Mixed Media Painting Short Course

Details

Topics covered:

You will explore a range of new techniques and materials, experimenting with colour, dripping, pouring, glazing, collage, surface texture, photo transfer, wax, resin and more creating contemporary artworks which are built up through layers. 
Techniques and materials explored during the course will include:

• Use of acrylic paints and mediums
• Masking techniques
• Photo transfer and collage on canvas & board
• Mixing your own pigments
• Oil paints & wax impasto mediums
• Use of impasto gels and high gloss alkyd resins.
• Priming & stretching canvas
• Demonstrations and practical sessions on the chromatic value of colour through opacity, transparency and surface 

Materials

Please bring the following with you to the first session:

Paint - acrylic paint is provided upon the course, however you will be expected to bring along the following colours yourself.

• White Acrylic Paint, Titanium Opaque
• White Acrylic Paint, Zinc White or Tint White Transparent

Recommended brands: Golden Fluid or Lascaux

Brushes - bring a variety of synthetic and hog brushes. Hog brushes are used for texture and visible brush work, synthetic brittles are for smoother applications of paint.

• Flat 60mm or 80mm Lascaux synthetic priming or glazing brush 
• Flat 2" wide from hog bristle
• Flat 2" wide from nylon
• Soft hake brushes for blending and soft brush work
• Fan brush for blending, approximately 1" wide

Good quality brushes, and other art supplies can be purchased from Cowling and Wilcox (www.cowlingandwilcox.com) or Stuart Stevenson (www.stuartstevenson.co.uk).

Recommended brands: Lascaux, Pro Art Synthetic, Windsor & Newton or Da-Vinci Brushes 

Painting equipment

• Tessa yellow masking tape, the best tape for clean hard edged
• 4” mini paint roller and tray for priming micro fibre rollers or smooth sponge rollers, for priming
• Pallet knifes, a variety of sizes
• Rags, for cleaning
• Empty plastic pots with lids, for mixing paints
• A plastic or paper palette book
• Olive oil soap, for washing brushes and keeping brushes soft

Source material - it is essential you bring your source material for the first painting project. ‘Deconstruction Collage & Abstract Painting Formulations’. This may include photographs, postcards, magazine cuttings and other visual imagery which focus on an area of interest and can be incorporated into your collages. These compositional ideas will be the spring board for a series of mixed media paintings.

Photo transfer images - please bring images focused on a theme or area of interest. Black and white and colour photocopies/laser copies (A3 and A4). The photocopies should not cost any more than 50p for black and white or £1.50 for colour (use your local copy bureau or Rymans). Do not buy really expensive shiny photocopies, matt quality laser not ink jet; basic paper prints work better for photo transfer. Please make sure your photocopies have a good variety contrasting tones from, mid, dark to light tones. Photocopies can also be made on the course.

A range of materials will be supplied by Central Saint Martins upon your course, including:

• Acrylic paints
• Canvas
• Mediums
• Mixed media materials
• Primers
• Wax
• Pigments
• Boards
• Timber
• Acrylics

You may be required to buy additional materials for specific projects. Whilst acrylic paint is provided if you would rather use oils you will be expected to provide your own, the tutor can advise you what you will need during the course.