Gilding

Gilding Frames

1. Paint the frame with the acrylic bole. This will prime the surface so that you can apply the gold leaf. Do not make the primer coat so thick you lose details of the frame, but if you like you can use the primer to fill cracks or coat over rough patches

2. Allow the primer to dry for at least 2 hours. Keep the picture in a warm, dry place and avoid touching it because your fingerprints will show up through the gold leaf

3. Coat the frame with the gold size. The gold size is a special glue for gilding. It will go on clear, but it will begin to turn white in 2 to 10 minutes. As soon as it gets cloudy, you are ready to gild.

4. Gild the frame. Lay pieces of gold leaf flat against the frame. You should overlap them slightly. It is okay to have pieces that extend off the frame because you can trim them later.

5. Use the brushes to fix the gold leaf to the frame. The large brush will smooth the gold leaf into place. The small brush will enable you to bring out details in the frame. Brush gently to flatten down the gold leaf, and then use the soft brush to bring out the finer details.

6. Trim off any excess gilded leaf. Use the scissors to cut off extra pieces of gold leaf, hanging off the edges. Be gentle so that you do not tear the gold leaf.

7. Shellac the entire frame. This will prevent the gold leaf from tarnishing or tearing over time. Once it has dried, you will be ready to do anything you want with your bright and shiny new frame.

Check out Video One and Video Two

Glass Cutting

Types of Glass

Acrylic

1. Acrylic material is not as prone to breaking, however, it is easier to scratch then most glass

2. This material is also know at Plexiglas

3. This also holds a static charge and could result in lost medium on artworks (such as with graphite that can be lifted off through the static pull)

Glass

1. Glass has a green tint to it and becomes more visible as the glass gets thicker

2. Many glasses contain lead

3. The basic glass that you can buy is cheaper than the other material

Anti-reflective

1. This glass is dimpled on one side. This works to reduce the reflections that easily show up on a glass surface.

2. A disadvantage of this id the slight blurring of the artwork.

Museum Glass

1. This type of glass is very expensive

2. It comes with a backed-on surface

3. A downside to this glass is the ability it has to scratch easily

4. An advantage is the protective UV filters that are present to preserve the artwork

Laminated Glass

1. This is the most expensive glass available for artwork

2. Masking tape can damage the glass

3. If shipping, use packaging tape

Cutting the Glass

1. Clean the surface, but only along where you plan to score. Any grime or silica (the substance that makes two pieces of glass slide on top of each other to prevent scratching) will ruin your score and make you think you cannot cut properly. Just run your finger along the surface of the glass where you plan to score.

2. Obtain a glass cutter and some light oil. You can buy cutting oil at a stained glass store or use a small amount of kerosene. Dip the cutter in the oil before you score the glass. An oiled cutter creates a smoother score line.

3. Grasp your cutter like a pencil. Make sure to look at the wheel and its orientation to the glass and align it properly. This is a very simple grasp to achieve, so do not unduly complicate it.

4. Use a scrap piece of glass to practice on. Apply pressure to the glass as you pull the cutter along the surface, rolling on the small carbide wheel. The score must run from one edge of the glass to the other edge. Listen for a smooth sound like ripping silk. A gritty sound means that you are pushing too hard or that you did not oil your cutter. The less sound you make, the better your score will be. If you push too hard (a very common mistake), your cut gets "hot", meaning that it snaps and pops. Try it and you'll see. You are aiming to get a uniform score. If you are pressing too hard in one spot and perfectly in another, the glass will not break the way that you want it to. Microscopic imperfections in your score will cause your cut to go askew.

5. Score along a straight edge. Use a yardstick (meter ruler) or a normal desk ruler. Use something that has a high enough profile so that it won't conflict with the wheel on the cutter, as would a ruler with a thin metal edge.

6. Practice on scrap glass until you're ready for the real thing. You'll have a score that is not popping and is barely visible if you were to wipe the oil away. It should look like a small scratch, that's all, nothing more.

7. Grasp each side of the cut as if you were trying to break a potato chip in half with two hands. All it takes is minor pressure. It is all in the wrist action. Your elbows do not move. Simply twist your wrists (your right wrist will turn clockwise and your left will turn counterclockwise). Imagine that the score you made is half the depth of the glass and now you need to "open it up" by using the score as a weak spot.

Notes on Glass Cutting - It may simply start as a "run." A run is where the glass is starting to break along your score. It may also run the entire length of your score. Either is fine. If it only runs an inch (2.5 cm) or so, apply a little more twisting pressure and it will continue to run. You're done as soon as you have two pieces of glass instead of the one you started with.

8. Use fine sandpaper or even better, a sharpening stone, to remove the sharp edge. This edge will be where the vertical edge meets the horizontal surfaces. Not only does sanding reduce the chances of your being cut but sanded glass is less likely to chip along the edges and has some added strength.

More Notes on Glass Cutting - If you have cut drywall, tile, wood shims, acrylic, or Plexiglas, remember that they all follow the same theory. Make a weak spot, or an imperfection, along your surface and break it along the weakened line.

Pliers

There are two types of pliers that are commonly used in glass cutting

1. Nibblers

a. Smooth jaw pliers

b. Used for removing very small areas

c. Can remove about ¼ of an inch from an edge

2. Running Pliers

a. These are used for most breaks

!Caution!

After cutting glass, ensure you don’t rub your eyes without first removing the glass shards from your hands.

Glass Cutting Machine

1. Cuts top to bottom

2. Can only be used to cut straight lines

3. Used by pulling trigger back and raising the unit to the top

4. After pulling the unit up to the top, release the trigger and slide it to the bottom

Cleaning Glass/Assembly

1. To clean glass use water and a micro-fiber cloth

2. Stay away from ammonia – it causes damage

3. When cleaning, finish one side then place it clean side down on the artwork

4. Finish by cleaning the other side

5. Then place frame over the top of the glass and matte

6. Slide it to the edge of the table and pick it up/flip it over

7. Fasten in matte and glass with shooter

8. Apply dust cover

a. Dust covers help control humidity

b. Adds to the overall appearance

9. Add D-rings to back of frame

a. Ensure sides are even

10. Cut wire so it is three time the length of the frame

11. Use crows knot in wrapping the wire

Planks

Measuring Planks

Measure your planks so that the outside edge reaches the edge of the panel. You want the cradle to be flush with those edges for maximum support. If you want to recess the cradle a little so it is less visible when you hang the painting that is fine, but the more recessed the more likely the panel can bend eventually. Some artists who work on thin panels like the look of the painting being suspended off the wall that a recessed cradle gives.

Cutting the Planks

Cut the planks at 45 degree angles and join them in a rectangle with wood joiners. Attach the cradle to the back of the panel with wood glue or screws. If you use screws, insert them from the panel side and countersink them, then add some wood dough to cover the holes. This method works better if you are stretching canvas over the panel, as the wood dough filler can fall out in time, taking a piece of your painting with it. If the panel is over 30 inches in any direction, place crossbeams in the cradle. Cut them to the interior dimensions of the cradle, and space them evenly, either in the center of the cradle, or for larger panels from 18 to 24 inches apart. Use a lap joint where the crossbeams meet, and attach them to the rest of the cradle with wood joiners.

Notes on Cradles – To achieve a smooth, consistent edge around the cradle, make the board larger than the cradle and use a router to clean up the edges.

Selecting Lumber

Selecting Lumber

Start with good quality, straight and level lumber. It's better to custom select it at the lumber yard, as there are differences in the stock. Using 1 x 3 for anything up to the 3-foot or 4-foot range is desirable. For larger pieces, 1 x 4 is better, and for smaller you can use 1 x 2 or even 1 x 1 if the panel is under 1 foot in each direction. It's important to build cradles for larger works, but even for small pieces a cradle can be helpful--the risk of bowing may be less in the small pieces but the cradle provides a good hanging mechanism.

Cradles

Cradles

Wooden cradles are used in painting to support a flat panel that is painted on, either directly or with canvas stretched over it. The cradle is constructed of wooden planks attached with mitered joints, very much like a stretcher, and either glued or screwed into the back of the panel. The cradle keeps the panel from bowing, which will happen to any panel over time, whether it's expensive birch plywood, Masonite, MDF or other composite.

Frame Scale

Frame Scale

1. When using the frame scale – keep the following things in mind.

a. Always place the top of the molding Up

b. The rabbit of the molding should be facing you as you makes the cuts

c. Ensure the correct blade is in the saw

d. After making the cut, it is best to wait for the blade to stop moving before lifting the saw up through the molding

e. Keep in mind to check that the cuts will be made at the desired angle before cutting

f. It is best to measure two or three times before cutting to ensure the desired length will be achieved

Notes on Framing – When putting together frames, it is best to attach one long side to one short side and then repeat this for the other long and short. Doing this will decrease the possibility for mistakenly attaching the wrong sides together.

Moldings

Molding Info

1. Most of the moldings will come in either 8-10 foot lengths.

2. This is true unless you ordered “chopped” moldings. These will come in 3 to 8 foot pieces. These pieces are also known as scrap cuts.

3. MDF – this is a good molding with no grains (made from sawdust)

Sizing

1. To get the length of the molding that you will need, follow the formula listed below using the following key –

a. A = Side A, or the length of the artwork

b. B = Side B, or the width of the artwork

c. C = The width of the molding that was chosen (i.e. ½, ¼, 2in, 4in, etc.)

2. Formula – 2(A+B+(4C)) or 2(A+(2C)+B+(2C))

3. This formula will give the total for the molding needed.

4. Keep in mind the lengths of the molding and plan for it. Example being if you have a 6ft x 6ft frame, you will not need to order 24ft of molding, you will need to order in the 8 or 10ft segments – so you will need to order 32ft or 40ft.