The Red Bole Gilder Base is a traditional clay-based undercoat specifically designed for high-end water gilding. It serves as a flexible, pigmented foundation that allows gold leaf to be polished to a mirror-like shine. Key Features Benefits Warmth Depth: Red is the most common base for yellow gold because it adds a deep, warm glow. The color subtly reads through the micro-thin gold leaf. Burnishing Foundation: Unlike oil-based sizing, this clay base is soft and elastic enough to withstand the pressure of an agate burnisher, achieving a brilliant water gilded finish. Historical Accuracy: Often called Armenian Bole, this type of refined clay has been the standard for master gilders since the Renaissance. Preparation Application To use this base effectively, it must be prepared with a natural binder: Mixing: Mix the paste with a lukewarm solution of rabbit skin glue or gelatin size. A common ratio is one volume of bole to two volumes of glue size. Substrate: Apply it over a perfectly smooth, dry gesso ground [usually made of chalk and hide glue]. Coating: Apply several thin, uniform layers with a soft brush, allowing each to dry before the next. Once dry, the surface is polished with a cloth or fine abrasive before laying the gold leaf. Gilding: Apply the gold leaf using a mixture of water and alcohol, then burnish once the window of drying time is reached.
