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GildedPlanet Gilding Classes
In-Person and Online via ZOOM - Gold Leaf and Gilding Classes
Join many of the industry's most respected Master Gilders for professional gilding classes! The GildedPlanet.com is proud to partner with exceptional artisans to bring you top-tier, hands-on training in the gilding arts.
These dynamic classes and weekend seminars cover everything from foundational techniques to advanced applications, offering something for everyone—whether you're an interior designer, architect, professional gilder, artisan, or simply fascinated by this ancient craft.
Don't miss this opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of gilding, guided by industry experts. Elevate your skills and create stunning works of art with professional guidance.
Start Your Gilding Journey Today!
Spaces are limited—reserve your spot now and take the first step toward mastering the gilding arts.
Charles Douglas Gilding Studio
Select from dozens of classes
In-Person and On-Line
Charles Douglas Gilding Studio offers top-tier, hands-on training in the gilding arts. These dynamic classes and weekend seminars cover everything from basic to advanced techniques for a wide range of gilding applications.
Whether you're an interior designer, architect, professional gilder, artisan, or simply fascinated by this ancient craft, the classes offered by Charles Douglas Gilding Studio are a must! Elevate your skills and immerse yourself in the world of gilding with expert guidance.
Kintsugi
With Catherine Lignier
On-Line
Embracing the beauty of imperfection through the repair of broken ceramics with gold. As one of the few global experts trained by Urushi masters, Catherine offers a rare opportunity to learn this delicate craft, blending traditional techniques with modern accessibility through her interactive online master classes.
Traditional Water Gilding
With Jill London
In-Person - San Francisco, CA
A four-day class designed for anyone who is interested in water gilding and wants to learn more to improve their skills. The object we will gild from start to finish will be a Florentine picture frame. Students will learn to prepare rabbit skin glue, chalk gesso, bole, gilding liquor and toners. These materials will be applied as a demonstration and each student will work on his/her own frame. Genuine gold leaf will be used and we will learn how to gild out of a book of gold.
October 15 - Dec 30, 2025
(ZOOM ONLINE) Traditional Water Gilding for Furniture
The exquisite water gilded finish for furniture often shows a contrast of highly burnished gold leaf highlights against a softer background of unburnished matte areas such as coves and the backs of chairs and feet, gilded in a 22–24k gold leaf.
October 17 - Dec 31, 2025
(In-Person) Water Gilded Panels…from Pastiglia to Sgraffito!
Kicking off the New Fall Water Gilding Series for 2025 with this special 12-week workshop designed for the fine artist working specifically on panels in egg tempera, oils, or acrylics.
November 4 - 25, 2025
(ZOOM ONLINE) Toning Gilded Frames
Gilded frames, furniture, panels, and architectural elements are often given a patina whereby various topcoats, tints, or washes are applied to simulate age. The gold or silver leaf — both genuine and imitation — may be abraded, giving the impression of wear and exposing the underlying colored ground beneath the gilded leaf.
November 4 - 25, 2025
(ZOOM ONLINE) - The Art of Gilded Raised Gesso
Gilded raised gesso, sometimes referred to as pastiglia, is an ancient technique of traditional water gilding often used in manuscript illumination and frames during the Italian Renaissance.
November 8, 2025
(In-Person - Whidbey Island) Gilding for Works of Art
This popular one-day intensive gilding class for Fine Artists is among the series of gold leaf gilding classes developed by Charles Douglas.
December 2 - 22, 2025
(ZOOM ONLINE) - Glass Gilding / Verre Églomisé
A new 6-week online gilding course introduces students to the art of Verre Églomisé with a focus on achieving a proper balance between brilliancy and bonding between the gold and silver leaf and the glass.
Students will learn to properly clean the glass, choose the appropriate backup paint, and explore these glass gilding techniques:
- Single gilding, double gilding, and spot gilding
- The Verre Églomisé technique of etching reverse designs into the gold to be seen from the front
- Abrading the leaf for antiqued effects
- Gilding designs in positive and negative space
- Gilding the exterior of glass as a decorative finish
Explore the beautiful artistry of gilded glass and mirrors in both modern solid gild and abraded “antique” finishes in 23k gold and 6k white gold leaf.
December 2, 9, 16, 2025
(ZOOM ONLINE) How To Make Gesso
Gesso, the essential foundation for traditional water gilding, is the required ground for water gilded frames, furniture, and panels, and is the traditional support for egg tempera painting and iconography.
This special 3-part masterclass tutorial explores the details of this ancient method of making and applying traditional gesso made of rabbit skin glue, calcium carbonate, and water.
December 13, 2025
(In-Person, Whidbey Island) Gilding For Absolute Beginners
We all need to start somewhere and this introductory gilding class is designed for those just beginning.
December 16, 23, 30 2025 - Jan 6, 2026
(ZOOM ONLINE) Gilding For Absolute Beginners!
Fascinated by the thought of gilding but simply don’t know where to begin? Then this is the class to take - Gilding…for Absolute Beginners!
January 3, 10, 17, 23, 2026
(ZOOM ONLINE) Gilding for Works of Art
Designed for the Fine artist interested in incorporating Gilding into their own Works of Art. Students explore the various methods of working with Brass metal leaf, Aluminum leaf, and Gold and Silver leaf on canvas, paper, and panels for both background and embellishment. Learn to lay a genuine 22k gold leaf!
January 3, 10, 17, 2026
(ZOOM ONLINE) ~ How To Prepare and Apply Clay Bole
Getting scratching in your gilding or brush marks in your clay that are affecting the look of your gilding? Still unsure about the right consistency before the glue is added? Then this is the class for you!
January 27, 2026
(In-Person, NYC) ~ Gilding…for Absolute Beginners
Fascinated by the thought of gilding but simply don’t know where to begin? We all need to start somewhere and this Introductory gilding class is designed for those just beginning.
January 28, 2026
(In-Person, NYC) ~ Gilding for Works of Art
This popular one-day Intensive gilding class for Fine Artists returns to New York City for the Winter Series 2026! Students explore the various methods of working with gold and silver leaf on canvas and paper for both background and embellishment.
January 29, 2026
(In-Person, NYC) ~ Glass Gilding: An Introduction To Verre Églomisé
Fall brings the return of the popular Glass Gilding workshop to the Isabel O’Neil Studio. Students will learn to gild the the back of glass in 12k white gold leaf, the basis for the art of Verre Églomisé. One of the main goals of our study is achieving a proper balance between brilliancy and bonding between the gold leaf and the glass.
January 30, 2026
(In-Person, NYC) ~ Gilding Copper Plates… In The Footsteps of Rembrandt
During this 1-Day Special Class students will be guided in the oil gilding method as used by Rembrandt using genuine 23k Red Gold on a Copper Plate measuring the approximate size of Rembrandt’s Old Woman Praying and his particular choice of gold leaf.
February 6, 13, 20, 27 - March 6, 13, 20, 27 - April 3, 10, 11, 17, 2026
(ZOOM ONLINE) ~ Water Gilded Panels…The Method of 13th-18th CenturyFlorence and Siena
Immerse yourself in this popular 12 week Online Zoom Workshop designed for the Fine artist working specifically on Panels in Egg Tempera, Oils, or Acrylics. Take a journey through each step of the ancient traditional water gilding method used extensively in 13th-18th Century Florence and Siena.
May 5, 12, 19, 26, 2026
(ZOOM ONLINE) ~ Gilding for Works of Art
Designed for the Fine artist interested in incorporating Gilding into their own Works of Art. Students explore the various methods of working with Brass metal leaf, Aluminum leaf, and Gold and Silver leaf on canvas, paper, and panels for both background and embellishment.
Sept. 2, 9, 16, 23, 2026
(ZOOM ONLINE) ~ Gilding for Works of Art
Designed for the Fine artist interested in incorporating Gilding into their own Works of Art. Students explore the various methods of working with Brass metal leaf, Aluminum leaf, and Gold and Silver leaf on canvas, paper, and panels for both background and embellishment.
December 1, 8, 15, 22, 2026
(ZOOM ONLINE) ~ Gilding for Works of Art
Designed for the Fine artist interested in incorporating Gilding into their own Works of Art. Students explore the various methods of working with Brass metal leaf, Aluminum leaf, and Gold and Silver leaf on canvas, paper, and panels for both background and embellishment.
CHECK BACK FREQUENTLY - More great classes coming soon!
Gilder's Tip Brush
For use with loose leaf gold. Various sizes. Allows you to pick up loose leaf gold sheets and move the gold to the gilding surface without the need to touch the leaf.
22Kt Gold Leaf
This popular leaf is available as packs of 500 leaves, books of 25 leaves, and ribbon leaf.
Dux Quick Dry Oil Size — gilding adhesive
This solvent-based oil size is available in various sizes. Self leveling for a high-quality finish. Quick size comes to “tack” in approx. 1–1½ hours and has an open time up to 3 hours.
2" Gilder's Squirrel Mop Brush
Ultra-soft squirrel hair brush — ideal for polishing gilded surfaces. With a range of sizes, this brush is ideal for removing skewings after the gilding process.