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The finish is a major element of a product's personality. A
bright, lively finish can energize a space and an aged, antiqued
finish can create a sense of elegance and history. No matter
what the finish, it takes an experienced and sensitive hand to
create the right effect. Without that experience, a finish can
come out looking flat or incomplete. Even contemporary solids
need a degree of (antiquing) or treatment to add depth and the
desired level of sheen.
When a finish is antiqued, the
process may include multiple layers. And, when gold or silver
leafing is applied, the process becomes even more complex. First
there is a base coat of paint applied. For silver leafing, the
base coat is often a gold. Next, an adhesive is sprayed to cover
the entire item. Then the individual sheets of leaf are applied
by hand, brushed to flatten and worked into the cracks
and crevices. Once the leaf covers the piece adequately, it's
rubbed (burnished) to allow some of the under-color (gold) to
show through. After the burnishing is done, a special antiquing
solution is applied and then wiped to accentuate the detail and
character of the piece. Some antiquing includes a process of
spraying a variegated, stringed black flecking. The final two
steps include an application to create the desired level of
sheen and then an antiquing wax.
Click here to view a short film
illustrating the process of silver leafing. |
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