gilding/japanning

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marcros

marcros

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On the Thomas Chippendale program, there was a very brief section where somebody was reproducing something using a technique they called japanning, and then laying on gold leaf, using a tiny paint brush to define where it would stay. I think it was on a blue or green background, looked very shiny, and I recall it sounding pretty tough as a finish.

a few questions- what was the coloured base that they called japanning. it isn't the same stuff that i know from Jimi43 and his plane restorations, and googling doesn't produce much. Is it just a lacquer with a coloured pigment added, or is it a pigmented gesso? Can anybody point me in the direction of an online resource, I am struggling to find much. Or a decent book?

My ultimate aim is to produce a japanese style lacquered box, albeit probably not with a japanese scene on it (well beyond me!).
 
marcros":3oy11ni8 said:
My ultimate aim is to produce a japanese style lacquered box, albeit probably not with a japanese scene on it (well beyond me!).
Click to expand...
What you're referring to is 'Japaning' which was the European derivation of the traditional lacquer work from the Far East. Some time ago there was a decent article in F&C on this more correct form of lacquer which might be worth a perusal. If memory serves, it's a very specialised, time consuming, technique but once mastered ought to produce stunning results.
 
243SS":3dby4x8x said:
marcros":3dby4x8x said:
My ultimate aim is to produce a japanese style lacquered box, albeit probably not with a japanese scene on it (well beyond me!).
Click to expand...
What you're referring to is 'Japaning' which was the European derivation of the traditional lacquer work from the Far East. Some time ago there was a decent article in F&C on this more correct form of lacquer which might be worth a perusal. If memory serves, it's a very specialised, time consuming, technique but once mastered ought to produce stunning results.
Click to expand...

Thanks Rob.
 
any long time subscribers out there that fancy a flick through their back issues to identify the edition?
 
I should forget all about Japanese Urushi lacquer, it is far too specialised for what you want to do. There are a few ways to achieve a good imitation, the most common is to use black shellac. You can apply this directly onto the timber if it is a nice close grain, or if it is an open grain and you want to get the best results prepare the surface with gesso.
Black shellack is the most difficult to use, it will show every teeny weeny fault or speck of dust. The best way I have found is to get a good black ground on and then finish with a pale polish over the top.
What you saw on the Chippendale program was a japanned surface that had been prepared with gesso, once the ground is good and flat a sketch of say a lady holding a mirror is made in pencil on the surface of the gesso. More gesso is added to the sketched figure until it stands proud of the surface. When the gesso is dry the figure can be sanded and carved. When all this is done the whole piece is then stained black and black shellac is applied, when the shellac is built up to a satisfactory level gilding can begin, for areas that are flat the design of say a crane (bird not building site ) can be painted on with gold size and then gold leaf applied. On some raised areas, you can add a red gold size which will give the gold leaf a warmer appearance and therefor give the decoration more depth.
It may sound a little daunting if you have not tried it before but taken in stages it is all quite manageable and really good fun. like I say the only difficult bit is working with black shellac.
 

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