L.A. Gold Leaf Sinopia French Chalk Gesso (for Gilding and Pastels) (5 kg)
R 1,904
or 4 x payments of R476.00 with
Availability: Currently in Stock
Delivery: 10-20 working days
L.A. Gold Leaf Sinopia French Chalk Gesso (for Gilding and Pastels) (5 kg)
Smooth Finish: The very fine particles of French chalk, combined with careful preparation and sanding, produce a glass-like smooth surface that is essential for a high-quality, burnished gilt finish.
Burnishability: This type of gesso provides a firm yet slightly cushioned base, which, when covered with a layer of clay bole, enables a gilder to achieve a high-luster, reflective shine with an agate burnisher.
Rigidity: It is an inflexible material and is suitable only for rigid substrates such as wood panels or frames. Applying it to flexible surfaces like canvas will cause it to crack.
Application: Multiple warm, thin layers (anywhere from 6 to 20) are applied to the prepared surface. Each layer is allowed to dry and then typically sanded to a fine finish before the next coat or the clay bole is applied.
Restoration and Ornamentation: It is widely used in the creation and restoration of gilded picture frames and furniture. Techniques like "recutting" (carving designs into the dried gesso layer) or pastiglia (creating low-relief decoration with the liquid gesso) were historically perfected using this material.
In essence, French Chalk Gesso provides the crucial base that makes traditional water gilding a unique and highly prized finish, distinct from modern, non-burnishable acrylic gessos.