Sinopia Clay Bole for Water Gilding is designed for traditional water gilding, where gold leaf is applied to a surface prepared with chalk gesso and clay bole. The range includes a variety of colours, including historical shades such as Classic French Red and Classic French Yellow, created to replicate the traditional hues used by French gilders prior to the late 1960s.
Before use, the bole should be thinned with water to a cream consistency and mixed 1:1 with a warm rabbit skin glue solution. The mixture is applied in several layers over a surface already prepared with at least three layers of traditional chalk gesso ground. Once dry, the surface can be polished with a soft cloth before applying gold leaf. Water gilding allows the gold to be burnished to a high gloss finish once adhered to the soft poliment ground.
Sinopia Clay Boles have been tested in freezing conditions and are not affected by freezing. Allow the product to thaw thoroughly before use.