DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19571#0253
THE ARTIST'S ASSISTANT. 239
ed, or have any way projecting parts, for where ths
fize fails to be laid, the gold will never take till the
work be again repaired, by going over the defe&ive
places with frefh fize, which fhould be avoided as
much as poffible : where great perfection is required,
the gold fhould not be laid on the firft fizing, but
that being fuffered to dry, the work fhould be again
fized a fecond time ; and, fome who are very nice
even proceed to a third.
The work being thus fized, mud be kept till it ap-
pear in a condition to receive the gold, which mull
be diftinguifhed by touching with the finger; if it
appear then a little adb.efi.ve, or clammy, but not fo
as to be brought off by the finger, it is in a fit con-
dition to be gilt ; but if it be fo clammy as to daub,
or come off on being touched, it is not fufficiently
dry, and mud be kept longer ; or, i f there be no clam-
minefs, or dicky quality remaining, it is too dry, and
mud be fized over again before it can be gilt.
When the work is thus ready to receive the gold,
the leaves of gold, where the furface is fufficiently
large and plain to contain them, may be laid on en-
tire, either by means of the fquirrel's tail, or im-
mediately from the paper in which they were ori-
ginally put : being laid on the proper parts of the
work, the leaves mud then be fettled to the ground,
by compreffing thofe which appear to want it, gently
with the fqirrel's tail, or cotton ball ; and if any part
of the gold has flown off, or been difplaced, fo as to
leave a naked, or uncovered fpot, a piece of another
leaf, of fize and figure correfpondent to fuch fpot,
mud be laid upon it ; where the parts are too fmall
to admit of the laying on whole leaves, or where
vacancies are left after laying on whole leaves
which
ed, or have any way projecting parts, for where ths
fize fails to be laid, the gold will never take till the
work be again repaired, by going over the defe&ive
places with frefh fize, which fhould be avoided as
much as poffible : where great perfection is required,
the gold fhould not be laid on the firft fizing, but
that being fuffered to dry, the work fhould be again
fized a fecond time ; and, fome who are very nice
even proceed to a third.
The work being thus fized, mud be kept till it ap-
pear in a condition to receive the gold, which mull
be diftinguifhed by touching with the finger; if it
appear then a little adb.efi.ve, or clammy, but not fo
as to be brought off by the finger, it is in a fit con-
dition to be gilt ; but if it be fo clammy as to daub,
or come off on being touched, it is not fufficiently
dry, and mud be kept longer ; or, i f there be no clam-
minefs, or dicky quality remaining, it is too dry, and
mud be fized over again before it can be gilt.
When the work is thus ready to receive the gold,
the leaves of gold, where the furface is fufficiently
large and plain to contain them, may be laid on en-
tire, either by means of the fquirrel's tail, or im-
mediately from the paper in which they were ori-
ginally put : being laid on the proper parts of the
work, the leaves mud then be fettled to the ground,
by compreffing thofe which appear to want it, gently
with the fqirrel's tail, or cotton ball ; and if any part
of the gold has flown off, or been difplaced, fo as to
leave a naked, or uncovered fpot, a piece of another
leaf, of fize and figure correfpondent to fuch fpot,
mud be laid upon it ; where the parts are too fmall
to admit of the laying on whole leaves, or where
vacancies are left after laying on whole leaves
which