Customer Reviews

Annie Sloan Decorative Gilding: A Practical Guide

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

In a market overcrowded with books on decorative paint effects and techniques, Decorative Gilding is far and away one of the best. Particularly useful (and unusual) are two formatting
layouts used by this author. The first is the inclusion of "Pitfalls", text boxes which include common problems in applying the technique described. The second is the identical application of the particular finish on different kinds/colors of backgrounds. From my own experience, a gilding technique will have a very different appearance, depending on the background color used, from item to item. The photography is excellent, the text clear and concise. A must for any serious artist's library!

Gilding with metal leaf is just the start for this author. The other major technique covered is the use of bronze powders (aka metallic powders).

Other techniques covered include: gilding on glass, hand painting on metal leaf, paint effect, tortoiseshell effect, sprit dyes to create mottled effects, verdigris, metallic waxes, distressing and incising.

Many excellent photos are included along with concise instructions.

This book is an excellent resource for anyone interested in guilding techniques including metal leaf, brozing powders, dyes, and tortoiseshell. Highly recomended!

I agree with the other reviewers who say there are some good features: the "pitfalls" sidebars, the parade of innovative techniques and materials, etc. What bothered me about this book was careless editing, i.e. a caption that describes a "water-based" paint, yet the picture is of a tube of oil paint (which to believe?) or a series of gilded chips with underpainted tones that have mixed up captions that might cause some confusion. Annie obviously knows what she's doing, but her editors could use some lessons.

Please note that this is a Reader's Digest book, a feature that I failed to notice. I was looking for an introductory text and practical guide to the application of gold leaf. I thought that a book entitled "Decorative Gilding: A Practical Guide" would serve nicely. To apply gold leaf you need to know basically two things: (i) how to do it, and (ii) where to obtain the tools and materials needed. With regard to the usefulness of this book in answering these questions, I can do no better than to quote from the book itself: (i) "We do not demonstrate the use of loose real gold leaf in this book, because it is too difficult for the novice gilder to handle. Despite these concerns people often prefer loose leaf....etc" (ii) "How to Find Supplies. The tools and mateials you need for the techniques demonstrated in this book are generally available from specialty art supply and paint stores. To find a store near you, try looking in your local telephone directory..." Is there anyone out there who needs to pay good money for this kind of information?

It is not only that pictures of finished projects are hidden (the pictures that would sell the book if intriguing) but that the directions (the secrets one would suppose SHOULD be withheld from the prospective buyer) are not hidden!

This is a very silly way to promote a book.