Gold has always symbolized brilliance, luxury, and reverence in the arts. Since medieval times, calligraphy and illumination have used raised gilding to create a luminous surface that brings text and ornament to life. This workshop introduces modern raised gilding techniques using Instacoll, a versatile adhesive system by Kolner that allows artists to achieve high-shine, mirror-finished gold without the lengthy curing times of traditional gesso or laborious burnishing processes.

We will learn step-by-step how to prepare surfaces, apply Instacoll for high-gloss finishes, and lay genuine gold leaf to create spectacular results. We will also explore creative applications of pure silver leaf, oxidized silver leaf, and other metals.

This class is open to all levels.

Dates: June 20th - 21st, 2026 (Saturday & Sunday)
Time: 10am - 4pm (New York Time)
Price: $150
Member Price: $110
Max Enrollment: 12 students
Location: SVA Annex, 214 E. 21st Street, Room 703A

Provided materials (fee: $40, payable at the start of class)

• Instacoll (clear or yellow) and Ormoline gilding size

• Gold leaf

• Assorted other metal leaves

• Brushes #00 and #01

• Cotton bud or Instacoll tissue for burnishing

• Laid-out Instacoll gilding chart sheet for practice

• Embossing tools

Self-prepared materials:

• Pencil, eraser, ruler

• A cutting matt (A5 or similar size) to mount paper

• Masking tape

• Water containers (one for water, one for soap water)

Cynthia Dantzic studied color under Josef Albers — the Bauhaus legend and "Father of Color Interaction" — at Yale, and has been teaching his renowned course at LIU for over 50 years.

Albers' aim was simple: "to open eyes" — to help us see color more fully. In this class, Cynthia will guide you through a series of hands-on studies using cut colored papers, presented just as Albers did.

You'll explore fascinating color illusions, including:

• 1=2 — making one color appear as two completely different colors

• 2=1 — making two unrelated colors appear identical

• Creating the illusion of transparency

• Making colors appear to vibrate at their edges

• Making a color seem to melt into its neighbor

Whether you're a calligrapher looking to incorporate color into your work or simply curious about how we perceive the world around us, this class will change the way you see color — forever.

Dates: June 7th, 14th, 28th, 2026
Time: 10am - 3pm (New York Time)
Price: $200
Member Price: $160
Max Enrollment: 15 students
Location: SVA Annex, 214 E. 21st Street, Room TBD

Class List

• Color Aid paper, ideally a 6” x 9” package, but smaller will be fine

• 1 can or jar of Rubber Cement, with brush in cap.

• 1 X-acto pencil knife.

• 1 steel 6” or 12” ruler, without cork underneath.

• 1 steel right angle, smallest available.

• 1 pencil, plus sharpener and eraser.

• Up to 12 cardboards for mounting studies, preferable gray, 8” x 10” or 6” x 8” approximately, but all the same size, so you will have a consistent set of studies at the end of the workshop.

• 1 container for all of the above!

In this intensive weekend workshop we will learn and practice copperplate calligraphy. 

Copperplate, a pointed-pen hand, was developed in 16th century England and has retained its popularity since. A variation of copperplate calligraphy can be seen in the body of the US Declaration of Independence. 

We will work with an oblique pen holder, pointed pen nib, ink, t-square, and practice paper with slant lines. Our main focus will be applying varying amounts of pressure to our pens to produce thick (shaded) and thin (hairline) strokes and we’ll learn how each letter and digit are constructed; stroke by stroke. We will begin our practice with minuscule letters on day 1 and majuscule letters on day 2. Letters will be grouped according to similar letterforms and not alphabetically. Feel free to bring in your favorite quote and/or project ideas for practice and/or discussion.

This class is open to beginners as well as calligraphers looking for a refresher. 

Dates: June 6th - 7th, 2026 (Saturday & Sunday)
Time: 10am - 3pm (New York Time)
Price: $170 ($150 + $20 supplies)
Member Price: $130
Max Enrollment: 15 students
Location: SVA Annex, 214 E. 21st Street, Room TBD

In an effort to reduce waste (shipping & packaging materials) the instructor will bring in all supplies needed for this class and the materials fee will be included in the class tuition.

Skills + Techniques

• Letter with varying amounts of pressure to produce hairline and bold strokes

• Learn and practice the construction of copperplate letterforms stroke by stroke

• Learn how to letter using a pointed pen nib, oblique pen holder, and ink 

• Instruction on how to create copperplate guidelines to assist in keeping your lettering uniform and straight

Learn the stroke components, and through rhythmic warm ups and practice to build consistent shapes and counters, while freely maintaining your own style. 

Suitable for beginner and intermediate students.

Dates: May 30-31st, 2026
Time: 10am–4pm
Price: $150
Max enrollment: 15
Location: SVA Annex, 214 E. 21st Street, Room 703A, NYC

MATERIALS LIST

Many of these can be purchased from Dick Blick, but you can also order online from Paper and Ink Arts or John Neal for more specialized calligraphy supplies. You can also order from Amazon. Order in advance to account for shipping times!

• Pentel Refillable Pocket Brush Pen - with 6 Black Ink Cartridges. Orange Bumper Pack from Etsy: $16.52. Or, Amazon – with 2 ink cartridges. Black: $7.00. If from Amazon, need to buy extra cartridges for $8.75. Pack of 12, or can purchase individual from teacher at $1.00 apiece. 

• Pentel Color Brush Pen, Black (GFLBP101). Amazon Prime: $8.36

• Tombow Dual Brush Pen, Black (66621) Pack of 6 pcs. Amazon Prime: $13.49. Can purchase individual from teacher at $2.75 apiece. 

• Bienfang Graphics 360 Marker Pad, 11x14 inch. Amazon Prime: $15.49