I never really got the knack of glass gilding, but have done lots of surface gilding.
A tricky part is how to keep gold from sticking where you don't want it. This can be done using a vinyl mask.
But that too can present issues. A method I use is to cut a tiny outline that gets pulled right after the size applied.
That prevents the leaf from tearing when you remove the mask.
One thing I like to use for gilding carved or flat
signs that don't have a mask is egg size. I may have got it from the book.
An egg white mixed into a cup of water and liberally brushed onto the surface of the
sign. I usually do two "coats".
After it dries you apply the gold size. After gilding you gently wash it off with water and cotton balls. I usually wait a day for the leaf to cure a bit.
One of the worst things is losing the tack on your size by waiting too long. You'll learn about quick and slow size and slow is always the best option if you have the time.
You will also learn that different brands of size behave differently, some dry faster than others.
Lots of gilders like to wait as long as possible to apply the gold, the drier the size the shinier the gold. But that can lead to holidays (spots where it doesn't stick)
And gold does not look good touched up. If it's a
sign job I now prefer to gild a little early and not have the gold be mirror bright.
It's more legible that way. For decorative elements I'll sometime go for the mirror finish.
Have fun.
