(This is installment 3 of my weekend of testing different methods for gold leaf. You can see Part 1 here Discovering the Beauty of Gold: A Weekend Experiment - Part One (sdoner2.wixsite.com)
and Part 2 here The Golden Touch: Exploring the Magic of Playing with Gold - Part 2 (sdoner2.wixsite.com)
Because there are many thin lines I will need to do for my upcoming two scrolls, I tested to see if the Permacol would work in a crowquil or ruling pen.
If you have never used a ruling pen, I highly suggest it. They are inexpensive and make drawing a straight line with thinned down gouache or ink very easy. They are adjustable so you can get a varying thickness of lines. This is a picture of mine, next to a crowquill.
Process
1) For the crowquill, I made a few lines with the Permacol. One I did with some markings.
2) For the ruling pen, I did four lines with difference thickness. This was a quick test. For a scroll, I would use a cork ruler to keep the lines straight.
3) I waited overnight, used my breath to activate the Permacol, and gilded with patent gold leaf. I then polished with a Q-Tip.
The crowquill was difficult to use. It did not hold enough of the Permacol. Further, the nib splayed and it was not easy to maintain an even line width.
The ruling pen worked much better. The flow was consistent and made for better gilded lines.
All of the tests were great learning experiences and I am excited to do the gold on my two upcoming scrolls.
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