Asphaltum Alternative for Gold Leaf?

[Billct2]

I have a sailboat silhouhette routed out of PVC. It will be gold leafed. I want to add some details to define the elements of the boat, deck, mast etc and thought I might do it like asphaltum was used to shade fire truck gold leafing. But I don't have asphaltum and was wondering if anyone did this with something else. Maybe using brown one shot mixed as a glaze?

 

[Pat Whatley]

I've airbrushed gold leaf and imitation leaf with One Shot before with no troubles. I don't see why thinned glazes would work any differently.

 

[Mike Paul]

You could burnish it it different directions. I use to do that to make prismatic looking letters with golds leaf.
Glaze with a tinted clear would work too.

 

[Billct2]

I've been researchng and found multiple methods, which can be as much a problem as no answers. The ones that I'm leaning towards are frog juice tinted with one shot or just thinned one shot.

 

[Mike Paul]

Tinting Black mixed with clear is what I use.

 

[Billct2]

Mike Paul , what clear do you use? Chromatic?

 

[Mike Paul]

Chromatic and 1-Shot. Frog Juice will also work.

 

[Billct2]

Thanks

 

[Fitch]

Why not raise (with say MagicSculp[Abracadabra]) or chip into (Dremel or chisels) BEFORE sizing and gilding?

Just curious and you get EXACTLY the detail you are after.

Cheers - G

 

[Billct2]

The piece was routed with some of the details, but I just don't think they're going to be
defined enough when it's all gold leafed. So I want to shade the recessed areas, but in a transparent way.

 

[Fitch]

You could also use differing grades of gold from different suppliers.

I have also found a different "brightness" level between patent (the wax paper one) and loose leaf.

Also - most importantly - undercut - this will give you shading and definition. The deeper the undercut - the greater the definition.

Also "round" the tops of some of the undercuts - divoting just before the top edge.

To give you an idea - take a coin and see how the dimension works - have a look at the definition and how the most minute cut can create amazing detail.

Hope this helps -

Cheers - G

 

[Billct2]

thanks

 

[round man]

alsphaltum is basically a varnish made from bitumen,...it is basically refined tar roofing cement if you strain it and thin it properly the old fashioned roofing patch should suffice,..check the contents on the label and be sure it is traditional oil and asphaultum based,not the newer water based and recycled tire rubber latex substitutes,..

The technique for doing shades with it are basically like tole painting,..you wet one side of the brush with the asphaultum and then pallette the brush with some clear till you get an even stroke that is dark on one side and almost clear on the other,...done properly it is an art form in itself,...

edited to add,...you'll have to clear over it when you are through,...true asphaultum varnish will not dry hard enough to stand up to any weather,..ever see an antique chair with a finish on it like a thin layer of tar? thats asphaultum varnish,..it will stay sticky for hundreds of years,...

 

[Billct2]

Thanks for the info