painting lady

[TJAGAIN]

hi,
this winter we want to paint the bowsprit lady on the front of the yacht , thought it would look good in gold , does any one have any info on what would be ok ie not a dull or yellow gold it really has to look like gold and also is it true that you should paint gold over a black undercoat?

 

[tazzle]

Why not gild it? 23ct leaf is not that expensive - about £15 for a book of 25 80mmx80mm sheets. Or if gilding is a bit daunting, I'd recommend Ormoline gilt paint with a sealer. Both available online from Tirantis.

As for background colour, this is important. When gilding picture frames I sometimes use a flat yellow background, but more often than not a deep brownish red Armenian Bole - gives the gilding a far greater depth and lustre. Yellow can give an 'overbright' feeling.

If you polish gold leaf highlights with a piece of agate you'll get a gleam that will catch the sun and sparkle brilliantly from some distance - something you'll never get with paint.