Page Header Image To The Beginners Workshop To Mastering The Craft Of Glass Gilding

From Beginner To Master Gilder

Master The Craft of Glass Gilding

An affordable professional course to teach you the correct way to create beautiful gilded letters.

This course will guide you from a beginner to a master gilder, teaching you traditional methods and techniques for designing and gilding beautiful masterpieces.

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Learn Gold Gilding The Right Way

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Why This Course?

Expert Step By Step Guidance

Learn from David A. Smith, a world-renowned, highly experienced glass artist with a deep understanding and passion for the craft. Each project and lesson in the course is broken down into step-by-step processes to ensure your success with each of the course projects.

Fast Track Your Success

David holds nothing back in this course, sharing with you the processes and secrets that he has learnt over his career to achieving beautiful gold-gilded creations.

Master Foundational Skills

Master the basic and fundamental principles and gain an understanding of the science behind the art.

Flexible Self-Paced Learning

Enjoy the freedom to explore each lesson at your own pace over time as you develop and hone your skills with each of the course projects.

Advanced Techniques

Elevate your creations as you learn advanced techniques to echo the elegance of Victorian design.

Comfortable & Convenient

Dive into your creative journey without leaving your home.

What You’ll Learn

Work with David as he takes you step by step through this beautiful gold-gilded letter S project.

From Design To Creation

Join David as he guides you through the process of designing beautiful signs at your own pace, from the comfort of your home. Learn how to prepare the glass, scallop the edges, and gild this elegant letter “S” glass panel.

What’s Included

This Course represents exceptional value and includes

Step By Step instructions on everything you will need to master the art of Gilding On Glass, including all the materials and supplies needed and where to source them.

All the design files are included in various formats, such as PDF, JPEG & SVG, etc, to allow you to quickly and easily download them and get started.

Step By Step supportive, instructional video lessons for each project that will take you carefully through each of the processes to successfully complete the course project.

Continual access to the course to be able to go back and revisit required sections of the course.

A bit about your tutor

I’m a signwriter, glass gilder and designer based in Torquay. I began my career at 15, training under three master craftsmen and completing a six-year apprenticeship.

This foundation led me to the global Letterhead movement, connecting with talented artists across the United States and beyond. In 1996, I began teaching others this traditional craft while continuing to create bespoke gilded glass signs and vintage-inspired designs for clients worldwide.

My work has appeared in newspapers, international magazines and films. A recent highlight was designing an ornate set of reverse glass signs and carved frames for Ludlow Blunt, the renowned barbershop in Brooklyn.

Today, I still enjoy hand lettering shopfronts and pubs across Torbay. In 2019, I was honoured to receive an MBE from Queen Elizabeth II.

You can see a list of clients I have worked with and read the full story here.

”I feel very privileged to have attended a Dave Smith workshop and learned from the master craftsman himself. An excellent teacher of glass work gilding with a fun sense of humour!
Paul Walters

From the comfort of your own home

This online glass gilding course means you can access the course from home, take your time to set up your home workshop and learn with me, from scratch.

Some of the early sections of the course will help you get the right equipment, detailling what is important, where to get it from and what to look out for.

No experience necessary

You don’t need to be an artist, able to draw vectors, ever painted glass or touched golf leaf – but you soon will have experience of all of these!

If you have some experience of all or any of these, then great, but I’m sure the breadth of the course will offer some valuable tips to even the experienced.

Learn at a pace that suits you

The teachable platform will lay out the course curriculum into 5-15 min video sections. You just log in and work your way at your leisure.

It will remember where you got to last time, and you can stay in (or revisit) any section forever more – Meaning you have a course for life and can truly go at your own speed.

Can I do an in-person gilding course?

Yes I have been doing in-person workshops for over 25 years, I will often have a handful of strangers spending days at a time with me, keen to learn the craft. You can find out about those here.

I have devised these online courses as a solution for those who cant afford to travel and learn with me in person. It is an affordable way to be inclusive for all.

From time to time I will do discounts and competitions, if you want to hear about those the best way is to subscribe to my mailin list below.

”High value insights gained that were so much more than expected and have had an immediate impact on my business.
Scott MartinCanada

”A true master of his craft! Dave has an incredible depth of knowledge and an amazing skill set. It's rare in this day and age to find someone with such a skill set that crosses multi design disciplines and who's down to earth and willing to share his secrets.
Will LynesSydney, Australia

Help keep the craft alive

Passion. Excitement. Curiosity. Creative pursuits require fearless endeavours.

I am a student of the craft, helping others create new careers for themselves or pass nameless hours for their own joy. I can speak from both camps and continue to devote every waking second to the trade.

Now I have done something new, I’ve created an online learning course. I feel the mix of trepidation and excitement, perhaps you feel the same. Lets journey together to keep the craft alive.

#keepthecraftalive

What Current Students Say

““I Wholeheartly Recommend”
I’ve long admired David Smith’s exceptional work, so when I discovered his online gilding classes, I knew they were the perfect solution.
The online format has proven invaluable. It has provided answers to countless questions and offers the crucial benefit of observing the gilding process firsthand.
I wholeheartedly recommend David Smith’s online classes to anyone seeking to learn or refine their glass signage gilding skills. The instructions are clear, concise, and easy to follow, and the self-paced format provides a highly personalized learning experience. It truly feels like having a one-on-one class with David himself.”
Micki Reed CavanahFounder

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““I’ve Saved So Much Wasted Time & Money”
In the past, I’ve spent hours and days working on a piece, trying to get it right, only having to throw it in the bin because it all went wrong.
The step-by-step methods David takes you through in this course are invaluable to getting it right. This course more than pays for itself.”
Andrew GreavesSignwriter, Dublin

““My wife loved the gift I could make her with what I learnt.”
I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the excellent online course ‘An Introduction To Mastering The Art Of Glass Gilding’.
With this course I was able to give my wife a special present for her 50th birthday, which she certainly did not expect. Even though it still contains a few mistakes, I am extremely pleased with the end result and all with your help. I will certainly be attending your great online course as soon as I can again and look forward to reading a lot about her work until then.
Thank you for all.”
Bernhard Lenz

““Dave’s knowledge, tips and years of expertise are freely shared in this course.”

I can’t recommend Dave Smith’s introduction to mastering the art of glass gilding course highly enough. No stone is left unturned, as Dave takes you right through from the beginning as if he is right there next to you.

Starting with the materials and tools needed, and a range of places to buy from, to thoroughly covering each step of the glass gilding process in order to produce a stunning first finished piece. The course is designed in such a brilliant way, it is so easy to follow, and to keep re-watching.

Dave’s knowledge, tips and years of expertise are freely shared in this course. It is so clear how passionate he is about this craft, and championing others to become equipped in these skills, and keep the craft alive.

Whether this is your first experience of glass gilding / sign writing, or you have done a tiny bit previously (like me), learning from Dave has completely shaped and taught me the absolute best way to achieve the most beautiful results.

It is truly a case of learning from the best to achieve the best.”
Alley Courtenay-DunnDecor Artistry

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is this course for?

This course is designed for beginners at any skill level who wish to master the craft of designing beautiful letters and gold gilding on glass. Each carefully constructed lesson is designed to build on your skill level as you work through the course.

I’ve never glass gilded before. Is this course suitable for me?

This course has been designed for everybody for absolute beginners to advanced practitioners who wish to hone their skills of the craft. It provides you with the basic foundational principles of designing letters, right through to transferring them to glass and creating beautiful gold masterpieces as you work through each comprehensive module of the course.

Is there a set time limit for the course?

The course is 100% self-paced, meaning you have access to it for as long as you need. It will always be available, and you can learn at your own pace. You can always go back and revise pictures that you need to refresh on. It’s a one-time enrolment, and you will always have access.

I can’t draw or have limited drawing ability. Can I still do the course?

You don’t need to be able to draw proficiently to do the course. All the design files are provided in the course and available for you to download and print out in many different formats, including JPEG, PDF, SVG, etc.

I don’t know what materials I will need or where to get them?

The course will take you through absolutely every piece of equipment and materials you will need to undertake the course successfully. There is also a detailed list of suppliers broken down into various regions to help you locate the materials needed.

I’m on a tight budget. Do I have to get all the materials and supplies in one go?

At the start of each project, there is a detailed list of materials and supplies you will need for that particular project. Because the course has no time limit and is self-paced, you can purchase supplies and materials as your budget allows, and you are ready to move on to the next project.