<p>Gesso may lend better adherence due to the quality of providing “tooth” for a surface. Gesso also acts as a primer for your substrate to prevent absorption of art supplies added later into the material beneath. I would not think it appropriate for adhering gilding flakes. I’ve seen other adhesives used and there are some videos on YouTube if you are interested.</p>
<p>However, I think you are looking for adhesive sizing for gilding it is kind of like a thin gel that gets tacky when it’s allowed to dry for a short duration. When it sets up then you can apply the metallic foil using a brush or laying it on the sizing and it will stick to that adhesive. Then you can burnish it, smoothing your surface.</p>
<p>Technical gelatin can be bought online for this purpose. I’ve used Mona Lisa Adhesive Size to adhere leaf. It worked but I wondered the same question - how to DIY this at home. <a href="http://www.goldreverre.com/resource/watersize.php" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.goldreverre.com/resource/watersize.php</a></p>
<p>Perhaps some type of gelatin (not a thick consistency) mixed with a glue could work for this purpose? Let me know if you figure it out.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-25T01:21:34.240Z
2021-01-25T01:21:34.240Z
Amanda
<p>There are a lot of different recipes in the internet but they are all based in the same ingredients: white glue, white paint, talcum powder and water. The idea is just to mix the first three ingredients and then to add water until you get the desired consistency.</p>

<p>You can take a look at different recipes <a href="http://www.ourdailycraft.com/2015/02/10/gesso-make-gesso/" rel="nofollow">here</a>, <a href="http://www.outlook8studio.com/2014/01/16/homemade-gesso-primer-for-canvas-or-paper/" rel="nofollow">here</a> or <a href="http://pixiedustscrapping.blogspot.com.es/2013/04/homemade-gesso-good-and-bad-plus-link.html" rel="nofollow">here</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-01T18:24:50.220Z
I think the recipe you are providing are made to coat paper before drawing. I am not sure it will provide the profile I am trying to achieve... A detail more is that the result seems white, while all the one I have seen used for illuminating manuscript are a bit pink... here is an example: http://www.lecalligraphe.com/gesso-traditionnel-xml-359-870.html
Oneira
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-01T21:17:22.670Z
I wonder whether the pink color is added to the gesso to make it more easily seen by the calligrapher? Just a thought, as I have not used either type of gesso :)
Erica
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-02T20:32:30.937Z
@Erica: it is possible I am not sure what exactly is in it. I now one should apply it in several layers, let it dry completely and then humidify it again with breath to allow the gold leaf to stick. I am not sure the rehumidify part can word if it contain white glue...
Oneira
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-01T17:21:39.727Z
2016-05-01T17:21:39.727Z
S -
<p>Most of the recipes I've seen online are for acrylic gesso to prime canvases before painting. I'm not sure they would work the same for your purposes.</p>

<p>However, I did locate one recipe specifically for gilding from an SCA member's website:</p>

<blockquote>
  <ul>
  <li>1 part sugar water (the sticky part that allows the gold to adhere)</li>
  <li>4 parts liquitex acrylic gesso (adds the bulk to your gesso)</li>
  <li>5 parts liquitex gloss varnish medium (keeps the gesso together,    hardening with a smooth finish)</li>
  <li>Color to suit (red for work with gold and blue for silver)</li>
  </ul>
</blockquote>

<p>It goes on to give instructions for the gilding process as well, including how to use the gesso:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><strong>Lay the Gesso</strong> – Start your area of gesso in the middle of your design
  and pull it outwards towards the edges*.  It is ideal to let this
  gesso dry for 6-8 hours. DO NOT to get air bubbles in your gesso when
  you stir. Gently fold your gesso to remix it.  If you do have air
  bubbles in your laid gesso there will be pits in the surface after it
  dries.  To remove the bubbles from gesso that you’ve just laid take a
  pin and gently pop them before it begins to dry.  It has been my
  experience that the key to beautiful raised gilding is an even surface
  tension to the "bubble" of gesso that you lay down.  To create an even
  surface tension to your gesso you should first drop a large puddle of
  the gesso into the space you will be gilding, then using your brush
  pull the edges of the puddle outwards to the fill your designed space.
  This gesso is not designed for flat gilding and your design should be
  filled in with puddles of the gesso that create small domes on your
  page.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>(source: <a href="http://home.insightbb.com/~denevell_books/gilding.htm" rel="noreferrer">The Scribal Art of Elizabth de Nevell</a>)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-04T17:45:26.623Z
2016-05-04T17:45:26.623Z
Kirasha
<p>I would like to fabricate my own gesso to do gold leaf gilding on a calligraphy work to give some volume to the gilded areas. </p>

<p>I am looking for a traditional recipe to prepare it at home.</p>

<material-selection><gold-leaf>
Recipe for Gesso used in gold leaf gilding
Oneira
# Recipe for Gesso used in gold leaf gilding

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-05-01)

I would like to fabricate my own gesso to do gold leaf gilding on a calligraphy work to give some volume to the gilded areas.

I am looking for a traditional recipe to prepare it at home.

**Tags:** material-selection, gold-leaf


---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2016-05-04. Score: 5 | Accepted answer

Most of the recipes I've seen online are for acrylic gesso to prime canvases before painting. I'm not sure they would work the same for your purposes.

However, I did locate one recipe specifically for gilding from an SCA member's website:

> * 1 part sugar water (the sticky part that allows the gold to adhere)
> * 4 parts liquitex acrylic gesso (adds the bulk to your gesso)
> * 5 parts liquitex gloss varnish medium (keeps the gesso together, hardening with a smooth finish)
> * Color to suit (red for work with gold and blue for silver)

It goes on to give instructions for the gilding process as well, including how to use the gesso:

> **Lay the Gesso** – Start your area of gesso in the middle of your design
> and pull it outwards towards the edges\*. It is ideal to let this
> gesso dry for 6-8 hours. DO NOT to get air bubbles in your gesso when
> you stir. Gently fold your gesso to remix it. If you do have air
> bubbles in your laid gesso there will be pits in the surface after it
> dries. To remove the bubbles from gesso that you’ve just laid take a
> pin and gently pop them before it begins to dry. It has been my
> experience that the key to beautiful raised gilding is an even surface
> tension to the "bubble" of gesso that you lay down. To create an even
> surface tension to your gesso you should first drop a large puddle of
> the gesso into the space you will be gilding, then using your brush
> pull the edges of the puddle outwards to the fill your designed space.
> This gesso is not designed for flat gilding and your design should be
> filled in with puddles of the gesso that create small domes on your
> page.

(source: [The Scribal Art of Elizabth de Nevell](http://home.insightbb.com/~denevell_books/gilding.htm))


---

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-01-25. Score: 1

Gesso may lend better adherence due to the quality of providing “tooth” for a surface. Gesso also acts as a primer for your substrate to prevent absorption of art supplies added later into the material beneath. I would not think it appropriate for adhering gilding flakes. I’ve seen other adhesives used and there are some videos on YouTube if you are interested.

However, I think you are looking for adhesive sizing for gilding it is kind of like a thin gel that gets tacky when it’s allowed to dry for a short duration. When it sets up then you can apply the metallic foil using a brush or laying it on the sizing and it will stick to that adhesive. Then you can burnish it, smoothing your surface.

Technical gelatin can be bought online for this purpose. I’ve used Mona Lisa Adhesive Size to adhere leaf. It worked but I wondered the same question - how to DIY this at home. <http://www.goldreverre.com/resource/watersize.php>

Perhaps some type of gelatin (not a thick consistency) mixed with a glue could work for this purpose? Let me know if you figure it out.


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2016-05-01. Score: 0

There are a lot of different recipes in the internet but they are all based in the same ingredients: white glue, white paint, talcum powder and water. The idea is just to mix the first three ingredients and then to add water until you get the desired consistency.

You can take a look at different recipes [here](http://www.ourdailycraft.com/2015/02/10/gesso-make-gesso/), [here](http://www.outlook8studio.com/2014/01/16/homemade-gesso-primer-for-canvas-or-paper/) or [here](http://pixiedustscrapping.blogspot.com.es/2013/04/homemade-gesso-good-and-bad-plus-link.html).

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I think the recipe you are providing are made to coat paper before drawing. I am not sure it will provide the profile I am trying to achieve... A detail more is that the result seems white, while all the one I have seen used for illuminating manuscript are a bit pink... here is an example: http://www.lecalligraphe.com/gesso-traditionnel-xml-359-870.html  
> **username_3**: I wonder whether the pink color is added to the gesso to make it more easily seen by the calligrapher? Just a thought, as I have not used either type of gesso :)  
> **username_0**: @username_3: it is possible I am not sure what exactly is in it. I now one should apply it in several layers, let it dry completely and then humidify it again with breath to allow the gold leaf to stick. I am not sure the rehumidify part can word if it contain white glue...  

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