A painting in transparent acrylics or oils on top of a panel covered in gold leaf, or another metal leaf, can glow with a shining light. The procedure for painting on top of gold leaf, silver leaf or copper leaf – genuine or imitation metal leaf – is not as complicated as you might think. After you have applied your gilding and let it cure you then apply one or two types of sealer and you are ready to paint.
1.
Be aware that metal leaf is so thin that any texture underneath will show through, so you may wish to prepare the surface of your support to be as smooth as possible. Apply your metal leaf to your support following the directions on your bottle of acrylic gold size or oil-based gold size (that’s the adhesive). I use the transfer gold or silver leaf as opposed to the loose metal leaf because it is so much easier to work with and you don’t really need the loose leaf unless you are working on a surface with grooves or carving that you need to push it down into. Brush the excess off gently with a soft brush. Rub the gold down firmly through a piece of paper or cloth. Then let it dry thoroughly, usually about three days or the curing time listed on the bottle of gold size, before sealing it in the next step. It needs to have air reach it to finish the curing process and become hard and stable.
2.
Then spray or brush on Golden MSA (Mineral Spirit Acrylic) Gloss Archival Varnish to seal and prime the metal leaf surface for the oil or acrylic paint layer. You should seal all metal leaf because it is thin, delicate and can be scratched, but some metal leaf will also tarnish if you don’t seal it. You need to choose a product to seal the tarnish-able leaf that will not itself cause tarnishing. After speaking with a technical expert and testing it ourselves we determined that the Golden MSA varnish is the correct choice for sealing metal leaf without damaging it. Using a gloss varnish allows you to retain the shine of the metal. Three coats of spray varnish or one thin coat of MSA Varnish brushed on should be enough to protect the surface from tarnishing. Read the label for the dilution instructions of the brush-on varnish.
There are two ways that the metal leaf can tarnish. Sealing with the MSA varnish prevents both kinds.
If left unsealed some metals will tarnish over time from exposure to air and some will not:
- Genuine silver leaf will tarnish
- Imitation silver (aluminium) won’t tarnish (sometimes it will slowly tarnish if it is not pure aluminium)
- Genuine gold of 22ct or more will not tarnish
- Genuine gold of less than 22ct (gold plus copper – or sometimes silver or another metal) will tarnish
- Imitation gold (copper and zinc) will tarnish
- Genuine copper and imitation copper (copper and zinc) will tarnish.
Acrylic paint and mediums contain ammonia which will tarnish any leaf containing copper. Sealing the metal with the solvent-based varnish before applying acrylics solves this problem. If you are painting in acrylics and are using one of the metals that does not tarnish (genuine gold 22-24ct and genuine or imitation silver) you can skip the varnish sealer and use the acrylic medium coat in the next step instead.
3.
If you are painting over the metal leaf with oil paint you should next apply a coat of GAC 200 or another clear gloss fluid acrylic medium. This will seal the MSA varnish from any future solvent applications.
4.
You are now ready to paint. Lots of artists like the look of bits of shiny metal peeking out of the paint. Remember that transparent colours will allow some of the metal leaf to shine through the colour (especially if painted on thinly or in a glaze), while opaque colours will completely cover over it, and metallic paints will be less shiny than the metal leaf.
5.
If you plan on a final varnish, a gloss varnish will keep the metallic shine the best. You can use the same MSA that you primed with, it works on top of oil or acrylic.
Golden MSA Varnish and Golden Archival Spray Varnish
Summary of sealing the metal leaf
- All metal leaf should be sealed before beginning your painting.
- If painting in acrylic on a leaf with no copper in it (genuine gold 22-24ct, genuine or imitation silver) then you can seal it with a hard clear acrylic polymer medium in gloss.
- If painting in acrylic on a leaf with copper in it (imitation gold, genuine or imitation copper, genuine gold of less than 22ct) you need to seal with MSA varnish before painting.
- If painting on top with oils you need both steps – the MSA varnish to seal the leaf and the polymer medium to seal the varnish from solvents.
Adding more gold leaf on top of paint
- Oil paint takes six months or more to completely dry, so applying metal leaf on top of oil paint is not advised because the adhesive (gold size) will prevent the oil from finishing drying and making a stable structure. It should be fine to add it on top of a very well-dried painting – dry enough that you would varnish it (this could be a year or more if it’s thick paint). Be sure to use an oil-based size and test a bit to make sure it adheres. You will need to seal the leaf each time you apply a new layer.
- Adding more metal leaf on top of acrylic paint is fine, but be aware that acrylic needs a few days to cure and let all the volatiles gas-off, so don’t add size on top right away, give it a few days so you don’t seal the surface too soon. Be sure to use an acrylic-based size and test a bit to make sure it adheres. You will need to seal the leaf each time you apply a new layer.
Links to the materials at Jackson’s
- Metal Leaf
- Gold Size
- The Gilding Department
- Golden Acrylic Archival MSA Spray Varnish Gloss
- Golden Acrylic Archival MSA Brush on Varnish (you will need to dilute it, see article below)
- Golden GAC 200
- Gilding books
- Soft brushes
Related Articles
- MSA Varnish Dilution Test Results
- Casting A Spell: Image Making with Screenprint, Linocut and Gold Leaf by Colin Blanchard
- Inspired by Gold: How Alison Woolley uses traditional water gilding techniques in her work
- Metallic Oil Paints with Oil Bronzes
- Interview with artist Greg Ramdsen, who incorporates silver leaf into his landscape paintings
Read More
- Acrylics on Gold Leaf from Just Paint.
- How to Apply Gold Leaf by Nacy Reyner.
This is an updated version of an original post published on 11th January 2011
66 Comments
Thank you; very useful information!
Hello I’m just starting out with this technique, using silver
leaf; there are so many thicknesses to choose from that I’m
wondering which to choose?
Hi Sarah
We stock gold and silver leaf, genuine and imitation, from our specialist gilding partner A.S. Handover. They tell me that gold has different thicknesses but not the silver.
Which thicknesses did you mean?
The thickness of gold leaf is measured by weight as the actual thicknesses are so tiny. The Italian leaf has grams as will all gold leaf.
When choosing thickness I would think about what goes underneath it – for example, glass needs a thicker leaf as it is far easier to see imperfections, pin prick holes, etc., whereas a yellow gesso or paint base wouldn’t necessarily need to account for this. Another factor is durability – if the gold is for use on say a weather vane or a staircase handrail I would choose the thickest/heaviest leaf as it will wear away less quickly.
I have sprayed my imitation gold leaf with three coats of the
MSA varnish but have also read that a layer of Golden Gac
200 is advisable. What do you think? The Gac 200 is said to
provide a tooth for acrylic paint to adhere to. Many thanks
Julie
Hi Julie
I have added more information to the post.
It depends if you are painting in oil or
acrylics.
I have long wanted to paint with oils on gilded panels and
am finally getting started on it. I bought the Golden MSA
varnish you recommend for prepping gilded panels (since
paint doesn’t flow very well on the surface… it kind of
“beads up” a little bit). However, I saw on artist Nancy
Reyner’s blog that this exact varnish you recommend is
great if you’re going to then paint on it with acrylics, but it
isn’t suitable oils, as the solvents in oil paints and related
materials will dissolve the varnish. She says you need a
permanent varnish if you’re going to paint with oils on it.
What are your thoughts on this and do you have any
recommendations for a permanent (non-removable with
solvents) varnish?
Hi Dominica
I have added more information to the article for oil painters The varnish should still be used to seal the leaf as it doesn’t tarnish the leaf when applied. Then to seal the varnish from solvents a clear acrylic polymer medium should be used to seal the whole thing.
Hi, I got advice from an major art supply source that in
order for the acrylic to adhere forever to the silver leaf,
that the Golden varnish you mentioned is not good. What
they recommended is Chroma Fusion I.A. Series Pro-
Grade Binder Medium or Jo Sonya all purpose sealer. I
would like what you say to be true because I have that
Golden product but not the others.Could you please
comment on this?
Hi JoAnne
Following further insight we are lead to believe that GAC200 or GAC500 is a better coating to apply to gold leaf prior to painting, but we need to run some tests to confirm. We do not have the products you mention so cannot confirm their suitability for this purpose, but we will be right back on this! This article has been removed from general viewing in the interim.
Many thanks
Lisa
Hi JoAnne
Any acrylic including the mediums,
contains ammonia which will tarnish metal
leaf with copper in it. So a sealant is
required before you put any acrylic
product on top of the leaf. If you are using
silver leaf you need a sealant from the air
but not from acrylic so you can use any
clear medium to seal it from tarnishing.
Do you colour Prime your surface before applying gold leaf? I understand
from other sources that this is adviseable. If so, who h colour would you
recommend? Many thanks
Hi Sue
Traditionally, gold leaf is applied to bole – a reddish brown clay mixed in with rabbit skin glue. With this as your base the gold leaf appears warmer and richer in colour.
However nowadays bole is available in a range of colours, so the artist is free to experiment with which colour works best for their individual needs.
To shop for bole click here – https://www.jacksonsart.com/search/?q=bole
This is also a very good guide to gilding – https://www.jacksonsart.com/book-practical-gilding
Many thanks
Lisa
Hi Sara, I have been told to wait 3 days before sealing gold
metal leaf ( imitation) and then 3 weeks before painting
over it. Is that the norm.
thank you
lJean
Hi Jean
It depends what kind of size you are using.
If it is linseed oil based it would be worth waiting 3 days as you don’t really want tacky oil under your seal.
But if you are using a waterbased size like polyvine or wundasize 3 days is more than is needed in most situations.
Hope this helps…
Many thanks
Lisa
I have a question. I applied imitation
gold leaf and sealed it to a painting.
Over the next few days I noticed some
parts tarnishing, I am wondering how to
correct this? Could I just apply a new
layer of adhesive, then imitation gold
leaf then sealant over the tarnished
areas?
Hi Maria
Yes this should work. Remember to coat your hands with either cotton gloves or a layer of talcum powder when handling the gold leaf and this will minimise the risk of tarnishing on the new layer..and then always a layer of varnish over the top.
Many thanks
Lisa
Hi Maria
What did you seal it with?
I was just reading on Golden’s website that
their MSA varnish is meant as a top coat and
should not be painted over. Have you
experimented with this? I wonder why they
say do NOT paint over this varnish. Oh well,
I’m giving it a try. As you said, you want to
protect the metal leaf from tarnishing.
Hi Julie
This is stated on the MSA Varnish Data sheet:
‘Painting Over MSA Varnishes: As Golden Varnishes are removable, it is important that they not be painted over. Paint applied over the varnish would also be potentially removable, and would pose a difficult problem in conservation or restoration attempts.’
MSA Varnish, as a top coat varnish, is designed to be applied on top of an isolation coat (this can be made with 2 parts soft gel gloss to 1 part water, but other mixtures could work). It can then protect work underneath from direct exposure to dirt, light, changes in humidity and temperature etc. If the varnish ever gets dirty or coloured then it can be removed and a fresh layer applied without the work underneath being affected.
Because of its removability anything painted over the top will be painted on a removable surface, causing future restoration to the potentially problematic. Also because it is an impermeable layer I suspect paints may not adhere to it very well long term.
Many thanks
Lisa
Hi I am doing a mixed media with
paper, acrylic, over gold leaf to do
a modern take on a tryptich type of
mural. WHICH should go on first? Can
I modpodge over dried sealed gold
leaf? I would like to cover the
canvas with gold prior to doing the
paper and acrylic parts.
Hi Amy
Yes you can – ModgePodge is effectively an acrylic based media. Once the gold leaf is sealed you can work with it over the top.
Many thanks
Lisa
Golden MSA varnish comes in matte,
satin and gloss. Is one preferable over
another when painting over the metal
leaf (yet leaving some areas exposed)?
hi Miranda
This really all depends on how you want the end result to look…all the varnishes perform in the same way.
Many thanks
Lisa
Hi Miranda
If you want to make the most of the shine of the metal it is best to use gloss.
I’ve been reading the article and then the
comments and there seems to be a
conflict of what things to use. I’m starting
out and want to paint in acrylics and use
metal foil under AND over the paint as I go
along. What products do I need to buy to
adhere the metal foil, seal the foil ready to
paint on top of, and lastly to finish off the
painting completely. Is there a video blog
showing this process?
Hi Dee Dee
Apologies that the post isn’t clear.
Here are two good resources, from where we got much of our information. Nancy Reyner has a video in her post as well.
https://www.justpaint.org/acrylics-on-gold-leaf/
https://nancyreyner.com/prepare-gold-leaf-oil-painting/
“next apply a coat of GAC 200 or another clear gloss fluid acrylic medium”
Could you please advise on another clear gloss fliud to use instead of GAC 200 – would Liquitex gloss medium/varnish be suitable?
Thanks
Cathy
Hi Cathy
It should work well, it sounds very similar to GAC 200 – it is clear, fluid and dries hard.
Hi!! Wish I’d found you prior to my
experiment! I painted with oils over
silver leaf.. love the way it looks but the
paint doesn’t seem to be drying. I did not
seal the leaf prior to painting- is that
why? If it eventually does dry, regular
varnish over the entire piece? Thanks!!
Hi Lori
Oil on metal leaf should dry just as fast as on other substrates. It must be something else you’ve done differently to your usual oil painting. Have you switched paints or used a different medium or painted more thickly?
Student grade oil paints usually have driers added to the slow drying colours to make all the colours in the range dry at the same rate. If you are used to using those then using an artist or professional grade paint for the first time might seem surprising. Whites, some blacks and crimsons can take up to 10 days to touch dry, longer if thickly applied.
If you added a fat medium or linseed oil to thin your paint it will take longer to dry.
Some varnishes will tarnish the metal leaf that is prone to tarnishing: genuine silver, genuine copper and imitation gold. But we know that Golden MSA varnish doesn’t affect the metal, so is safe to use. It also comes in an aerosol – Golden Archival Aerosol MSA Varnish.
Just a reminder that you shouldn’t varnish it right away, it will take six months to dry to the centre and then you can seal it. If you seal it before all the paint has dried all the way through, the bottom of your layer will still be soft and if sealed it will not be able to absorb oxygen to dry and form the hard stable film you require.
Hello!
I have created an oil painting and have put
imitation gold over certain spots. What is
the recommended sealer/varnish to
ensure that the imitation gold leaf does
not tarnish? (I am currently hearing mixed
recommendations between GAC 200 and
Golden MSA Varnish Gloss).
thanks!
Hi Kailee
MSA Varnish gloss, either spray or brush-on, is the sealer for metal leaf.
Great info, in both the article and
commentary. Many thanks to all who have
contributed.
Thank you, Lisa! Glad it was helpful.
Hey Julie, on your guide you say to wait 3
days for the size to dry underneath before
varnishing, but on justpaints guide they
mention to apply a clear protection coating
the same day?
Hi Adam
Thanks for your question. All the gold size brands I’ve seen say to let it dry for a further 1 to 4 days to cure before sealing it. The average is about 3 days.
Perhaps JP say to seal it right away because they are concerned with preventing tarnishing. But the amount of tarnish that would occur in 2 or 3 days is negligible.
Thanks for your reply Julie. I’ve decided
to leave my gold leaf substrates for 3
days before varnishing.
[…] Painting with Acrylic on Top of Gold Leaf […]
[…] post Painting in Acrylic or Oil on Top of Gold Leaf appeared first on Jackson's Art […]
Question: I have an old full-length, ornate mirror that I painted with gold leaf paint. I have sanded off all of the paint except for the ornate spots. Do I need to seal the spots that still have the gold leaf paint on them or can I just paint over them with acrylic paint?
Thank you!!
Hi Carla
We advise sealing all metal leaf to protect it from tarnishing (from the air and from what you paint on it) and from being scratched. If you are covering over all the metal with acrylic paint so that you cannot see it anymore then you won’t need to worry about tarnishing and could probably skip this step.
Does apply with W&N Artisan oils?
Hi Susie
Yes, it would be the same.
Hi Julie,
Request your advise please.
I have just started Oil on canvas and
want to do fine detailing ( windows,grills
,fountain etc set in a resort) and wanting
to use some microtip pens/ markers
Which brand would you recommend? Am
I on right track ? Best .Vijay
Hi Vijay
This is a common question from beginners. How to get the fine lines of the subject.
Pens are not usually used on top of oil paint. They don’t stick well because they are not oil paint. They might be scratched off later and the varnish that you apply 6 months later when the painting is fully dry, might dissolve the ink.
The way most skilled artists approach it is to not paint every tiny part, they paint just enough to show the idea. If every little thing is painted it often looks stiff and false. Go look at paintings in a museum by artists you admire and see how they do it.
When they do want a fine line they paint it and then immediately paint around it with the colour from behind the object, going over the line edge to make it a finer line. So the first brushmark describes the curve of the fountain and the second brushmark adds the shading of the edges of the fountain and the third goes back with the first colour and covers some of the shadow until it is the right size. Most fine lines in oil paint are painted this way by sort of sculpting marks until they are the right size.
I hope that helps.
Hello,
I have used speedball metal leaf adhesive on
a large acrylic painting and applied metal
leaf. The metal leaf looks great but in the
areas where the adhesive was applied but
gold leaf was not, it is still pretty tacky and
has not cured over. It has been 8 days and I
have had a fan blowing on it for the past 3-4
days. Can I go ahead and apply the varnish if
it is still sticky? If not, any tips on getting
the adhesive to cure over? I will be using
Krylon UV Archival Semi-Gloss spray
varnish. I am planning on varnishing it and
then painting over it a little and varnishing
again. I am new at this so hopefully i’m
doing it right 🙂
Hi Megan
We don’t stock this product and are not familiar with it. It sounds like an acrylic gold size but I don’t know how long the cure time is or how to troubleshoot the problem. Have you tried contacting Speedball or the place you bought it from?
I’m planning to use imitation metal leaf to
embellish watercolour ACEOs and wondered
what the best way was to seal them so the
metal leaf won’t tarnish whilst also
protecting the watercolours.
I’ve been searching high and low for info on
this, but everything I found so far is referring
to oil and acrylics.
Do you have any thoughts on the
watercolour angle? Would certain sealant
sprays make the colours run?
Also, to what degree does a sealant actually
protect the metal leaf from getting scratched
or rubbed off? Is it feasible to protect gold
leaf embellished bookmarks, for example, or
is the friction & handling too much for that?
I’m pretty new to all this, so any tips would
be greatly appreciated!
Thanks very much!
Hi Mira
I am working on a blog article right now about making watercolours waterproof. What I have discovered so far is that if the product doesn’t contain water then it doesn’t dissolve the gum arabic in the watercolour.
So an alcohol-based fixative or varnish works well or an oil painting varnish. I have seen a few artists rubbing cold wax oil painting medium into the watercolour surface to seal it.
This means that the MSA spray varnish mentioned in the article should work fine for watercolours. If you want to gild something that will take wear and tear then most gilders use shellac.
As with anything new to you, try it first on one sample that is not super important to see if it works as you want it to.
Cold Wax
Wax Varnish
Watercolour Varnish Gloss
Shellac
Hi,
I am working heraldry on an oil painted brass
panel. The paint has been dry about 6 weeks.
I have used oil-based size which is tack dry
in an about 45 minutes (August temperature
over 30 deg.) and applied genuine gold leaf
to areas of the design.
When removing the excess gold, some
remains stuck to the backing and I can’t get
sharp edges. I have been careful to
degrease the surface before starting and
wear gloves.
What am I doing wrong?
I would be pleased for your advice.
Hi Rod
I asked our specialist gilding experts at A.S. Handover and this is their reply:
Sounds like the heat is reactivating the top of the dry paint maybe? He can put whiting powder on the paint first, then size, then gold!
Hope that helps.
I’ve just seen your reply. Sorry for the
repeat question sent before seeing your
reply.
Thank you very much for the advice.
I have tried dusting lightly with french
chalk which does seem to help.
Perhaps I should wait longer – at least
until it cools down to a more
comfortable temperature.
Hi there! I am just wondering if this method would work:
(All with artificial leaf)
Apply size+gold Leaf to Canvas
Paint (with oil paint) directly onto the Leaf
Seal with MSA Gloss Archival Varnish
(+ appropriate drying times inbetween)
This would be with the aim of skipping the GAC 200 stage. But is
this in advisable?
Is this idea of mine technically possible but not in real life because,
with oils inherantly taking so long to dry, by the time they have
suitably dried, the exposed bits of leaf will have tarnished?
Im just trying to work out why the GAC stage is needed inbetween
(as posts above show) and can only think this must be the reason?
I never paint terribly thickly with oil paints so perhaps I could try
this?
Thanks so much!
Vicki
Hi Vicki
Yes, the purpose of both the varnish (spray MSA) and the acrylic medium (GAC) is to prevent exposure of the metal leaf to air. If you are using imitation gold that is particularly important.
The only reason to add the acrylic medium when oil painting is to seal the varnish from any solvent you may use when painting as the solvent may remove the varnish. If you do not use solvents when painting in oils you do not need the acrylic medium step that seals the varnish from solvent.
Thank you so much, Julie! Thats really clear & I
understand now 🙂
Thanks Vicki
That’s great to hear! My goal is to make things as clear as possible.
Hi Julie,
I have another question if that’s ok.
I have just been browsing the Connoisseur Liquid Leaf range (I am
trying to assess all the options before committing to actual gold
leaf; It’s quite foreboding a concept and seems very involved!)
My question is, if I were to use Liquid Leaf + the Treasure Sealant,
would I then be able to paint onto this with my oil paint (+ any little
bit of solvent) successfully? Or would a layer of MSA? GAC? be
necessary inbetween?
Thank you again,
I really appreciate your help and knowledge on this as I get to grips
with the world of gold!
Vicki
Hi Vicki
Since the sealant is dissolved with alcohol I thought it should be fine with oil paint solvents (turpentine and white spirits), but I double checked with the supplier. I also asked if the liquid leaf tarnishes and needs a sealer.
They responded:
“Yes it’s fine to apply oil paint over sealed liquid leaf, turpentine will not reactivate the liquid leaf when sealed.
Unsealed liquid leaf will reactivate if turps is worked into it.
I haven’t as yet seen any examples of the liquid leaf tarnishing, the sealer is an extra protective layer.”
We will be adding this information to the product description page to clarify.
I hope that is helpful.
Hi Julie,
I have a 2 part question which is a little out
of the box:
1. I would like to use 23K gold leaf on parts
of a pigment-based ink jet print. Do I need
to seal the print first? If so, what would you
recommend?
2. I would then like to use acrylic or
gouache paint over the 23K gold leaf and
perhaps parts of the ink jet print. Again,
does this require any coatings first?
Thanks for all your invaluable help!!
Hi Bill
There are two reasons you might want to seal the print first.
If the ink smears or rubs off when you touch it.
A spray with UV protection will help keep the paper from changing colour and make even the pigment inks last longer.
But it is not required before applying the gold size adhesive.
23k gold will not tarnish so if the artwork is being framed behind glass you don’t need to seal it.
If you are painting on top of the gold it is a good idea to seal it so that you don’t damage it. But in the case of painting on paper I would worry that the a gloss varnish would make the paper shiny and a matt varnish would lose the lustre of the gold. Since you are using non-tarnishing metal, if you paint gently with your acrylic and acrylic gouache you could probably get away with not sealing the metal. If you do want to seal it the MSA varnish recommended in the article would do the job.
Thanks so much. I appreciate your
expertise!
Thank you so much for this invaluable
information.
Hello. I am working on a mixed media
painting using some leftover house
supplies. I created texture using joint
compound, and painted over it with
leftover wall paint. I would love to add
imitation gold leaf (86% copper) as my
next step to reveal the unique texture.
After the gold leaf, I plan to apply a final
coat paint over it again with remaining
wall paint. Is using wall paint advisable
and okay to use over the gold lead? I
also purchased satin sealer (by Old
World Art). Could I use this after I apply
gold leaf?
It should all work fine if you seal the imitation gold or it will tarnish because it is copper.
Use a spray or brush-on sealer that does not cause tarnish itself. I do not know the brand you mention. The brand we recommend is Golden MSA varnish.
[…] Painting in Acrylic or Oil on Gold Leaf […]
[…] Painting in Acrylic or Oil on Gold Leaf […]