Page:Cyclopedia of Painting-Armstrong, George D (1908).djvu/171

Rh sizes and slightly waxed with a tablet of white wax. When pressed against the gold leaf in the book, the leaf adheres to these waxed sheets and is from them in turn transferred to the work. The waxed sheets being slightly adhesive, only those portions of the leaf that are in contact with the gold size leave the tissue sheet, and so there is no waste. The tissue being somewhat transparent the operator can see exactly what gold is still left upon the tissue, and utilize every portion of it for the work in hand, he can also see when the gold size has not been covered with the gold. Gold can be transferred to the tissue leaves without the necessity of waxing them, by merely interleaving the gold book with tissue and putting the book into a copying-press and well pressing.

The exceptions to these two methods of laying the gold are fanciful and individual, the most general being what is termed laying from the book. When gilding a large flat surface, the gold leaf can be laid direct from the book and much time saved thereby, by the use of a long-haired tip which can take up a leaf at a time without the necessity of cutting. The odd spaces and small bits are afterwards filled from the cushion in the usual manner. Another method is to dispense with the tip, and by taking the book in the left hand, and opening it with the right to turn the leaves straight on to the work. This is a great saving of time for large letters out of doors or for large flat surfaces of oil size gilding, but it requires some dexterity to be sure and economical.

All gilding for interior decoration, and all out-door gilding that can be conveniently left long enough before gilding, should be done in oil gold size. The exceptions are, when lime is an object of importance, or where the work is fine and intricate, as in small lettering.

To Prevent Gold Sticking to Ground. The ground for gold sizing must be free from any tackiness, hard, dry, and impervious. If it is not so it must be coated with some