This week our professional course students were introduced to the art of gilding.

They learned all about oil-gilding, water-gilding and verre eglomisé, or gilding onto glass.

Several students will be incorporating verre eglomisé into the mirrors they each have to make as one of the school’s set projects.

Our expert tutor for the two-week gilding segment of the course is Richard Walker, who has an international reputation.

Richard runs Watergild Studios and has been practicing and teaching gilding for nearly twenty years.

Our students have been busy experimenting with different gilding techniques and creating sample panels.

Christian Burt from Portland, Oregon is pictured (above) holding his sample panel with white gold and gold gilding.

Richard also brought along resin heads of Tutankhamun, the Egyptian pharaoh, and Nefertiti, the  Egyptian queen to demonstrate different gilding techniques.

King Tut’s resin head has now been transformed into a thing of splendour.

It’s been entirely gilded in 24 carat gold, and is pictured (main) with Richard.

Next week, we’ll bring you photos of some of our students’ work.