Gold leaf and Patina.....!!!!

[timblacktim]

Hi Ther
Does any one know if a Patina can be achieved on a gold leaf statue?
The problem is the statue is Fiberglass....so therefore Heat is out of the question.........HELP PLEASE!

[Andrew Werby]

Hi Ther
Does any one know if a Patina can be achieved on a gold leaf statue?
The problem is the statue is Fiberglass....so therefore Heat is out of the question.........HELP PLEASE!

[Is it real gold leaf, or "Dutch"? If it's the real thing, then no; you can't patinate it. The reason gold leaf makes such a good final surface is its resistance to corrosion, which is basically what patina is. Faux leaf is usually a bronze alloy, which can be patinated if it's not sealed with a covering varnish.

But all is not lost; even if you've got real gold leaf or a covering varnish, you can simulate a patina with oil paints, applying successive coats and rubbing them off to show some of the underlying layers.]

Andrew Werby
www.unitedartworks.com

[dondougan]

Hey Tim,
An addendum to what Andrew said about the Dutch 'gold' with a patina. You need to apply the chemical with a very light touch - the layer of metal is so thin the chemical will literally corrode it away leaving the surface below the sizing layer visible. I have used this for effect by actually applying two layers of size and two layers of leafing before applying the patina chemicals. The first layer simply provides a bright brassy-looking underlayer so when and if the patina corrodes all the way through the upper layer of leafing then that is what will be visible -- not the underlying base material of the sculpture. The second layer of size serves as a sealer for that first layer of leafing. On one of my (undocumented) first attempts of applying a patina to a single layer of leafing (covering the entire surface of the form) I applied too much patina and the result when I checked a few hours later was a few wisps and traces of patina color on a 'white' (a cast plaster model) sculpture. Almost all the imitation gold leafing was completely corroded away revealing that underlying plaster. Learning by experience, I tried again . . .

The two images below are of two different versions of the same image (one the re-leafed twice-more plaster mentioned above, and one stoneware ceramic), both which were leafed with imitation gold leaf and which subsequently had chemical patina applied.

The plaster version (photographed before just before framing under glass) has bright little spots in the photo which are the bright gold finish of the underlying first layer of leafing. In this instance the patina was lightly sprayed on by use of an atomizer to achieve a very thin, uniform coat. The ceramic version (mounted on black marble) was done after the plaster version, and the patina was applied even more sparingly and 'played-with' after the use of the atomizer. 'Playing' with a cotton ball dampened with the patina chemical after allowing the first application about thirty minutes to work (and color effects to become visible), I added further patina on the lips and other high points - this in effect revealed more of the underlying gold leaf layer. After the patina was completely dry, I applied a sealer (clear matte lacquer) to the surface by several very light sprayed applications. After the last sealer coat was dry I mixed a wash of very dilute latex paint (mid-tone of the patina color) and wiped the entire surface lightly to tone-down and unify the peeping-through bright gold with the rest of the surface.

You will have to design your finish around the fact that whatever color your fiberglass form is will possibly show-through where the leafing becomes completely corroded-away by the patina chemical. Could be a good thing, could be a problem. My suggestion is to use it for its advantages.

Don

www.dondougan.com

[GlennT]

Thanks for sharing a nice work of art along with the technical description.
I like the versitility of your work.