Venetian plaster classes & training · Frederick, Maryland
Venetian plaster classes.
The Italian wall, taught by hand.
Venetian plaster training in authentic Italian lime — not a paint, not a kit. Grasello, marmorino, tadelakt. The real material, the real names, the real process.
Lime, not latexBernini · VeniceTrained in ItalyFourth generationThe real names
La materia
Venetian plaster classes in the real lime.
These Venetian plaster classes use Grasello di Calce and Marmorino — Italian lime putty and marble, not acrylic paste from a paint store. You learn how the material actually behaves: layering, compression, burnishing, wax. That is Venetian plaster training, not a weekend craft kit.
Beginners are welcome. So are working painters who want a finish clients will pay for. Classes in Frederick, Maryland; Hollywood, California; Dallas, Texas; Orlando, Florida; and Italy.
Venetian plaster classes. Four courses. One craft.
01 · One day
Venetian Plaster 101
A one-day intensive Venetian plaster workshop with Grasello di Calce from Bernini. History, tools, surface prep, color mixing, layering, burnishing and wax. You leave with sample boards and a foundation for Marmorino, Travertino, Tadelakt and marble work. 9:00–4:30. All materials included.
$300Frederick · Hollywood · Dallas · Orlando
02 · Three days
Italian Lime Plaster
The full spectrum of authentic Italian lime plaster techniques using Italian-made materials. Each day builds on the last — Marmorino, Travertino, lime paint, waxing and burnishing. Multiple completed sample boards and the knowledge to start offering the work professionally.
Traditional Moroccan lime plaster — depth, movement, and natural water resistance. Material handling, application, compression, burnishing and sealing. Live demonstration, then guided practice on multiple boards so you learn the timing of the surface.
$5002 days · limited seats
04 · Five days
Marble Effects Masterclass
Transform grasello and marmorino into marble-inspired Venetian plaster surfaces — layering, translucency, compression, burnishing, gold leaf and specialty mediums. Soft stones and bold compositions. Built for painters and plasterers who want high-end work, not a weekend hobby finish.
$2,100Masterclass · sample boards to take home
Calendario
Upcoming Venetian plaster class dates
Frederick, Hollywood, Dallas, Orlando, and Italy. Register on The Faux School. Deposit due at registration; balance on arrival. If you cannot attend, the payment can move to another class or date. Italy dates are set by trip — call the studio.
Aged Italian lime putty and marble. Not a plastic “Venetian plaster” in a bucket from the paint store.
Taught by the hand that still works
Ronald still takes commissions — Treasury, Kennedy Center, estates. The class is the same standard as the job.
Boards you can sell from
You work at a useful scale and take finished samples home. That is the portfolio, not a souvenir tile.
Il maestro
Ronald Layman
Fourth-generation decorative artist and Venetian plaster instructor. Family trade since the 1890s. Trained in Italy and across Europe. Studio in Frederick, Maryland. Classes in Hollywood, Dallas, Orlando, and Italy.
The work is Venetian plaster, painted marble, wood graining, murals, gilding and restoration — for private houses, public buildings, and institutions that still care how a wall feels.
Hands-on workshops in authentic Italian lime plaster: grasello (the polished “Venetian” finish), marmorino, travertino, and tadelakt. You work the material, not a plastic coating sold as Venetian plaster at the paint store.
Do I need experience for Venetian plaster training?
No. Beginners and working painters sit in the same shop. The 1-day class is the start. The 3-day and 5-day courses are the trade.
Where are the Venetian plaster classes held?
Frederick, Maryland (home studio). Hollywood, California. Dallas, Texas. Orlando, Florida. Italy by trip. Register on The Faux School; deposit at registration, balance on arrival.
What do I take home?
Finished sample boards at a useful scale — a portfolio, not a souvenir tile. Materials and tools for class are included.
Is this the same as acrylic “Venetian plaster”?
No. Acrylic paste does not carbonate back to stone. If a specification calls for lime, acrylic is a substitution. Read the glossary and how lime is made.
Prenota
Reserve a seat.
Call the studio or enroll through The Faux School. Small Venetian plaster classes. Materials and tools provided.