The gilding or metal leafing process dates back to 2300 BC when artisans discovered a way to hammer gold into fine sheets and adhere them to objects. Images of goldsmiths making gold leaves appear in Egyptian paintings and metal leafing appears in Phoenician and Early Chinese artwork. Metal leafing appears constantly throughout art history, including Byzantine icons and mosaics, as a staple of Medieval illuminated manuscripts and as a widely popular finish for Baroque period sculpture, frames and furniture.

Historically the gold or silver would have been placed between sheets of parchment and pounded with wooden mallets until it was thin and malleable. The sheets were then cut down and placed between sheets of paper for their protection. Today's technology allows the production of micro-thin sheets from a number of metals and alloys that can easily take the shape of the item being gilded, such as sculptures, frames, jewelry and mixed media artworks. Metal leafing comes in many varieties: gold, silver and copper as well as variegated (irregular color patterns) greens, reds and blues. It can be made from genuine gold, genuine silver or a composite of metals created to have the look of gold.

Click here for a tutorial on metal leafing.

Click here to see metal leafing used in the work of contemporary painter Paul Hunter.

Stage #F - Paul Hunter - Bronze, Gold & Acrylic on Canvas

In this post we'll show you two great uses for metal leafing! First we'll repair a damaged frame with a beautiful copper leaf, then we'll take a simple clay sculpture and give it the look of solid gold! Many great leafing products are available, but for this demo we'll be using products from Mona Lisa.

What you'll need:

• The leafing of your choice
• Leafing adhesive (liquid or spray)
• Soft bristle paintbrush
• Soft cloth for buffing
• Metal leaf sealer (liquid or spray)
• An object to leaf

You can get everything for this demo from Utrecht University.

Repairing a Frame:

This frame has a few dents and dings in the corner, making it a perfect candidate for leafing. Begin by coating the frame with adhesive. It brushes on milky and as it dries becomes clear and tacky. Using the brush allows you to work on one section at a time. To speed the process a spray adhesive makes it easy to coat the whole frame in one shot.

The sheets of leafing are backed to a wax paper, apply the leaf face down, burnish the back of it with your hand, then remove. The leafing will stick to the adhesive and the remaining leaf will stay on the wax paper for future use. Use a soft cloth so smooth out any bubbles.

Continue applying adhesive and leafing until the entire frame is covered. Use a medium bristle paintbrush to remove excess leafing. (Test the brush first on a spare piece of leaf, if the bristles are too hard it will scratch the leaf).

Now that the entire frame is covered, look for gaps where the leafing needs repair. Using the adhesive and a small brush, cover the gaps and allow the adhesive to dry. Use some of your leftover scraps to repair the gaps.

Use your soft cloth again to smooth and polish the entire frame, then use a vey soft brush to apply metal leaf sealer. Using a soft brush will ensure that no brush strokes appear on your leafing. You now have a beautiful new frame with no signs of the original blemishes!

Giving the Look of Solid Gold:

Here is a fun fish sculpture made with self-hardening clay. Rather then glazing or painting we're going to use gold leafing to give it a rich and unique finish.

For a sculpture with so many nooks and crannies it's easiest to use a spray adhesive and then follow up on any spots you missed with the liquid adhesive and a paintbrush.

Apply the gold leaf sheets to the larger areas by pressing the sheets down and rubbing the back of the wax paper. Repeat until the bulk of your sculpture is covered. Here is a trick for difficult areas like the fish's mouth and scales: switch to metal flakes!

Fill the difficult areas with metal flakes then smooth with your fingers or a soft cloth. You can use a medium bristled paintbrush to move flakes into the gaps and to brush away excess gold leafing.

Use your soft cloth to give your sculpture a polish then apply metal leaf sealer with a soft brush. You now have a rich golden sculpture!

Paul Hunter is internationally renowned for his uniquely luminous landscape paintings on gold and metal leaf.  He has adapted a centuries-old technique to give expression to his Modernist vision.  His abstract minimalist landscapes combine the exceptional glow and reflective qualities of the flat metals with the emotional depth of gestural painting.

Paul Hunter’s work is in private, corporate and museum collections.  The artist has had numerous solo and group exhibitions in galleries across the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the United Arab Emirates and China. His work hangs in museums including:

• The Whitney Museum of American Art
• The Alternative Museum
• The Drawing Center
• P.S.1 (NYC) 
• The Montclair Art Museum
• The Museum of Princeton University
• The Brauweiler Abbey, Germany
• Hammer Rolls-Royce, Cologne Germany
• The Quebec Delegation in Paris
• The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
• The Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art
• The Quebec Museum.

Paul Hunter has received awards from Pollock-Krasner Foundation, Artists Space, National Studio Program: PS 1, Institute for Art & Urban Resources, Canada Council and Quebec Arts Fellowship.

To see more of these amazing paintings visit paulhuntergoldlandscapes.com