A little intimidating. Jesus.
Wherever gold will be played, an underlayer of bole is painted on in about 10 layers after which it is sanded as carefully and smoothly as possible. Gold will show every little flaw that lies beneath it so we start with 600 grit and work our way down to the finest 1200 grit.
A thin piece of tape is placed around the outer edge to form a frame and then I am ready to lay down the gold.
You can see in this closeup the etched in lines that will guide me when I begin painting Jesus. I used an etching pen that I also use for scrimshaw etching.
The gold is glued on with a mix of rabbit skin glue and alcohol. The gold is so incredibly intimidating; it will float into the air with the slightest breezed, it will curl up and become useless with the tiniest smidge of water. The gold leaf is cajoled onto a gilding pad and a sharp knife cut the size piece needed. The knife needs to be sharp enough to cut the gold cleanly but not so sharp that is cuts the pad.
The prayer is written beneath the painting; you may or may not choose to share it. Once the clothing is painted on, the prayer will be forever hidden.
I’ve covered the gold with parchment to protect it while I paint.
