Expert gilder Paul Wilson, the subject of our carving feature, shows you how to gild an awkward claw foot
Paul Wilson freely admits he is largely a self-taught gilder, but his work is exceptional. He manages to make a difficult and intricate job look remarkably easy. First, he picked an old screw-topped jar from a selection on a dusty shelf: ‘I think that’s the one, it doesn’t smell that bad.’ You could have fooled me, it smelt pretty revolting. ‘Skins, some years old, the older the better for what I want.’ He meant rabbit skin size, very watery, less pungent when brushed on to the gessoed, yellow painted ‘bottoms’ then ‘bowl’ (red) on the ‘tops’.
After that, holding a gilder’s cushion with its draught shield at the back, transferring a leaf of gold and gently brushing it flattish and ready to go. Then, using a knife, Paul sliced the leaf, again and again, cutting it into smaller pieces to suit the awkward internal shapes in a scroll foot. I always thought having a head of hair was essential for creating static with a gilder’s tip, but apparently not. A few flicks, then pick up a piece, carry it gently to the work, brush it down and repeat endlessly, until having to select a new leaf and starting all over again. It was somehow mesmeric watching a skilled craftsman lifting each piece into the correct overlapping position until good coverage was achieved, ready for the agate burnisher to smooth and shine the whole surface. ‘I leave it to dry overnight before burnishing it,’ he says.
I’m impressed even now, but rubbing back the gold to reveal glimpses of the red base underneath is an art in itself. Being able to create this effect is very attractive to some clients but is also good for blending in sympathetic repairs. ‘A German company makes a special stick-on gold leaf. It’s a bit bright, but it is an alternative to the traditional sort. They said it couldn’t possibly be used for burnished work – I proved them wrong of course.’ I agreed it was a bit bling in appearance but he had managed to somehow break through the surface convincingly to give a good distressed finish.
