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Where Artistry Begins
Polished plaster is the wider family of smooth, burnished plaster finishes, and Venetian plaster is one of the most widely known members of it, so the training overlaps almost completely. At the Zavoré Academy in Birmingham, one Beginner Course covers Venetian plaster, Marmorino, polished plaster and metallics together, and the Advanced Course adds acrylic polish plastering.
The terms are used loosely online, which makes choosing a course confusing. This guide sorts them out and tells you which Zavoré course covers what.
Polished plaster is the general name for a plaster that is trowelled thin and burnished to a sheen. Venetian plaster is the traditional style of polished plaster, built up in layers to give depth like polished stone.
In everyday use the two names often mean the same thing, and suppliers and decorators use them interchangeably. The real differences are in the binder, the number of coats and the look. For more on the finish itself, see Marmorino or polished plaster and our polished plaster page.
These are the finishes you will hear named, and how they relate.
Because they share methods such as thin coats, careful trowel work and burnishing, learning one makes the others far easier to pick up.
Lime based plasters and acrylic based plasters use different binders, so they behave differently when you mix, apply, dry and seal them. Knowing both helps you choose the right system for a job.
The Advanced Course teaches acrylic polish plastering and how it differs from lime. Our guide to lime or acrylic Venetian plaster explains the choice in more depth, and you can see the Venetian plaster page for the products.
The Beginner Course covers the foundations of all of these finishes, and the Advanced Course goes deeper. The table shows the split.
| Course | Days and price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner Course | 3 days, £750 | Theory, surface preparation and base coats, textures, systems, and the finishes Marmorino, polished plaster and metallics |
| Advanced Course | 4 days, £1,200 | Artificial rock, textured Marmorino, stencil work, acrylic polish plastering, vein work, sanding, high gloss polishing, tinting and coloured waxes |
| 1 to 1 Training | 3 days, £1,500 | Whatever you choose, such as new designs, techniques or finishes like liquid metal |
All courses run from 10am to 5pm and are taught in Birmingham. The Beginner and Advanced Courses have up to six students. Dates are on the training page.
You can use either search, because the same course will serve you. Choose by the outcome you want, not by the name on the label.
Our guide to polished plaster courses in the UK and the complete guide to Venetian plastering training go further. If you would rather have the finish installed than learn it, Zavoré also offers installation.
The name matters less to the wall than to the client, who may ask for polished plaster, Venetian plaster or Marmorino meaning broadly the same smooth, lustrous look. Knowing the vocabulary lets you listen to a brief, work out what the client actually wants and name the right system.
It also helps when you buy materials and price a job. A decorator who can explain the choice between a lime system and an acrylic one, and between Marmorino and a high gloss polish, comes across as someone who knows the craft. You can see the finishes themselves on our Marmorino page and our liquid metal page.
Every seat includes the same support whichever course you take.
Students travel to Birmingham by train or by car. Zavoré holds a partner rate at a hotel near the Academy, and airport or station pickup can be arranged with your booking.
They are closely related. Polished plaster is the wider family of burnished plaster finishes, and Venetian plaster is the traditional layered style within it.
The Beginner Course covers polished plaster along with Marmorino and metallics. The Advanced Course adds acrylic polish plastering and how it differs from lime.
Marmorino is a Venetian style plaster that is polished, and it sits within the polished plaster family. It is taught on the Beginner Course, and textured Marmorino is taught on the Advanced Course.
No. The Beginner Course needs no experience and costs £750 per person.
The Zavoré Academy in Birmingham runs the courses, and students join from across the UK and abroad.
To book, call 07592 929191 or email sales@zavore.co.uk, or choose your course on the training page.
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