Using gold leaf for artwork is a great technique for adding depth, shine, and highlight to any given piece. While you can certainly add gold leaf to a painting, there are also a variety of other ways you can use gold leaf to create impressive art pieces that will attract the eyes and communicate a powerful message to onlookers.
So, how can you get started? It’s easy. You only need a few tools, a bit of knowledge, and basic skills to accomplish beautiful artwork using gold leaf. Let’s get started.
What Is Gold Leaf Used for in Art?
Gold leaf is used in a variety of ways in art. Both imitation gold leaf and genuine gold leaf can be used.
The most common way gold leaf is used in art is to create drama, highlight, or communicate a message. Icon artwork, for example, is often created using genuine gold to emphasize the impact, role, or grandeur of the person the art piece displays. Gold leaf can also be used to highlight specific details in a painting — the wings of an angel, the lips of a person, the antlers of a buck — drawing the eye and signaling that the highlighted area matters.
Gold leaf, and other types of metal leaf including silver leaf, copper leaf, and variegated leaf, can also bring a luminous glow to 3D sculptures and dimensional pieces using either oil-based or water-based adhesive.
Gold leaf can adhere to a wide range of surfaces, including food, but the adhesive you need changes depending on the surface. See our guide to gilding adhesive types for the full breakdown — using the right size for your specific surface is one of the biggest factors in whether a project holds up over time.
How to Apply Gold Leaf on Art Prints (Featuring A Demo with Juana Lichi)
Your don’t need to make a painting from scratch; you can create beautiful decor with art prints and gold leaf!
Mixed media and digital artist Juana Lichi (@jlichiarts) walks us through applying 18kt genuine gold leaf directly onto an art print. This technique sits somewhere between painting and sculpture work, since you’re gilding a flat paper surface but often only in select spots rather than edge to edge.
A few things to keep in mind if you’re following along on your own print:
- For beginners, use transfer leaf instead of loose leaf. This will give you more control.
- Paper is more fragile than canvas or wood, so go easy on both the size and the pressure you use to tack the leaf down. Oversaturating a print with adhesive can cause it to warp or bubble as it dries.
- Spot-gilding works very well on prints. Apply size only where you want the gold to catch (outline, highlights, a border), not to the whole surface. Juana shows us this in the video.
- 18kt genuine transfer leaf gives a slightly warmer, more yellow tone than higher-karat leaf. This looks nice (not overpowering) against printed color.
- Let the size reach proper tack (or stickiness) before laying the leaf. On paper, when you apply your gold leaf too early (while the size is still wet) is one of the most common causes of a muddy, uneven finish rather than a clean gilded edge.
Tools
- art print (use artist grade or high quality paper for best quality)
- gold leaf (use your prefered carat)
- gilding adhesive
- small brush (for applying adhesive)
- gilding brush or soft fan brush (for brushing away gold leaf)
- gloves (optional, for cleaning up)
- microfiber cloth (optional, for pressing the gold leaf)
- container (optional, for collecting stray gold flakes that you can use later)
- paper towels (optional, for easy clean up)
Step 1
Clean your workspace to prevent dust and debris from ending up on your art print. Choose somewhere clean and dry with 0 airflow (windows closed, AC or fans off) so that your gold leaf won’t get blown away.
Step 2
Get your gilding adhesive and your brush.
Brush on a thin layer of the adhesive onto your art print where you’d like the gold leaf to stick.
It’s important to apply a THIN layer, so that the adhesive can dry properly and the surface of your print won’t be bumpy.
Step 3
Wait for the adhesive to achieve proper tackiness. It should take 15-20 minutes, but follow the instructions on your adhesive’s packaging.
Waiting for this tacky window is important! If the adhesive is too wet, your gold leaf will sink. If too dry, it will not stick.
Test with your finger. Your finger should stick and not come away wet.
While waiting, you can clean up and prepare the gold leaf for the next steps.
Step 4
When the adhesive has reached the ideal sticky window, you can apply your gold leaf one sheet at a time, with the gold side facing down.
Make sure the gold leaf completely makes contact with the adhesive. With a gentle circular motion, rub the back of the gold leaf sheet (either with your dry finger or a dry cloth) to make sure the leaf is fully applied to the section you’re working on.
Carefully peel away the backing paper. The gold should remain on the surface of your print.
Don’t worry if there is leftover gold leaf on the backing paper, or if there are stray pieces of gold leaf on your print. You can clean this up later.
Continue applying gold leaf until all the spots where you applied adhesive are covered.
Using the leftover gold leaf, patch up any spots you may have missed. Overlap any patches with gold leaf already on the print (you can clean this up later).
Use your finger to lightly press the patches down.
Step 5
Once all the gold has been applied, use your gilding brush or fan brush to brush away excess gold leaf.
This should remove the larger pieces of gold leaf flakes.
For finer details, use a smaller brush. Use gentle motions to reveal sharper and cleaner edges.
Use the large brush again to brush off remaining gold flakes. Collect the flakes in a sealed container (can be a small jar or envelope) for future use.
And there you have it! An art print that catches the light of the sun anywhere you hang it in your home.
Juana works with Barnabas Gold’s variegated and genuine leaf across her portrait art. See more of her work on her collaborator page and Instagram.
How to Use Gold Leaf in Artwork
Using gold leaf or other types of metal lead in artwork will require different techniques depending on the art project you’re taking on.
You’ll need to keep in mind the types of surface you’re working on (canvas, wood, glass, metal, paper, etc.). And you should tailor your supplies and adhesive according to that.
In addition, you’ll need to assess whether or not your project will remain indoors or will be transferred outside. For exterior gilding you should use products rated for outdoor use (traditionally oil‑based sizes are preferred), and select a size specifically formulated and tested for exterior exposure.
Finally, consider what karat of gold leaf suits your project. High-karat genuine gold doesn’t tarnish chemically and generally doesn’t need anti-tarnish sealing; some artists still apply a protective coat to guard against abrasion or to allow overpainting, but it’s worth testing on a sample piece first, since a sealant can subtly change how the gold looks.
If you’re using imitation gold leaf or another non-genuine metal leaf, sealing is recommended rather than optional — anything that isn’t genuine gold is prone to tarnishing over time, and a coat of varnish after the leaf is laid down protects the finish..
Applying Gold Leaf to Sculptures and Dimensional Art
Remember that the process that you use to add gold leaf to art will vary depending on the project. For this example, we’ll be instructing you on how to apply adhesive and gold leaf to sculptures or other dimensional pieces.
To see examples and get information on how to apply gold leaf to canvas or oil paintings, please see our related blog posts.
Instructions:
- Prepare your workstation.
Work indoors, away from drafts, and lay down a dropcloth or newspaper so the piece stays undisturbed while you work.
- Inspect the surface.
Some surfaces, like wood or plaster, may need sanding first; glass typically just needs a clean, dry wipe-down. Whatever the surface, make sure it’s fully dry before continuing.
- Apply primer, if needed.
Not every surface requires it, but if you do use one, pick a color that will read well through the leaf — a yellow- or red-tinged primer works best as an undertone for gold.
- Apply your adhesive size.
Once the primer is fully dry, apply your oil- or water-based size according to the product directions, and let it come to tack — slightly sticky, not wet and not fully dry.
- Lay the leaf.
Using cotton gloves, tweezers, a gilding knife, or wax paper, carefully lay the gold or metal leaf over the tacky size. Patch any gaps or damaged spots with additional leaf as you go.
- Tack and clean up.
Press the leaf down with a natural bristle brush, then use a second soft brush to remove the excess. Let the piece dry fully.
- Seal, if appropriate.
Imitation or non-genuine leaf should be sealed with varnish; genuine gold leaf can often be left as-is, depending on how much handling or abrasion the piece will see.
There Are Countless Ways to Use Gold Leaf For Artwork
There are countless creative ways to bring gold leaf into your art — whether you’re working on a painted image, a dimensional object, or a printed piece. Match your method and supplies to the surface and to where the finished artwork will live, and you’ll get results that hold up.
Be especially thoughtful about when to seal gold leaf on artwork — as covered above, it isn’t always necessary, and sealing genuine gold can sometimes do more harm than good to the finish.
FAQs
Yes. Use a water-based size, or whatever your adhesive manufacturer recommends for acrylic surfaces. If you’re using imitation leaf, or plan to paint over the leaf afterward, seal it first to protect the finish.
You’ll need adhesive size — oil-based or water-based, depending on your project. “Size” is simply the gilding term for adhesive; without it, gold leaf won’t hold to a painted surface long-term.
Yes — as shown in the video above, genuine gold leaf can be applied directly to prints, usually as spot detailing rather than full coverage, since paper is more prone to warping under heavy adhesive than canvas or wood.
Not every piece uses it, but it’s an effective way to add highlight, drama, or significance to specific areas of a work — from traditional icon gilding to contemporary mixed-media pieces like Juana Lichi’s.
