Most sgraffito picture frames are crafted by layering gesso on top of a wood or plaster frame, which is often covered with thin sheets of 24-carat gold leaf. Then this gold-leaf layer is covered with some sort of colored paint and when the paint has dried, it is carefully and meticulously scrapped off in a deliberate pattern to reveal the gold substrate. The result is a richly textured and layered design. In some cases, a more-simplified version uses a coat of paint in place of the gold leaf and the sgraffito tool is used to scratch out the design.