Gold Leaf Course: Introduction to Gilding & Reverse Glass

Gilding & Reverse Glass Gilding

A two day course with Marc Fish

Next date: TBA | £400

Discover the art of metal leaf in a weekend

Explore how the warmth of gold, the brightness of silver and the rich colour of copper can transform a surface. This practical weekend course introduces you to gilding on solid surfaces and glass, providing techniques to bring new possibilities to your furniture, frames and decorative projects.

Participants will learn traditional gilding methods, surface preparation, adhesion, sizing and finishing techniques that apply to wood, metal and glass. The gold leaf course emphasises safety, room for practice, and accurate alignment of sheets, enabling precise application and durable results for your decorative pieces in home or studio settings.

Through demonstrations and hands-on practice, you’ll learn to handle delicate metal leaf, prepare surfaces and build a beautiful finish. You’ll create your own gilded samples and a reverse-gilded mirror panel to take away, along with the knowledge to continue experimenting.

Essential Guide to Gold Leaf and Gilding Techniques

Day One — Exploring metal leaf gilding

Your weekend begins with a visual introduction to gilding and the effects you can achieve with different metals. Discover genuine gold, silver, copper, platinum and imitation leaf, and explore when each might suit your project. We’ll look at colour, cost and practical considerations, including how genuine gold compares with imitation leaf, and how silver compares with platinum.

You’ll become familiar with loose and transfer leaf and discover why the surface beneath the metal matters just as much as the leaf itself. From preparation and texture to the choice of adhesive — known as gilding size — you’ll learn what contributes to a successful finish.

We’ll introduce oil-based and water-based sizes before taking a closer look at the Kölner Instacoll system. With demonstrations of brushing, spraying and activation, you’ll see how to prepare a surface ready to receive the leaf.

Then it’s time to try it yourself. Learn how to handle, cut and lay genuine loose gold leaf, repair small gaps and protect your finished work. You’ll bring these techniques together on a sample board using a range of leaf types, creating a useful reference for future projects.

Day Two — Discovering reverse glass gilding

On the second day, explore the luminous effects of gilding behind glass. An introduction to the history of verre églomisé sets the scene before you begin creating your own reverse-gilded mirror panel.

You’ll learn how to clean and prepare the glass, then make a gilding grid to guide the placement of your leaf. We’ll guide you through preparing and using a gelatine size with distilled water and alcohol, explaining application methods and working times as you go.

With practical guidance, you’ll apply metal leaf to glass and develop your panel through to its finished appearance. Along the way, we’ll explore common difficulties, how to make repairs and the finishing techniques that help you achieve a successful result.

You’ll leave with your own mirror panel and a foundation in two complementary approaches to gilding, ready to develop further in your own work.

Take your project further — make the frame, too

Combine this weekend with our frame making course and enjoy the opportunity to create both a gilded mirror and its frame. We recommend booking both courses at the same time so you can plan them together.

PLEASE NOTE: The frame-making course is being finalised and details are to follow shortly. Contact us using the details below to join our waiting list.