Creative Leather Decoration and Free-style Tooling

This class introduces a range of techniques Dominic uses in his work, including both innovative leather work and free-style gold tooling. The Tudor Style is a way of covering a book in overlapping strips of leather, which gives a sculptural look to the binding. Lacunose is a way of sanding built-up leather to reveal hidden shapes and colours within the skin. The third technique is creative gold tooling, using Dominic’s adapted tool which allows for a free-form approach to design. We will make our own tool from a piece of brass sunk into a wooden handle. We’ll then create a design and learn how to transfer it to the leather using jigs and templates, which ensure accuracy as the completed design takes shape. This class is a feast of creative and technical tips for anyone wanting to expand their skills into more advanced areas of creative leather binding.

Teacher: Dominic Riley