Metal leaf designs, patterns and embellishments on a painting add accents, interest and visual focus.
Substrate
Any painting surface pre-painted with an image or color
Tools
Small paintbrush (for intricate design areas) or large paintbrush (for broad design areas), rag (or cotton balls or cheesecloth)
Products
Gold or metal leaf, leaf adhesive, wax paper.
For clean-up
Water, water container, paper towels or rags
STEP 1 Apply Adhesive
Here a knife is dipped into leaf adhesive then drizzled onto a surface painted with Red Oxide, creating free-form patterns.
STEP 2 Apply Leaf
Apply leaf (Steps 2–5, Technique 1) over entire surface or in excess of your design. Remove any excess leaf placed over non-adhesive areas following Step 6, Technique 1.
Finished example with adhesive dropped from a cooking baster.
Finished example with brush applied adhesive in a design.
An exquisite example of devotional art, a traditional New Mexican art form, using gold leaf in delicate design work, by award winning contemporary artist Arlene Cisneros Sena. Sena used traditional materials including homemade gesso, natural pigments, twenty-three karat gold leaf, pine sap varnish on a sugarpine panel.
NUESTRA SEÑORA DEL CARMEN
Arlene Cisneros Sena
28" × 11" (71cm × 28cm)
Photo credit: Corrie Photography
Apply leaf adhesive using a brush for intricate designs, or try a more abstract approach by dripping or pouring the adhesive in free-form patterns. Alternatively use squeeze bottles or pour adhesive directly from a container.
For repeat designs use a ready-made or handmade stencil. Place the stencil over the painting, taping it securely onto the surface with masking tape. Spray adhesive over the stencil then remove stencil carefully.
Whatever application method you choose for applying adhesive, let it dry at least 20 minutes or until tacky before continuing.