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Faux Finnishes
Woodgraining / Faux Painting / Faux Gilding / Marble / Antique Wall Finishes / Clouds and Atmospheres / Stains (Woods and age) / Air Brushing Effects / Classical Trompe L'oeil / Marble and Stone / Polished Concrete / Lusterstone / Furniture Finnishing / Wall Glazing / Venetian Plaster (Restoration or Faux) / Antiquing / G rottesca / Perspectives / Texture Renderings / Faux Fresco Murals
Water Gilding Items most often water gilded are: Picture frames, Furniture. Pianos, as well as Ceiling rosettes, Cornices, Clocks and statues Water gilding provides the most brilliant surface. It is most frequently used on frames and objects. It is not often used for exterior gilding.	Restored Gilding.	Oil (Matte) Gilding

Oil gilding can also known as matte gilding, uses a gold size (varnish) to adhere the gold to the surface. This technique does not allow the leaf to be burnished, and thus does not provide the most brilliant of finishes		Oil gilding does allow gilding on a wider variety of surfaces than water gilding. It is the technique we use for exterior gilding projects such as architectural, outdoor fixtures and larger interior projects.
We protect all exterior methods from weathering OR we allow it to weather natrally. We can also "force" the weathering, stop the process at a point in time, then seal it in to stay just how you wish it to look.
The usual sequence of steps for water gilding are: Glue size applied to the wood/ Numerous coats of gesso/ Application of bole clay. The gold is then applied using gilder's liquor (alcohol & distilled water). Now we can either leave the leaf may as is, providing a matte finish or we burnished it to differing amounts of luster ajusting the brilliance for effect. Differing degrees of polish(burnish) can be used to give give contrast. We can apply washes and other effects as well as sealing the surface for long term protection.
Gilded surfaces look fantastic. Deeper and more briliant than paint can ever look. They are the orginal method and as such we always recomend them for valued restoration projects.