A workshop exploring the direct drawing art of drypoint printing.  Scoring with drypoint tools, delicate marks into a Perspex plate and then inking and printing with an etching press.

Drypoint is an intaglio/etching process which does not use any chemicals.  Using a sharp point you can scratch, draw or gouge into the Perspex to create rich tones & velvety surfaces.  You will have the chance to experiment with a range of tools, explore mark making, learn to ink, wipe and print a plate in black & white / colour.

With artist Jess Bugler RCA   http://www.jessbugler.co.uk.

Do you look at abstract paintings and wish that you could produce work as exciting, but you have no idea how to even begin?

Do you think your work is too controlled, but you don’t know how to loosen up?

Are you trying to find a way of exploring what it feels like to be in the world rather than just what the world looks like? 

We’ll look at why some painters moved into abstraction in the twentieth century and  how we can make use of their ideas in our own work.

We’ll work in acrylics on paper during the day but everything we do will apply to oils or pastels or any other medium.

You’ll need your usual painting materials, brushes, a palette to mix paints, an A4 drawing book or sheets of cartridge paper,  and a notebook to record what you discover.  You’ll also need some scissors and Pritt stick or Copydex.

A chance to create a bold colourful print or zine using a Japanese stencil printing machine called a Risograph.   Participants will work with collage, drawing and paint to create their layers which will then be scanned in and transformed into a series of dynamic multi-colour prints or zines.   Fun for all ages and all skill levels.

With artist Jess Bugler RCA   http://www.jessbugler.co.uk.

Do you avoid painting townscapes because, try as you may, the buildings always look as if they’re falling over?

Are still lives a problem because nothing in your painting looks solid and 3 dimensional?

And how do you get a real sense of space in your landscapes? You can see the distance you want to get in your painting of the landscape, you just can’t get it in your painting.

We’ll look at why the rules of perspective were developed, what aerial perspective is,  and why, in the 20^th century, painters looked at other ways to explore the world.

By the end of the work shop you’ll know how to create the depth you want in your painting and

how to explore other approaches to your work.

We’ll work in acrylics on paper during the day but everything we do will apply to oils or pastels or any other medium.

You’ll need your usual painting materials, brushes, a palette to mix paints, an A4 drawing book or sheets of cartridge paper.  You’ll also need a soft pencil, 5 or 6 B, a soft rubber, charcoal, and a ruler.

With the development of photography  painting portraits might seem a bit pointless but painters are still fascinated by the human face and how it might be possible to reveal character and personality in paint.

We’ll look at the problems that arise in making a head look solid and real and three dimensional and explore the anatomy of the head.

We’ll also consider why some painters take a much more abstract approach to the portrait and begin to explore new possibilities in our own approach to portraits.

We’ll work with pencils and charcoal on paper for this workshop but everything we learn will also apply to oils, pastels, pencil watercolour or any other medium.

You’ll need charcoal, soft pencils 5 or 6 B,  a soft rubber, also a soft brush and water pot. You’ll also need a drawing  book A3 or sheets of paper for the exploration you be doing.