are a number of different Gold Gilding techniques used in iconography, varying in complexity and dependent on the desired effect on your icon:

Gold Gilding for Beginners

If you’re new to icon painting, you will learn the basics of how to apply gold leaf in our Online Beginner’s Course. With the guidance of our expert tutor, you’ll work through the stages of painting your icon, then using real gold leaf you’ll learn to apply a radiant halo to your icon using the following steps:

• Preparing the Surface: Using thin layers of shellac to seal the surface of the painting, then oil gold size to apply a layer of adhesive for the gold leaf to stick to. 
• Applying the Sheets: How to handle transfer sheets of Gold Leaf and adhere them to the prepared area of your work.
• Removing the Excess: Gently brushing away excess gold leaf (saving the small pieces to reuse!) and smoothing and retouching the edges of the gilded area.

Learning advanced Gold Gilding techniques

Once you’ve mastered the basics of iconography and gilding using transfer sheets, you can try the same technique using loose sheets of gold leaf. 

When working with loose sheets of gold leaf, you’ll need to use a wide, soft-bristled brush to pick them up – a top tip to help the brush bristles lift the sheet is to lightly swipe the brush across your forehead first, the oils from your skin will help remove any static from the brush and your loose sheet will lift much easier!

How to learn the ‘Suslo’ Gold Gilding technique

Another more advanced gold gilding technique is the Russian tradition ‘Suslo’ – this method uses a caramel glue to apply more intricate gold leaf decorations and patterns to an icon. There is a bit of preparation required for this method – the areas to be gilding on the icon need thin layers of shellac applied in order to seal the surface, and the caramel glue is made by slowly boiling down a dark beer such as Guinness until it is a thick, sticky caramel.

The caramel can then be applied to the areas of your icon using a small brush, and slightly warmed before applying your gold leaf. This technique takes a lot of practice and patience; the time needed for each step can vary depending on your caramel’s consistency, the surface you’re working onto, even the room temperature and humidity are factors to consider! 

You can learn the Suslo technique in our Gold Gilding Workshop Recording, where you’ll get lifetime access to the preparation session and full workshop with demonstrations of each step – allowing you to prepare and practice this technique at your own pace.