Engraving

An icon can be partially or totally engraved. Here we have chosen to engrave just the limits of the gilding area and the inscriptions. However, for the beginner, it is better to engrave all the lines of the flesh, since the drawing could disappear under a thick proplasmos layer. The engraving must be carefully done, not going too deep into the levkas.

Don't forget to gild the little triangle situated between the left angel and the one in the middle just above the table.

The gilding water size

There are different qualities of gilding water size which have different consistencies. Generally, you can dilute them adding 1/1 ratio of water, but some are really dense and need a greater dilution. In that case, just dilute it more and apply two thin layers. The most important thing is to avoid, due to the thickness of the size, the appearance of raised areas or brush strokes under the gold.

Apply the gold leaves

Cleaning the gilded surface

Should any holes appear after cleaning the excess of gold with a soft brush, remember to dilute a bit more the gilding mixture and make all the necessary alterations in order to obtain a smooth surface with very discreet joins. Then apply the transparent shellac to protect the gold. Wait until the shellac is totally dry before removing the smudges with the scalpel.

Removing the excess of gold without applying shellac would leave grey traces on the levkas when scraping…

Shellac varnish which remains sticky after applied must be renewed. Shellac varnish becomes sticky with age.