Process description:
Hand-gilding photos into one-of-a-kind art work is not so much labor intensive as it is an exercise in patience.
- The photo is first printed using inkjet on translucent vellum paper. 
- The vellum with the image is then stabilized with a coat of water-based acrylic lacquer on both sides and dried throughly. 
- I apply a special size (or glue) to the back of the image, which takes a long time to set up, ready for the next step. If I am doing a duo-tone or tri-tone, the size is applied separately for each metal. 
- I apply patent gold, copper, silver or pure palladium to the size by hand. 
- The final project is then spray varnished many times with a product that makes the vellum even more translucent and ensures the archival quality of the finished art. 

 
              
              
              
             
              
              
              
            