Gold and mark making.

Once the gold leaf had been burnished I attacked the doublers with wire wool and fine finishing paper. I wanted the underlying colour to come through, but I got more than I bargained for.



Detail of the front doubler. The colour came through but with a little more work the original texture began to come through as well.


Where the gold leaf had over-lapped a pattern formed, the texture , I feel lends a scratched and worn feel ( perhaps by being held in the paws and claws of a bear )



The back end paper and doubler. The relationship between the colour, visual character and manipulation of the gold heightens the connection between the end papers and doublers. I love the fact that the image on the end papers is partially reflected and distorted.

The Doublers for A Outrance.

The doublers have been covered in the same hand coloured tissue, pressed allowed to dry and sanded sort of smooth. I like the way that the hidden colours appear as one surface is removed.



Detail of the sanded doubler.



The next step is to cover the whole lot in gold leaf. This will be burnished and then gently attacked with a fine wire wool to reveal some of the hidden texture and colour.

More layers, more sanding. The colour is created from hand coloured archival tissue paper, scrunched up and applied with PVA. Simple but who says all decorative techniques have to be complicated?
I am wanting to keep on the lines of a worn feel, once grand - now old.



Detail of the back board.



Detail of the front board.



Detail of the tail of the spine. Now I hope it all begins to make a complete picture. Next is the doublers and the edges of the boards. I feel that gold leaf is the order of the day.... oh yes and more sanding.

Board decoration.

With up to 7 different layers of various papers and much sanding the main decoration of the boards is nearly complete. Now all I have to do is control the warping in the boards by countering with pulling papers to the inside of the board. The spine has also been sanded to complete the faded or worn elegance look that I am after.



Detail of the spine are. The leather was a deep red before I dyed it black, when sanded the original colour comes through, just as I had hoped for. When working in a free hand sort of way sometimes the unexpected happens and happens well. I may sand some areas of the spine a little more to emphasise the contours in the leather.



Detail of the various colours coming through from the sanding..... which has taken more time than I expected.