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The Grammar of Colour and Gold

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/ Signature Class

Colour does not behave the same way once gold enters the page.

In this two-session class, we will study how the tone of gold affects colour choices in manuscript work. Through gouache, colour bias, value, light, and harmony, we will look at how to build palettes that support the gold rather than compete with it.

This class is for students who want to understand colour more deliberately in illuminated manuscript, decorative, and calligraphic work.

What we will cover?

  • Colour bias and how it can affect watercolour or gouache mixing.

  • Warm and cool tendencies within all colours.

  • Light, value, and colour relationships

  • How gold changes the feeling of surrounding colours.

  • Choosing palettes that support the gold

  • Building more harmonious manuscript colour decisions

  • Simple gilding techniques in combination with the painting techniques and choosing colours

Class Details

Class Date: 
Session 1: Wednesday, 23 September 2026
Session 2: Wednesday, 30 September 2026


Class Time:
2 pm to 5 pm, Sydney Time
Check your timezone here

Class Time:
AUD 200


Level:

All Levels

Class size: Limited to 15-25 students. 

Class duration:  2.5 to 3 hours/session, including a separate Q&A session (approximately 15 minutes)

Total Sessions: 2 sessions (two weeks each session)
 

Assignment: There will be an assignment at the end of each session.

Feedback:  I will give feedback before starting each session.

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Class Access & Folder/Handouts:
The Handout will be posted in your portal at least two days before the next session.
The Zoom link will be available on your portal page.

Classroom Portal:
You will receive the Portal access a week before the class starts.

Recorded/Replay Video:

The class will be recorded, and replay access will be available for 90 days after the live sessions.
 

Live Session Update:
The link and group folders will be announced through email.

Material:

A simple gouache set, brushes, water, a palette, and suitable practice paper will be enough to participate. A more detailed materials note will be sent after registration.

Gold leaves, gilding size,  gold paint, shell gold, or metallic watercolour may be used if you already have them, but specialist advanced gilding materials are not required for this class.

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Class Focus

Notes: Your place is confirmed only after registration and payment are completed.

Class access, replay links, and materials information will be sent by email before the first session.

Registration
Link
 

Reserve your place for The Grammar of Colour & Gold.

About 
Martha Laurens

Martha Laurens is a multidisciplinary calligrapher, penman, and educator based in Sydney, Australia. Her artistic training began in the 1990s in Indonesia through oil painting and decorative arts, forming the foundation of a practice that now encompasses classical scripts, traditional penmanship, illuminated manuscripts, and fine art, alongside education, private coaching, and mentorship.

 

Between 2019 and 2025, Martha received multiple proficiency and excellence certifications from IAMPETH, including in Spencerian Script and Illuminated Border.

 

Her professional development includes studies in the United States, the United Kingdom, and across Europe, as well as international teaching experience.

 

In addition to teaching, Martha undertakes commissioned scroll works and formal calligraphic pieces for civic, ceremonial, and private contexts. She has taught private groups and institutions across Australia, the United Kingdom, Europe, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and the United States; is among the early cohort of IAMPETH Virtual Instructors and is one of the instructors of IAMPETH 2026.

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