[Jesse C. Draper]

I'm new at this, but I've just completed some gold leafing in two of my paintings. I've asked many people for advice on how to do it right. I was told that you must put a solid color down on a smooth surface before you put on the gold leaf. A viridian color works well. I don't know if that is true or not. You must put some leafing glue down and wait for about two hours to apply the gold leaf. You can buy the glue at any artstore. You apply the glue in the exact shape that you want the gold leaf to appear. The glue will remain tacky for 24 hrs. When actually applying the leaf, use a piece of wax paper to pick it up from the gold leaf packet. To do this, gently iron over the wax paper covering the gold leaf with your hand. The gold leaf should stick to the other side of the wax paper. Put the gold leaf onto the tacky surface and rub it again until it no longer sticks to the wax paper. Now comes the hard part. I like to use an exacto knife to tear the shapes away but I've heard that a stiff brush works well too. You can tell which pieces you need to tear away because they appear looser than the applied leaf. I've heard that you don't need to apply any finish to the leaf if it is to remain indoors. But I may be wrong. Remember, never handle gold leaf with your hands, the oil from fingerprints will damage the leaf. I hope that helps. I am in no way an expert on gold leafing. I'm sorry if I've given any incorrect information. Chris you probably know more about this more than I do. Thank you.