Question
gold leaf
Hello :)
I have learn how to use silver clay
how can I use it to make agold/ silver leaf with all the little broken details inside ?? i can send you a picture of the leaf that i wold like to make
yasmin
AnswerHello Yasmin,
First I want to advise you to learn actual silversmithing instead of metal clay jewelry making as the cost of metal clay is 5 times that of the actual silver and the tools you would need to set up a small studio would cost less than buying a few packets of 50 grams of silver clay and the cost of only one packet of gold clay. that said, If you want to make a skeletonized leaf of metal clay- first you must find a skeletonized leaf, then coat it with many layers of slip,letting each dry thoroughly between applications, then firing by whichever method you have the equipment for.I never recommend that anyone just starting with metal clay buy a kiln unless you have unlimited money at your disposal.
The secret to getting a leaf like the electroformed one in the picture is to build enough layers of slip that will give you a sturdy end result- you will need about 25-30 coatings to make the fine silver leaf sturdy enough to hold up with any regular wear, and allowing for shrinkage in the firing. The only other option is to impress it into metal clay with a brayer roller and then firing it. The skeletonized leaf is so fragile, that to attempt it with metal clay is - well, frankly, a waste of time and money. You will not get the detail you want as the lines of lignins in the leaf are too fine to reproduce by coating and then when firing it will burn off too fast as the thin filigree of the skeletonized leaf is like 32 gauge or finer laser type wire and in firing , particularly torch firing, you will burn a hole in the project.
If you have the torch or a kiln, why not try to learn to make real jewelry out of sterling and fine silver, sterling being an alloy of fine silver which is soft and copper that makes sterling appropriate for jewelry.Tim McCreight's "The Complete Metalsmith" is a great book to read to teach yourself how to make jewelry. Some editions are available that have a DVD of demonstrations of basic jewelry making operations included.
I am not a fan of metal clays at all- due to the cost and the marketing , and the implied ease of use- by PMC and Mitsubishi corporation.I prefer art clay products over PMC, due to the facts that there is less shrinkage with every type of their metal clays, compared to the PMC products.though most metal clay work looks amaturish at best with a few professional exceptions like Gordon Ueyhara, Celie Fago, and Hattie Sanderson ( some of her work anyway- but particularly the products she has developed to further profit from the metal clay fad, which began as Mitsubishi recycling their waste silver)- all of the metal clay artists above started out as jewelers with traditional metalworking skills..
So your skeletonized leaf project may be tried, but may take a few times to perfect the firing as the fineness of the leaf's veining is not really ideal for metal clay reproduction. It would be better to have the leaf made into a mould and cast by a professional service. If you do attempt it, look for a leaf with the largest veins and thickest stem as it will be somewhat easier than a skeletonized leaf as in the photo.As I said those are electroformed and available everywhere for a few dollars as they are rarely made of precious metals but base metals ( usually copper) that is then plated with a micro thin film of gold or silver..
I hope this answers your question and good luck with your project.
Best Regards,Ari
