Making a replica Hogarth Frame

Early Hogarth style frames were cut from a fruitwood base. For this frame I'm going to use cherry wood, which is a fruit wood with a dense close grain and polishes well after finishing.

Here I've cut the basic profile and prepared the wood ready for compo ornaments.

The compo ornaments have been applied and the profile cut to it's final shape. The frame will then be assembled and prepared for gilding the ornaments and laquering the wood.

Gilding and Finishing a Georgian Frame

The frame has now been watergilded with 23.5ct gold

.

The appearance is solid but very bright and unsuitable for framing an antique watercolour.

So I've knocked it back a bit and distressed the high points. This shows up the leaf laps and the underlaid grey and red bole.

The outer and inner high rails are burnished to a mirror finish.

The frame is now glazed with "Museum Ageing Glaze 2". Several coats are used to build up an antique glow

.

The frame gets a final polish and is ready for framing.

A small Georgian Frame

I'll make this frame from lenghts of pine stretcher. Pine has a nice weight and solidity. This piece has been selected for having few knots.

Here I've cut the basic shape and defined the overall size of the profile.

The finished profile with rebate and shaped back edge. This is now sized ready for spraying with gesso.

The frame has been cut, joined and sprayed with gesso.

The most tedious bit. The gesso has been sanded smooth and water-polished to a marble finish.

I've now painted the frame with three colours of clay bole. The base coat is a yellow ochre; then a thin layer of red ochre over the high points and toped with a coat of grey.

The bole has been smoothed and polished to a fine finish. With a thin coat of size the frame is now ready for gilding.