gold leaf anyone?

[graffian]

I was copying a transfer on a frame I painted.
The transfer is a gold foil background with red printing on it. I have only seen it on google images so
my version may not be quite right.

I put gold leaf down for the backgound and then stuck a waterslide decal on for red lettering.

The test ones looked good, apart from I was still getting used to the size and the gold looked terrible.

On the frame I put the gold down nice and flat, burnished it with a bit of cotton wool on a stick[altzheimers is setting in]. Then added the water slide, it looked great.
But everything went on hold, so it wasn't clearcoated. a few months later I looked and the gold had green spots! Now it' a mellow mahoggany colour;-(
The waterslide decals are put on with a decal solution, one of which is said to be vinegar based.


I have another frame that I made the tubing sticker with silver leaf and a waterslide, just looked at today and it still looks good.
I suspect the gold I have used is "gold on base" and I have burnished to base?
Any way of telling if the gold is on base?

Not a very good pic I think this was the final one.

 

[Wendelspanswick]

I suspect you used Schlag metal rather than true gold leaf. We used to use loads of gold leaf and never had any discolouration or degradation apart from overthusiastic cleaners polishing away the leaf as its so thin.

 

[Robotstar5]

Thought I was going to have to delete the thread for trying to sell cigarettes

 

[graffian]

Never heard of slags metal;-)

 

[DanielW]

Try red matt spray backing the area and then rubbing the gold leaf onto that.

I know thats how they do it for wood frames,there's a method in the madness that it helps bring out the appearence of the gold leaf better.

Search youtube for goldleafing on metal.