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People of Print are excited to present a list of our top 55 screen printers. Including practising artists, serigraphy studios and some of our very own Official POP Members, we've compiled our favourite silkscreen printers that you should all know about.

Make-Ready offer fine art silkscreen printing for galleries, artists and designers. Based in London, they have collaborated with clients including Hauser & Wirth, Jeremy Deller and Pentagram. The team provide a consultancy driven silkscreen service that utilises a variety of oil based and water based ink systems in order to produce vivid colours that are fully archival. Their studio is equipped with large format Kippax printing benches.
@makereadymakeready
Dan Mather is an independent screen printer, graphic designer and lecturer who offers silkscreen print editions for artists, designers and illustrators. He is a one-man band, dealing with all operations from quote to dispatch. Dan learnt his craft at the London College of Communication, and has since established a reputation for producing exquisite screen prints with great attention to detail.
@danielmather
For over 20 years, K2 Screen have worked with artists, designers and publishers gaining a reputation for producing high-quality work. Based in Bermondsey, London, with a small and dedicated workforce, they offer the capability to print on numerous substrates including acrylic, perspex, mirrror, glass, sheet metal, wooden panels, leather, canvas and bookcloth.

Established in 1976 in the beautiful countryside of East Sussex, Harvey Lloyd Screens work in close collaboration with clients on projects ranging from limited edition prints, to posters, postcards and all kinds of printed ephemera. They have the ability to print on most materials including wood, cork, acrylic, metal, rubber and paper. The team relish working with unusual materials and experimenting with different techniques informed by their practical knowledge gained over many years.
@harvey_lloyd_screens
Using only ethically sourced and environmentally friendly materials, Make Good Prints is an independently run print studio in South London. They specialise in water-based screen printing, executed with care and attention, and lovingly hand-pulled in limited editions. The team divide their time between designing and producing their own products, and providing an affordable printing service.
@makegoodprints
White Duck Editions are a UK based editioning house. Established in 2005, they work with artists and illustrators, galleries, and private commissioning groups, to create outstanding print editions. Previous clients have included Arcade Fire, Facebook and Thames & Hudson. The team are specialists in the use of both water-based and solvent-based inks, and pride themselves on the exacting execution of the screen printing craft.

A modern screen printing studio, passionate about the endless possibilities of creative screen printing; The Private Press make hand-pulled, fine art and graphic art prints, with an emphasis on quality and meticulous attention to detail. They specialise in printing fine art editions for established and emerging artists and using water-based and specialist inks, such as fluorescent, metallics, varnishes, interference, and glow inks. Based in Brighton, the studio is managed and run by Gary Parselle, who has more than 10 years of screen printing experience.
@theprivatepress
Based in Hackney, London, Blacklist Editions are experts in printing fine quality art prints, posters, and record sleeves, as well as high end stationery such as wedding invitations and business cards. As a small business, they offer a personal service and enjoy working closely with their clients through each stage of the process. From an initial consultation, to choosing inks, paper and print techniques, all of their prints are produced meticulously by hand, one by one.

Jealous Prints' Shoreditch based print studio is equipped to produce the highest quality water-based screen prints. Since opening their doors in 2008, the team have worked in collaboration with a wide range of artists, design and fashion houses, museums and institutions to produce their print editions. They provide a one-to-one service from creation to completion, so that the client leaves the studio with the highest quality edition, and happy that everything has been tried and tested to reach the finished artwork. The team can print any image size up to 152 x 102 cm.
@jealous_london
Jill & Gill is a brand of award winning Irish illustrators and printmakers working across fashion, design and fine art. The multi-discipline studio based in Dublin, Ireland, is made up of illustrator Jill Deering, and printmaker Gillian Henderson. They offer a range of their own screen printed apparel and prints, live screen printing at events, and collaborations with a range of clients. The duo have worked with a range of companies including DFS, Schweppes, and Roe & Co.
@jillandgill
Brooklyn based studio, Kayrock, offer a range of screen printing services from live printing, to shirts and totes, and editioning. They also invite artists to their studio where they work with master printers to create an original screen printed edition. Kayrock Editions are made in a limited print run, one colour at a time, and are hand-signed and numbered. With up to eight mobile stations and printers, the team can offer live printing for a range of events.
@kayrockscreenprinting
Ice Screen Printing print on both high quality paper and organic textiles. In a bright studio with lots of natural light, they currently have a manual 6 head, 4 station carousel for textiles as well as a large flatbed vacuum table for handprinting B2 (50x70cm) art prints. The studio is owned and run by artist and printmaker Rune Fallesen from their base in Denmark. As Ice Screen Printing is an artist based studio, they are hands-on during the whole printing process. The studio not only produce prints for clients, they also help creatively in the design process of projects.
@icescreenprinting
Brian Giles, aka Sonofafox, is an Irish silkscreen artist based in Dublin. Through the process of screen printing he loves to experiment with graphic abstract textures and strong colour combinations, often combining these two elements to produce bold and colourful artworks. You can shop his selection of limited edition prints which he has designed and created on his site.
@sonofafoxx
Fallani Venezia is an artisan screen print studio working since 1968 offering printing on commission in the heart of Venice. The studio is currently run by Gianpaolo Fallani with the aim to preserve the archive of works made by Fiorenzo, Gianpaolo's father, who has collaborated with more than 200 artists from all over the world and realised more than 1000 editions. Gianpaolo still operates the same printing bed which his father began to print with more than 50 years ago. The studio is not a modern tech-addicted workplace, but you will find knowledge, experience, skills, passion and sensibility.
@fallanivenezia
Poster Rex was founded in 2014 by graphic designers Lars Harmsen and Markus Lange from Studio Farn. For each session, the duo invite an artist to create a series of unique posters, produced in different screen print workshops around the globe. The posters are silkscreen printed by hand around a certain topic. Their collection now includes over 200 unique posters which you can purchase online.

16: Studio KJP After graduating from Central Saint Martins in 2016, Katherine Plumb began selling printed lifestyle goods under the name of KJP, before also producing limited edition screen printed artworks. Katherine screen prints and designs her own rage of products which includes tees, cushions, homeware and prints. She has also worked on numerous other projects, including installations, displays, print designs and collaborations.

Emma Reynolds is a fine art screen printer whose work focuses on urban landscapes where one can find respite in nature in the heart of the city. She recently developed a series called Under the Same Sky, where she printed skies from around the world. Her passion for the medium was furthered when she re-furbished a Kippax screen table, which she set up in her studio for more immediate access. Emma is a key holder at East London Printmakers, where she has been involved with their exhibitions and events. She is available to work on commission or you can shop her limited edition prints on her online store.
@emma_screenprints
London based Dot Studio is an independent printing practice offering screen printing for graphic designers and start-ups. Since 2013, the founders Marta and Matt have been creating cards, stationery, notebooks, posters, packaging and a range of bespoke projects with vintage machines. Open to a challenge, the team enjoy experimenting and adapting different materials through the printing process, and love collaborating with designers to achieve something new and original.

Emma O'Hara is a visual artist who practices screen printing from her base in Cork City, Ireland. She takes inspiration from everyday encounters with landscape, architecture and the urban environment. Deconstructing her surroundings, she then rebuilds them through the use of collage-based printmaking to highlight environments through new lenses. Emma uses bold, alerting colours to encourage viewers to rethink how they view their surrounding world. Her prints are available through her online shop and have been exhibited nationally.
@emmaoharaartist
Bushwick Print Lab is an artist run silkscreen production studio specialising in hand-printed fine art, editions on paper, canvas, textiles, zines, invitations, and custom materials. They offer a quick turnaround for clients and typically use Aerotex water-based ink or Union Plastisol on apparel, and TW Graphics ink for paper. Founded by Ray Cross in 2009 in Brooklyn NY, BPL has continued to evolve as an artist-run silkscreen design and production studio collaborating with fine artists, graphic and fashion designers, activist groups, not-for-profits, corporations, and museums.
@bushwickprintlab

Print to the People's screen print technicians have a combined printing experience of over 25 years, with a prestigious list of local and national clients. The team offer a personal and unique service to suit any needs and budget from their studio in Norwich, UK. They can accommodate for a range of silkscreen services including t-shirts, tote bags, t-towels, aprons, posters, artist prints, cd covers, vinyl sleeves, cards, invitations, booklets and zines. Established in 2009, Print to the People is an artist led, social enterprise purely dedicated to the production and promotion of traditional printmaking processes.
@printtothepeople

Shane O'Driscoll is an Irish screen printer who is a member of Cork Printmakers and Graphic Studio Dublin. Shane studied Visual Communications and has since exhibited his work internationally and throughout Ireland. His work is characterised by abstract compositions which use brightly coloured shapes and textures. Shane is available for commissions, or you can get in contact to purchase one of his unique prints.
@shane.odriscoll
Spiegelsaal (Hall of Mirrors) are a screen print studio based in Hamburg, Germany. Founded by Torsten Jahnke and Jochen Mönig, the duo specialise in printing and designing limited edition gig posters for bands, musicians and festivals. They are always open for commissions and collaborations with new bands and events, and have previously screen printed posters for bands including Bryan Ferry, Flaming Lips, and Sleaford Mods.
@spiegelsaal_net
Toucan Tango are Liverpool based, screen printing duo; Luce and Scott. They create original artworks that take joy in simple, every day pleasures; whether that's enjoying cuppa, a weekend ramble in the Welsh hills or listening to a new record on repeat. Their shared love of all things bold and bright is reflected in the gig posters they have designed and printed for bands including Maximo Park, Dinosaur Jr. and Everything Everything. A range of their screen printed posters and other products are also available on their website.
@toucantango

Located in the heart of Berlin, Le Raclet is a screen print studio specialising in fine art and high end silkscreen onto paper, as well as a variety of flat surfaces such as wood, glass, and metal. The team operare a bespoke printing service that produce works of a consistently high standard, working along side their customers from the initial idea to the finished print. Beyond the standard printing size, they are also specialists in large format screen printing, reaching the maximum image size of 90cm x 120 cm. They also offer a screen print publishing project where they work in collaboration with talented artists.

Vahalla Studios is a full service, flat-stock screen printing studio located in North Kansas City, Missouri. They pride themselves on being a design-focused print shop, using their skills, background, and unmatched customer service to guide clients both large and small through the print process. Although their most common press sheet size is 18×24, the team also have the capability of printing up to 24×36, full bleed.

Based in London, Katy Binks is a multi-disciplinary silkscreen artist with a broad and colourful creative practice. Katy's passion for screen printing developed whilst she was studying BA Graphic Arts at the University of East London, which later led her to study MA Printmaking course at Camberwell College of Arts. Her screen printing practice explores the relationships between colour, shape, volume and proportion, with architecture and the urban environment. She has previously collaborated with clients including Jealous Studio, University of the Arts London and Boxpark.

The Half and Half are a full service design studio offering in house silkscreen printing on paper and textiles from Columbia, SC. They can provide quick turn-around and faultless service on t-shirt and paper printing. They also have an online store where you can browse a collection of their limited edition screen prints, gig posters and printed tees which the team have created in collaboration with a range of amazing artists and musicians.
@thehalfandhalf
Jonathan Lawes creates screen prints with a graphic edge; reflecting his love of geometry, shape, and pattern. He works in a loose, organic way, forming abstract compositions that develop as his printing process evolves. His aesthetic is defined by his keen eye for colour and layering techniques, with works revealing intense flashes of colour through the process of masking off. A selection of his limited edition screen prints can be purchased from his online store.
@jonathanlawes
Paris based French Fourch is a screen printing studio with creativity at its heart. The studio have collaborated with numerous artists, creating unique series of prints that are representative of each artist. These collaborative prints can be purchased from their shop and form part of their Bastonnade project. The organised residencies provide the opportunity to produce new and exciting editions, and for the process of graphic and technical research and development through the medium of screen print.
@frenchfourch
Spectral Nation is a collaboration between Luke Frost, Jon Rundall, and Therese Vandling, who also form the London based Studio Heretic. The collaborative, on-going project is an exploration into the screen printing process. Their body of work is constantly in flux, growing through a series of colour and print process interactions combined with irregular print experiments. With a focus on visual perception, their prints explore the journey an image takes through different processes; from digital manipulation to analogue printing.
@heretic_spectral_nation
Founded in 2016 and based in Brighton, UK, Tidy Print offer a full water-based screen printing service onto mediums including clothes, bags, paper stocks and much more. They also have an online shop where they display unique work by local and national artists, focusing on hand printed editions.

Maze are a Brighton based duo composed of one experienced mixed media artist, and one lover of all things mid-century modern. They launched their first collection of sixteen limited edition screen prints in August 2016. Their handmade prints are characterised by strong, clean patterns, and bold, geometric shapes with vibrant colour blocks, inspired by 1950s educational book covers, nature and mechanical drawings. With a love of the tactile qualities of the silkscreen process, the duo produce limited edition prints that are organically made using cut card stencils.
@mazeforhome
For the last 12 years Portuguese artist, Vanda Sim Sim, has been working as a Printmaking Specialist Technician at University of Évora - School of Arts. Her practice as a screen print artist often plays with the combination of different layers, colours, and scales, producing a dialogue between abstraction and figuration, small details and large saturated places. Every print is completely unique, exploring the technical possibilities of the screen printing process. You can browse her print collection on Department Store.
@vandasimsim_printmaker
Mister Adam (aka Adam Oostenbrink) is a graphic designer, printmaker, and design educator based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. From his studio he creates typographic screen prints which are unrestrained, colourful, lively and outspoken. He has also worked for a wide range of clients including global brands such as Nikon, TNT Worldwide and Adidas. Adam's personal projects are focused on the processes of experimentation, research, and collaboration, resulting in high quality, handmade limited editions.
@misteradamtype
Eimearjean McCormack's work is a combination of her training in Fine Art and Design, emphasising the many ways in which print is central to contemporary Art and Design. She pushes the boundaries of the medium by exploring its strategies and techniques in new ways. Her screen prints are informed by appropriated imagery that is re-contextualised through the print process. As a practising artist, Eimearjean has exhibited extensively throughout Ireland, and internationally.
@eimearjeanmccormack
Miniprint Seoul is a printmaking studio focused on screen printing. Founded and run by Samantha Blumenfeld and Albert Che, they seek to be the locus for artists and designers working in print, and act as a platform for their work. The duo pursue their own work as well as collaborating with other artists and creatives to develop fine art screen printed editions.
@miniprintseoul
Based in Tel Aviv, Hamelaha is a workshop that has been teaching, selling and practising screen printing since 2010. They collaborate with artists and designers to create limited edition screen printed posters, prints and textiles. Hamelaha can print a vast variety of colours including metallic, phosphoric and white. Their experience and technical skill allow creatives ranging from beginners to masters to make use of their services.
@hamelaha_workshop
Josie Blue Molloy is a London based screen printer whose work is characterised by collage-like layers, vibrant colour blocks and textured brush strokes. She recently completed her second year of a prestigious Printmaking Fellowship at the Royal Academy, and also runs her own pop-up screen printing workshop; Screen Grab. Her bold prints, influenced by the Bauhaus and Brutalist movements can be purchased from her online store.
@josiebmolloy
Bristol based Grey Jam specialise in hand screen printed stickers, artist prints and garments. Starting out printing vinyl and egg shell stickers in their Grandma's shed, Grey Jam have gone on to collaborate with clients including Outlook Festival, V&A, and Champion. They can print stickers in a variety of finishes from fluorescent to matt and chrome, and with a plethora of options for both tote and tee printing, Grey Jam can meet your screen printing needs. You can also purchase a select range of their printed products from their online shop.
@greyjampress
Founded in 2016, the four members of Brixton based, printmaking collective, Underway Studio, work collaboratively on design projects using screen print as a primary medium. Print designs are passed between the collective until they are finalised and ready to be screen printed, resulting in unique artworks that are composed of each artists' impression. Influenced by architecture, form, texture and colour, their physical printing process means their visual language is both playful and distinctive, incorporating photography, collage, and drawing, embracing any happy accidents along the way.
@underwaystudio
Print Garage is run by artist and screen printer Iain Perry. Iain creates deeply layered, colour saturated, slow motion screen prints that can be purchased from his website. His work borrows language from other art forms including film and photography, poetry, electronic music and rave culture. For Iain, the generation of his screen prints is a slow process of experimentation and trial and error; collecting imagery, developing patterns and overlaying all the different elements until new and intriguing relationships emerge.
@printgarageiain
Damn Fine Print specialise in limited edition print runs for artists, and bespoke projects for commercial and corporate clients, operating from their base in Dublin, Ireland. They supply a range of papers and inks for all kinds of projects as well as totes, t-shirts and other garments for live printing and events. Their print team is composed of NCAD graduates who have a keen eye for detail and an ability to handle everything from large commercial projects, to bespoke artisan creations for galleries. A range of their screen printed products can be purchased from Department Store.
@damnfineprint
Currently studying her first year of an Art Practice degree at the University of Suffolk, Megan Hopkin is a printmaker from Bury St. Edmunds. Her screen prints explore the concept of colour and shape, focusing on geometry, pattern and structure. Her layered works explore both the freedoms and restrictions within the screen printing process. Megan's work is centred on the use and impact of colour, and how it is interpreted to mean different things by different people. Vibrancy, boldness and the expressiveness of colour and shape is celebrated in her prints.

French graphic artist and printmaker Yann Brien lives and works in London. His body of screen print work documents his ongoing research, and the link between visual art and psychology. With a conceptual approach to design, Yann's prints are abstract, line-based constructions, with titles that invite the implementation of a personal narrative.

Frea Buckler's bold, geometric screen prints play with illusion and perception, influenced by unfolded boxes and origami. She uses screen print as a tool for drawing to produce series of one off printed works on paper. Her works are built from modular elements, shapes collected from found forms, objects used to demarcate, barricade and build. Frea's artworks are intended as visual representations of our processes, emotions and behaviours, such as flow, poise and balance, rather than objects.
@freabuckler
Creating from her makeshift print studio in Northwest London, Kate Gibb is a silkscreen artist whose early studies in Printed Textiles continue to influence her use of colour, shape and pattern in her work. Her prints are led by, and utilise, the happy accidents that occur in the printmaking process. Kate's informal and playful approach reflects her self-taught and intuitive practice. She is most known her music based artworks, particularly her collaboration with The Chemical Brothers.
@kategibbprint
Kelly Belter is an illustrator and printmaker based in Seoul. She works primarily with screen printing to realise vibrant images onto traditional 'hanji' paper. She enjoys taking inspiration from the odd and idiosyncratic moments of daily life, and approaches her work with colour, humour, and a mixed-cultural perspective.

UFF Screen Printing is run by Argentinian printmaker Mauro Dalla Costa from Nanaimo, Vancouver Island. Mauro's works are centred on the process of exploration and experimentation through the medium of silkscreen. Besides from his own artwork, he has also been printing for several artists of all disciplines, creating high quality art reproduction posters from his studio since 2004.
@uffserigrafia
Creative screen printing studio, Serigrafia, is based in the heart of Barcelona city. They print on almost every accessible material; textiles, paper, cardboard and wood, and can collaborate on fully personalised projects, creating limited and exclusive printed t-shirts, fabrics, posters and invitations. All of their prints are hand made using eco friendly inks, giving their customers the possibility to realise their own projects from raw idea to final product.
@serigrafiartbarcelona
With nature the central inspiration to her work, Rowena Quill specialises in silkscreen as a process to depict her botanical imagery. Reinterpreting florals, foliage, birds and insects, Rowena's work makes use of multiple layers of vibrant colours and rich metallics. Reflecting the influence of extravagant renaissance interiors, and the elegant wonders of nature, she also incorporates intricate patterns to contain her imagery.

XZXZ Studio is a small screen printing studio in the Cantal Mountains, France, and run by Pierre Delpic. Pierre prints posters, tote bags and t-shirts, all influenced by the colours and typography of the 1960's. His work often reflects the different personalities of the period, such as Bowie, The Beatles and Twiggy.
@xzxzstudio
Ricardo Côrte is a British Portuguese printmaker, currently based in London. His screen prints are inspired by Pop Art, graphic design and late 20th century pop culture. Using collage and photographic imagery, his work makes use of bold and fluorescent colours in order to create colourful silkscreen prints which explore themes around gender identity and expression.

Taking inspiration from Victorian anatomical illustrations, poetry, and the macabre, Montez's screen prints juxtapose bright colours with melancholic imagery. Dark and sombre subjects are given a happier and brighter life through her use of bright, neon colour and geometric shapes. Every screen print she creates from her base in West Sussex is a journey in colour that satisfies her indecisive nature.
@montezmakes
Drawing inspiration from language, film, technology, set design, music and graphic design, Mat Denney's screen prints are about the nature of reality and truth, metaphysics, symbols and language. He uses digital methods to manipulate disparate elements into a cohesive whole, before being transformed back into physical silkscreen prints. His work often retains evidence of its process in the form of registration marks, tape and grids, which aim to infer to the constructed nature of reality.
@iamcyanblue
People of Print also offer a screen printing service and have previously collaborated with clients including Adidas, Nike, Design Museum, UEFA, V&A, and Missguided, We have a huge network of printers that we closely work with on projects. Please get in touch via info@peopleofprint.com with any queries.

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55 Screen Printers You Should All Know About

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People of Print are excited to present a list of our top 55 screen printers. Including practising artists, serigraphy studios and some of our very own Official POP Members, we've compiled our favourite silkscreen printers that you should all know about. Make-Ready offer fine art silkscreen printing for galleries, artists and designers.

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https://poulwebb.blogspot.com/2012/07/patrick-caulfield-part-2.html

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Patrick Caulfield (1936 - 2005) was a British painter and printmaker whose pictures combine simple graphics with a naive pictorial style in which personal, social, political and artistic images meet.
This is part 2 of a 4-part post on the works of Patrick Caulfield.
Parts 1 - 3 feature Caulfield's work chronologically. Part 4 features his 1973 silkscreen print series "Some Poems of Jules Laforgue."
Forbiographical notes on Caulfield see part 1.

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Patrick Caulfield (1936 - 2005) was a British painter and printmaker whose pictures combine simple graphics with a naive pictorial style in which personal, social, political and artistic images meet. This is part 2 of a 4-part post on the works of Patrick Caulfield. Parts 1 - 3 feature Caulfield's work chronologically.

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For Document's Summer/Pre-Fall 2021 issue, the artist joins Thelma Golden to discuss the cultural legacy of 'Jet' magazine and the love language of collage

Growing up in New Jersey in the '70s and '80s, Mickalene Thomas rarely saw photographs of people who represented her own likeness in mainstream pop culture. She noticed a lack of powerful imagery of Black women, aside from in the pages of magazines like Jet, Ebony, and Essence. Thomas discovered a sense of empowerment within these publications as they transformed the way she saw herself. The artist developed her practice-first as an undergrad at Pratt in New York, then while pursuing an MFA at Yale-with this goal in mind: to change the perception of Black women in society.

Thomas reverses the stereotypical role Black women have been confined to. In her 2007 painting A Little Taste Outside of Love, she references Édouard Manet's Olympia: replacing the white European female subject, served by a Black woman, with a Black female figure who assumes the life of leisure once reserved strictly for white people. One of her first muses was her mother, Sandra Bush-a striking figure who stood at 6'1" and modeled in the '70s-who the artist wanted to portray in such a way that her mother could view herself the way that her daughter did: as a worthy and powerful Black woman. By giving the Black female form a starring role in art history, elevating her onto the canvas, Thomas inspires others to see the beauty, power, and strength that she feels in her presence.

This fall, Mickalene Thomas will open Beyond the Pleasure Principle, an international exhibition across the Lévy Gorvy gallery's four locations in Paris, London, New York, and Hong Kong. Spanning Thomas's career since its beginning in the '90s, the show features paintings, installations, and video works-from her canvases imbued with art history references, to her investigation of beauty and Black identity, to her exploration of activism from the Civil Rights Movement to the present day.

Thelma Golden, the director and chief curator of The Studio Museum in Harlem, first met Thomas while she was an undergrad at Pratt. Thomas would later participate in a residency at the institution, cementing their relationship. Thomas recently spoke to Golden about the portrayal of the Black female figure in art, the influence of Jet magazine, and the affirmative new work she created for the cover of Document's Summer/Pre-Fall 2021 issue.

Thelma Golden: There are so many ways into a conversation with you, Mickalene. So, let's start at the beginning. Let's talk about when we met.

Mickalene Thomas: It was probably around 1996. I moved to New York in February of '95 to go to Pratt, and I saw your [ Black Male] show at The Whitney before it closed. I remember us meeting on the streets of SoHo and you asked me about myself. I said, 'I'm an artist and I'm studying at Pratt,' and you were, like, 'Welcome.'

I just remember thinking, Oh my God, oh my God! As an undergrad in New York for the first time, I felt this synergy. It was an amazing Black bohème environment; Ellen Gallagher was having her show at Mary Boone, and I was in the middle of it all. Here I was, this girl from New Jersey via Portland, Oregon-long locks, kinda a little crunchy, kinda trying to figure it out-but being introduced [to you] and seeing the evolution of so many great artists. I chose Pratt for that reason, instead of the San Francisco Art Institute. I wanted to be in the middle of the excitement.

Thelma: I remember that moment, and I felt your energy-you expressed a full sense of your possibility. Then I fast-forward to when you were at Yale. I remember seeing the MFA show and hearing Glenn Ligon describe your works. The precision of Glenn's eye, combined with the absolute strength of his intellect, is the way in which I understand so much about art. I remember him describing one of the paintings in your MFA exhibition and situating it so firmly within the uniqueness of your voice in that moment, but also within this larger art historical dialogue.

The moment at which we began this [ongoing] relationship of dialogue in and around your work, and the world you've created through your work, was when you were in the residency program at The Studio Museum in Harlem. Can you talk about that year?

Mickalene: There was a lot to unpack for me during that time as a Yale graduate, and I was encouraged to apply [for the residency]. I wasn't going to. I think I was scared. It was a lot [to do with] the unknown, but I also wanted to move into a space where I could just make, and it was an uncertain transition from graduate school to a place where I could experiment. A good friend, Kehinde [Wiley], was an artist-in-residence, and he was encouraging me to apply, saying, 'No, this is a place where you can experiment.' So I applied.

I was a resident with Deborah Grant and Louis Cameron. I felt a bit insecure in relation to their experience; I knew I was worthy of being there, yet I also felt an enormous responsibility to do a great job, remembering that there were a lot of other people who had applied. I wasn't one of those artists that left graduate school thinking, 'My shit's good.' I left with the thought and feeling that there was more to learn, more to develop, more to explore. I went into The Studio Museum with this rigorous focus of wanting to become a better artist. Being [there], I understood the history and knew that I stood on the shoulders of so many other amazing artists before me. My thoughts were, 'I need to do a lot more work because I want to be where they are someday.'

Thelma: In that moment, you began to develop the vocabulary for your practice. You were engaged in photography, collage. You were beginning to explore the idea of working with human, animal bodies. You approached ideas of scale and palette that you have developed. Can you talk about exploring these aspects of your practice?

Mickalene: A lot of the ways in which I work with various mediums started back at undergrad, then were put on the shelf when I went to Yale. That was the first time I was challenged about aspects of my work that did not deal with the self. Once I entered The Studio Museum in Harlem, I was able to explore all of those mediums freely. I began thinking about collage and its history, what that meant for me as a young African-American artist, and all the artists that had cemented the ways in which I could formalize my own compositions and concepts; thinking about scale and its relationship to my own body, and realizing the impact of the image that I wanted to create.

Discovering [the impact of scale] had to do with some of the first works that I made, like when I was working out the iconography of using cats as symbols and signifiers for the Black female with Panthera. It was my largest work at that time. I remember wanting to make it larger. [ Panthera] was four-by-six feet, and, for me, that was extremely large. Prior to that, I was working on two-by-three feet-what I could afford, it was all about cost-and I knew I wanted the work to reach a monumental scale. I wanted people to be confronted by the texture, the material, and the electric color. I wanted them to be confronted by this ferociousness as they were entering into the landscape. That was the beginning of knowing that I can actually do more, and go bigger, and engage with or create impact for the viewer.

I think of myself as a painter's painter, when it comes to working with formal aspects of painting. I utilize the thinking of Abstract Expressionism in terms of the all-over-ness and repetition of gestures. I think a lot about the language of painting, bringing forth some necessary tropes into the work, and using that as a mode of construct. When you see my painting The Grand Odalisque at Brooklyn Museum-what does that mean for the viewer? What does that mean for that sitter? What does that mean for young Black girls? I realized that having my paintings occupy these spaces is what I can give to the world, so that people can see themselves in these images on that scale.

Thelma: You said in a talk, My gaze is the gaze of a Black woman, unapologetically loving other Black women. So can we talk about the liberatory space of love? What does that mean to you?

Mickalene: Love is the only space I really know how to work out of. Is that cliché? Should I feel that emotion? Should I work out of that space? As I develop and as I become more mature as an artist, I recognize it is very important to claim the space of love and relationship, and celebrate it: whether it's the love of my mother, the love of the relationships I've been in, my love for my relationship, the love of friendships, and the love for Black beauty. I want the world to see what I see in Black women. That's the love behind making these paintings say, This is what you should be seeing, this is the desire, this is the love, this is the beauty, this is the intellect, this is what we [Black women] have to give to the world. Removing the Black female from stereotypes of servitude and overtly sexualized positions is about celebrating the Black women in my world, and this started with my mother.

One of the first paintings I did [of my mother] was from photographs that I took at Yale. I photographed her in her home, and I really wanted her to feel a sense of empowerment, I really wanted her to see herself in the light that I see her in and know that she's worthy of her beauty, her strength, and her space. So I learned about the gaze through my mother's eyes.

Thelma: The work that you did with your mother as the subject is so powerful, so moving, because it's evident in a primary way that you understand each other as mother and daughter. The work also seemed to take a path through art history. You sort of portray her as a standard in many ways. Can you talk specifically about some of the works historically that inspire you and your work?

Mickalene: Historically, I think Olympia by Manet. When I'm looking at historical paintings, I contemplate these archetypal images all the time, because in some ways they piss me off. But to understand them is to go into the minds of artists and try to figure out the truth. So much of painting is about artifice, about what we think we know in the image, [but] that doesn't really exist in it. In schools, they are constantly bombarding you with these iconic images centering the narrative of Black women in servitude positions. I needed to reverse the roles by empowering Black women. Images are powerful; we see ourselves in them.

Thelma: Moving into the portfolio that will accompany this article: Can you talk about the symbolism, form, and content of this group of images?

Mickalene: This is the first body of work where I'm using archival image references. Each woman depicted is sourced from archival material that I recontextualize by deconstructing the image, reframing it in a compositionally brand-new manner. By reimagining these women outside of their original context, I hope to depict a complexity of identity, femininity, Blackness, and beauty that is outside of temporal or spatial specificity.

Since the beginning of my career, I have utilized the language of collage in many forms. These works in particular engage this part of my practice more directly, offering a rebirth or reimagining of self, of beauty, of race. The specificity of collage as a tool has allowed me to build upon a tradition of the form, while creating my own language through my mediums, drawing on multiple sources-contemporary, historical, personal, and pop cultural-in order to create complex works that present a more realistic depiction of Black femininity and beauty, questioning and confronting the continued erotization of the Black body.

Magazines, commercials, TV, and movies have historically shaped and defined what is considered 'beautiful.' Jet magazine was a pioneer during the '60s and '70s. When the civil rights of Black people were at stake, this cultural touchstone became a critical space for Black girls and Black women to find themselves represented as beautiful in popular media. The images [used in the collage work for Document's cover] are sourced from vintage Jet pin-up calendars from 1970-1977. Most of these calendars are collected from online estate sales and collectible stores like Material Life in New Orleans, owned by Carla Williams.

Thelma: How did you first discover Jet?

Mickalene: I guess, being a product of the '80s, most of my inspiration derived from printed matter, movies, and books. My mother subscribed to Jet magazine. She was acquisitive with her collection of Black media; she had to have Ebony, she had to have Essence, that's how she's sort of moved through the world. My favorite Jet section as a young girl was the Beauty of the Week, because these photos presented everyday women-housewives, college women, career women-who would describe themselves doing activities, their hobbies. As an eight-year-old, I thought, Wow, these women are beautiful, but I didn't see these types of women in other magazines. These images empowered and validated you; they gave you a sense of adulation, a sense of pride. It was seeing those images that allowed me to appreciate my beauty, because I saw women looking like my cousins, looking like my aunties. The Jet images provided a platform for the concepts in my work by presenting and celebrating Black women as icons.

At Yale, I did a painting based on a photograph where I had inserted myself as a Beauty of the Week girl. More recently, I discovered the [ Jet] calendars; many people in my world don't know about them. They were more risqué. These images competed with Playboy and provided a space for men's sexuality during a particular time. In the calendars, unlike in Beauty of the Week, the women are anonymous. They're not self-described. They're not being celebrated in the same way. I want to recontextualize their presence. By layering and deconstructing them through the language of collage, I'm reclaiming these images and having them occupy a new space in the world.

Thelma: It's clear you were diving into the complexity of the way in which those images were created. It seems that you speak a lot about the female gaze, so where is the space of desire in relation to your definition of the female gaze?

Mickalene: Desire is always this strong feeling of longing. It's the desire of our histories, it's the desire of my ancestors and the other generations before me, it's the desire of having us be seen in the same way as that idealized beauty. It's the desire to understand your own resilience in the world. I bring forth in my work those notions of women loving women, the desire for us to see ourselves, the desire of queerness, the desire to say, 'Yes, I'm a queer Black woman who loves other queer Black women.' I examine my own self and question my own sense of self through my love and the desire of women, not only in relation to the historical images but also to the relationships regarding the systematic oppression of Black women that we ignore in society. When I think in those terms, I don't necessarily want to always deal with the trauma. We all have trauma, we all have a story that derives from that trauma.

The desire is to inspire. Thinking about what my mother has endured in her physical self, being this 6'1″ woman who all her life battled with sickle cell anemia and all her life had to struggle with her health, and yet has always presented her best self, standing tall and strong and letting the world know that she exists. Seeing that desire within her to live, and to love, has instilled in me the desire to celebrate life.

Thelma: It's a real act of resistance.

Mickalene: And rebellion.

Thelma: And recognition.

Mickalene: It's important to understand that we're different types of women, and we have different desires. Even just reading and thinking about Maya Angelou and what she thinks about Black women's sexuality. Oftentimes, we are sexual selves, and I used to shy away from those notions. I think that's when my work shifted; I thought, well, maybe my work is exploitative when I'm photographing my lovers nude and wanting to paint that, but also wanting to share and show the love between us. But really, it goes back to the sense of self, and knowing that we should love and express who we are. And we have a right to.

Thelma: This fall, you are going to have four exhibitions around the world.

Mickalene: Yes, I'm doing a global show with Lévy Gorvy, starting with New York, then London, then Paris with a two-gallery show at Natalie Obadiah, then Hong Kong. For each space, there'll be an exploration or chapter of work that will start with my investigation of the Jet calendar images; taking those images and refragmenting and recomposing them, to allow these women to exist in the world and not just as anonymous pinups.

I'm very excited about the Paris show. For the first time, I will present a more direct and obvious body of my work, where it's really evident that the work is more social, political. I'm working from archival images, from the '60s to the present, concerning the Civil Rights Movement and the brutality against Black bodies-historical images that have been related to the massacre in Tulsa, Oklahoma; George Floyd; Black Lives Matter; and Sandra Bland. It's the systems that are designed to disenfranchise Black people that make it difficult for us to succeed. That's why I don't take for granted my accomplishments, what I have, and where I come from.

Thelma: I have to ask: Because you have been living in the world as an artist for over two decades now, can you reflect from the space we're in right now on what role art and the vision of artists can have in a world that continually needs change?

Mickalene: I think the role of art is crucial. I think art disrupts, it erupts, it ignites, it creates change, it transforms lives. The role of an artist is to start from an authentic place of truth and to work from that place; really observe, use the world around you as inspiration and [a set of] tools to take back to your studio, and then articulate it through a creative process. The journey is not going to be easy. But have faith that what you're doing is what you should be doing. Persevere.

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Mickalene Thomas remixes tropes from art history to reveal everyday Black women as icons

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For Document's Summer/Pre-Fall 2021 issue, Thomas and Thelma Golden discuss the cultural legacy of 'Jet' magazine and the love language of collage

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Collage by Mickalene Thomas
http://mickalenethomas.com/

Collage one of your screen prints

You can build up the image with different papers directly over your screen print or you can cut up your screen print and create a completely new image.
Optional - Add paint or ink

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Please click here if you are not redirected within a few seconds.

Images
Mickalene Thomas - More Than Everything - Exhibitions - Lehmann Maupin

www.lehmannmaupin.com

Images may be subject to copyright.

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Please click here if you are not redirected within a few seconds. Images Mickalene Thomas - More Than Everything - Exhibitions - Lehmann Maupin www.lehmannmaupin.com Images may be subject to copyright.

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Mickalene Thomas, 2014
'Interior: Zebra with Two Chairs and Funky Fur'
Relief, intaglio, lithography, archival inkjet, collage, wood veneer, handmade paper, enamel paint, gold leaf, water soluble artist crayon
Edition of 24
44 x 53 inches

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Sketch to Finish - Kate Malone – Ceramics & Glaze research, London.

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Kate Malone’s video archive: Short film about how Kate’s works come to life, from drawing to final piece. No audio.

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Sketch to Finish

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31 Sculpture Intro ideas | sculpture, ceramic sculpture, ceramic art

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Sep 14, 2017 - Explore art teacher's board "Sculpture Intro", followed by 1,277 people on Pinterest. See more ideas about sculpture, ceramic sculpture, ceramic art.

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Use some of these images and more that you find yourself on pinterest to add to your development pages

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A Guide to Linocut Printmaking | Jackson's Art

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An article on Contemporary African Printmaking by Dr. Abigail Adeyemi

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An article on Contemporary African Printmaking by Dr. Abigail Adeyemi

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MoMAA | Affordable Art Gallery & Lifestyle

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The Rich Tradition of Contemporary African Printmaking

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The Rich Tradition of Contemporary African Printmaking. learn about the artists and techniques that define this art form. momaa.org

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Kiki Smith - etching video

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Filmed in 2002 at the printmaking workshop Harlan & Weaver, artist Kiki Smith discusses the challenges and pleasures of printmaking.

Shown working on a portrait titled Two (2002), Smith and the workshop's master printers make numerous proofs and revisions until she is pleased with the image. Using ink on paper, Smith combines traditional and self-taught etching techniques in her attempts to represent the subtleties of human flesh.

More information and credits

Credits

Producer: Ian Forster. Consulting Producer: Wesley Miller & Nick Ravich. Interview: Eve Moros Ortega. Camera: Mead Hunt. Sound: Bill Wander. Editor: Morgan Riles. Artwork Courtesy: Kiki Smith & Harlan & Weaver, New York. Theme Music: Peter Foley.

Closed captions

Licensing

Interested in showing this film in an exhibition or public screening? To license this video please visit Licensing & Reproduction.

In the 1980s, Kiki Smith literally turned the figurative tradition in sculpture inside out, creating objects and drawings based on organs, cellular forms, and the human nervous system. This body of work evolved to incorporate animals, domestic objects, and narrative tropes from classical mythology and folk tales. Life, death, and resurrection are thematic signposts in many of Smith's installations and sculptures. The recurrent subject matter in Smith's work has been the body as a receptacle for knowledge, belief, and storytelling.

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Filmed in 2002 at the printmaking workshop Harlan & Weaver, artist Kiki Smith discusses the challenges and pleasures of printmaking.

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wax resist drawing inspired by Henry Moore

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wax resist drawing inspired by Henry Moore

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How to make a wax resist watercolour painting inspired by Henry Moore

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ceramic sculpture planning pages showing the full process from artist research and drawings through to design and process

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Twelve Printmakers (12PM) was formed in 1984 from a group of professional artists working in and around Colchester. 12PM artists have been members of the Royal Society of Painter-…

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more examples here on pinterest

Pinterest

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Discover 15 oil pastels ideas on this Pinterest board | pastel portraits, art inspiration, pastel art and more

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From pastel portraits to art inspiration, find what you’re looking for on Pinterest!

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more examples here on pinterest

Pinterest

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Discover 15 oil pastels ideas on this Pinterest board | pastel portraits, art inspiration, pastel art and more

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From pastel portraits to art inspiration, find what you’re looking for on Pinterest!

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see this powerpoint on colour theory

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hwk 1 - a still life tonal pencil drawing 

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hwk 1 - a still life tonal pencil drawing 

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A selection of contemporary etchings from the V&A’s extensive collection

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The Met's Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History

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The Printed Image in the West: Etching | Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art

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"While the printing requires considerable craft, the incising of the coated plate with the etching needle can be done by anyone who knows how to draw, encouraging many painters to try their hand."

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Make a double page mood board for screen printing using pinterest and other resources that you find.

Include 5-10 thumbnail sketches showing your visual analysis of some of the prints you have chosen

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 hwk 5 - pinterest resource for complementary colour research 

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 hwk 5 - pinterest resource for complementary colour research 

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drawing the same object from different angles

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art homework 1 - drawing from different viewpoints

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How to analyze an artwork: a step-by-step guide for students

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Last Updated on May 27, 2021 This article has been written for high school art students who are working upon a critical study of art, sketchbook annotation or an essay-based artist study.

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How To Mix COLOURFUL GREYS in oils Using Complementary Colours Plus White. Colour Mixing Tutorial.

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homework task -  mood board, artist page 

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homework task -  mood board, artist page 

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Use some of these images and more that you find yourself on pinterest and elsewhere for a double page spread in your sketchbook.

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https://www.pinterest.co.uk/fineartresource/etching/

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Screen printing write-up

This should be a series of pages that documents (both visually and in annotation) the process of producing a two-colour screen print, from design through to final print.

The emphasis should be on what you learnt, the problems faced and how you resolved them.

In roughly this order, stick in the following;

·         Your template/design – the design you drew on tracing paper

·         A plain black print

·         Your best 2 colour print

·         Your worst print and alongside it, an analysis of what went wrong (using the screen printing worksheet to help you with the vocab)

·         Make some visual inks to artists showing your understanding of negative space, simplified design etc

Patrick Caulfield is a good artist to make links to and he also made a lot of prints in black and grey

·         For other examples, look at the pinterest page on screen printing

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/fineartresource/screen-printing/

Keep your write-up visual. There is no need to write a vast amount, it's what you say and how you reflect on the development of your own work that counts.

Remember to caption your images (artist/title/date) and at the bottom of the page, write down the website or book reference.

Some prompts:

How did you use the negative space to define the main subject of your image?

What do you think makes an effective screen print design?

Did you adapt your design at all as you went along – i.e did you adapt your grey stencil?

What sort of technical problems occurred? E.g. the printing ink pooling on the screen, bleeding of the ink through parts of your stencil, mis-registration/areas not lining up, areas with no ink where the pressure wasn’t firm enough or the screen got blocked.

Extension:

If you are interested in history, find out more about the history of silk screen printing.

Where did it begin?

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Extension  activity - make a Mickalene Thomas inspired collage from one of your screen prints

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Extension  activity - make a Mickalene Thomas inspired collage from one of your screen prints

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How to do visual (formal) analysis in art history

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see this powerpoint on colour theory

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Young Woman 1998 by Gary Hume (screen print) 

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Screen printing research
This will be the beginning of several sketchbook pages that you produce related to our next area that we go into after half term

Do the following;

·         a simple heading SCREEN PRINTING

·         a moodboard/inspiration board using the suggestions and links below and some that you have found yourself on pinterest

Patrick Caulfield https://www.alancristea.com/artist-Patrick-Caulfield

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/fineartresource/printmaking/

Gary Hume, James Rosenquist,

Jacob Lawrence

https://www.1stdibs.com/en-gb/art/prints-works-on-paper/figurative-prints-works-on-paper/jacob-lawrence-supermarket-flora-signed-serigraph-black-woman-flower-shopping-matte-colors/id-a_8230552/

Don’t forget to caption the images you print off and credit the sources fully

·         extension task – can you find out something about the history of screen printing (also historically referred to as silk screen printing) ?

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Information in your first week of the course

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Sketches on public transport and a peak into my sketch ADEBANJI ALADE

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Sketches on public transport and a peak into my sketchbook

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Urban sketchers show the world, one drawing at a time.

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Minnie Small

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Drawing Objects · 30 Ways to Fill a Sketchbook · SemiSkimmedMin

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Drawing in the Right Side of the Brain - by Betty Edwards

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Drawing in the Right Side of the Brain - by Betty Edwards

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Your Donation Will Be Matched 2-to-1! Can You Chip In?

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Right now, we have a 2-to-1 Matching Gift Campaign, tripling the impact of every donation. We understand that not everyone can donate right now, but if you can afford to contribute, we promise it will be put to good use. Access to knowledge is more important than ever-so if you find all these bits and bytes useful, please pitch in.

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The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain.pdf (PDFy mirror) : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

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Your Donation Will Be Matched 2-to-1! Can You Chip In? Please don't scroll past this-the Internet Archive is growing rapidly, and we need your help. As an independent nonprofit, we build and maintain all our own systems, but we don't charge for access, sell user information, or run ads.

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a guide to observational drawing by studentartguide.com

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a guide to observational drawing by studentartguide.com

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How to Create an excellent Observational Drawing: 11 Tips for High School Art Students

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This article contains list of tips for high school art students who are looking to improve the realism of their drawings.

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Last Updated on April 2, 2023

Are you struggling to get your Art projects done on time? Some students - even those who are dedicated and hard-working - find it challenging to work at the pace required in a Visual Art course. The skilful, perfectionist student usually falls into this category; those who produce meticulous, highly-detailed observational drawings or paintings. Parents and teachers can be unsure how to provide practical, positive strategies for improvement. This article lists fifteen ways that a high school Art student can work faster, without compromising the quality of their work.

1. Use a ground

There are many benefits to working on a ground. One of these is increased painting or drawing speed. A ground covers a painting or drawing surface from the outset. It can act as mid-tone, with only black and white used to apply dark and light areas (as in the examples below) or be left partially visible in the final work. This results in an artwork that is much faster to complete (see our article about painting on grounds for more information).
An A Level Art portrait by Mariam Shafei-Sabett from Dame Alice Owen's School, Hertfordshire, England and a teaching exemplar from Amiria Robinson:
2. Incorporate mixed media /patterned surfaces / textural elements

As with using a ground, patterned, decorative or textural items can cover areas of an artwork quickly. Although this strategy should be used with care, selecting only materials which support or enhance your project (usually with reference to a relevant artist model) this can be a great way to speed up your project and introduce creative use of mixed media.
Two AP Studio Art (Concentration) pieces by Alyssa Church from Bingham High School, South Jordan, Utah, United States: Domestic Violence series by artist Scott Waters:
Please read this article for more exciting ideas about how to use mixed media within your work.

3. Work on several pieces at once

Working in series - completing several paintings or drawings at one time - is a very helpful strategy for Art students. This speeds work up for a number of reasons:

A single colour can be used throughout a number of works, without needing to stop for remixing / washing brushes

While one work is drying, another one can be worked on

Similar processes or techniques can be mastered quickly and repeated on subsequent works

In addition, when working on several pieces at once, 'preciousness' about the work tends to be lost, leading to more experimentation and greater work speed.
The studio of artist Willem de Kooning:
4. Paint things in the right order - background areas first

Painting things in an illogical order is surprisingly common amongst high school Art students. In almost all cases, the background should be completed first, followed by the middle-ground, ending with the foreground. This is easily understood when considering a tree in front of a cloudy sky. If you make the mistake of painting the tree first, the sky has to be meticulously painted around every leaf and branch: an irritating task that takes hours (and ends up looking a little shabby). Painting the sky first, however, means that a large brush can quickly be used to paint the sky, with the tree then easily added over the top. Painting in the correct order also results in a painting that has layers (which gives it a richness and lustre, as with using a ground). If you find that subsequent layers of paint do not adequately cover earlier ones, you have an inferior brand of paint. (We will detail our paint and art supply recommendations in an upcoming article - stay tuned)!

Note: Once you understand how to build up a painting in layers, you will realise that often this involves drawing items in stages also.
Paintings by artist Susan Danko:
5. Use masking tape to create straight edges

Some students are concerned that it might be necessary to 'prove' that a straight line can be painted by hand. This is not the case. Your control of a paint brush can be ascertained immediately by looking at the remainder of your painting. Masking tape creates straight edges in seconds. Once mastered, this trick can save you hours - and make your paintings sharper, cleaner and more professional in the process. If you haven't used masking tape before, buy some now!
This painting is by Amiria Robinson (me):
6. Leave artwork purposefully incomplete

Artist work is sometimes purposefully 'unfinished'. Art students shouldn't feel obliged to 'complete' every item. There are many occasions when a fully rendered drawing is not necessary. Drawings, especially those in sketchbooks, can be left with edges trailing away and tone only applied to some areas. Leaving work unfinished is particularly useful when conducting visual research, exploring ideas and experimenting with media. Depending on your artist influences, this may even be appropriate in final works - as a way to draw attention to focal points and direct attention within an artwork.

Note: This should not be used as justification for avoiding homework tasks set by your teacher!

7. Omit parts of a scene

Deliberately picking out certain parts of a scene to draw has a strong impact on the final work and must be used with care to ensure that the resulting image supports the ideas explored in your project. As with the previous option, this allows you to demonstrate strong observational drawing skills, while saving time by omitting part of the scene.

8. Selectively flatten tone

Another option that students have is to flatten tone - to remove the smooth blending gradations from dark to light. This strategy should be used with caution - and usually only in certain areas - as unintentionally flattening tone can be the hallmark of a weak student. As indicated by the artist examples below, however, there are times when all or parts of the tonal variation within an artwork can be omitted with great success.

Self portraits from Annemarie Busschers ' 'Beyond Grief' series:

9. Focus on Line

There are many occasions where it may be appropriate for a high school student to draw using only line (it is often the application of tone that is time-consuming for students, so working exclusively with line can provide a welcome relief). Blind drawings, contour drawings, cross contour drawings and other hatched drawings (please see our collection of beautiful line drawings for ideas) can form an important part of your project.

Note: It is usually necessary to demonstrate an ability to apply tone at some point to examiner, so it is not wise to exclude tone from your project altogether.

10. Include your own photographs

While there is a certain quantity of painting and drawing that must take place within a Painting or Fine Art portfolio, photography can provide an excellent mechanism for moving a project forward at a faster pace.

In addition to helping with composition planning, original photography can be collaged into artworks or used as background. (This should not be used as a mechanism for avoiding observational drawing - this is perceived by examiners as cheating. For example, do not paint a realistic portrait directly onto a photograph of that person). If the photograph remains visible in the final work, less paint needs to be applied, thus speeding up the art-making process.

11. Develop towards abstract (or semi-abstract) pieces

Producing abstract work is often the first solution that comes to mind for those who work slowly; students can be fearful that this will not allow them the opportunity to demonstrate strong observational skills. The solution is to produce abstract work that is derived from earlier realistic works, as in the A* A Level example below by Hania Cho:

Another equally successful strategy is to incorporate realistic elements with abstract works, creating a work that is part realistic, part abstract.

12. Use a bigger brush

There is something surprisingly liberating about painting with a bigger brush - especially if you have previously worked at a microscopic scale, picking out detail the size of a pin prick. You will soon discover that it is just as easy to achieve clean edges with a larger brush and that an unexpected level of detail can be achieved. Most enjoy picking up a larger brush - even if this just becomes a way for creating grounds and applying background layers.

13. Be more gestural

Instead of artwork being a laborious process that grinds away for days, images can be created quickly, using rich, expressive mark-making. Those who have only produced realist, tightly controlled drawings usually take some time to adapt to this approach and not all students find it easy; selection of the right drawing tools and mediums can help. Charcoal, chunky 5mm wide graphite leads, Indian ink, big brushes and paint applied with pieces of card all lend themselves to gestural mark-making (please read Beyond the Brush: Inventive Mixed Media Techniques if you are looking for more ideas). Even if this style of working is not your preference and not something you wish to pursue, it can be useful to practise, particularly when planning compositions and drawing from life.

14. Trace or photocopy your own drawings

Tracing is frowned upon in almost all circumstances (see our article about observational drawing for more on this), however there are occasions when tracing your own drawings is a valuable strategy in a high school Art project. For example, a compositional plan could be quickly enlarged on a photocopier and traced/modified as required, instead of being redrawn at a larger scale; or your own drawing could be traced or photocopied in order to trial application of a different medium or technique ( this should be kept to a minimum, however, to ensure that your work doesn't become too repetitive); repeat patterns could be traced; or different drawings could be overlaid and arranged together, tracing the composite work.

NOTE: Students should NOT, in any circumstances, trace from photographs (even when the photographs are their own). Almost all high school art programmes assess a student's ability to replicate shape, proportion and form. Tracing photographs offers an unfair advantage (and is hence a form of cheating), disadvantaging students who take the time to produce accurate observational drawings by hand. Although adult artists sometimes do sometimes trace from photographs, these adult artists are not being assessed on the accuracy of their observational drawings as part of a qualification in which they are competing against others.

15. Use digital manipulation

Scanning existing artworks and editing and combining these with other artworks holds exciting promise for Painting / Fine Art students. Once a student has practised using image manipulation software (such as Adobe Photoshop) creating new digital images and then printing them can be a very fast way to create amazing artworks. Students should be careful not to overuse this strategy, however, and must ensure that all digitally manipulated material is their own original work.

Digitally manipulated images from Nikau Hindin's A Level Art Coursework Project:

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How to draw & paint faster: 15 tips for high school Art students

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Are you struggling to get your Art projects done on time? This article lists fifteen ways that you can work faster, without compromising the quality of your artwork.

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"For me the most useful thing has been the support from the teachers. Because of the support I have felt more confident in lessons and that has made me more inspired to try out anything new we might experiment with in lesson."

"I have learnt that abstract is fine, and my work doesn't have to be perfect all the time."

"One thing I’ve found useful is my teacher talking to each student individually and making sure we know what we’re doing

"I have learnt how to work a little bit more loosely, especially on bigger projects."

"I have learned to try and draw as much as possible from observation which improved my skills."

""As one of 2 male students in my class, I don't feel out of place at all. I love art and my teachers are great with helping me to break out my comfort zone and try things I didn't have the confidence to try before."

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“the most successful graduates at finding employment are those who possess ‘soft skills’ such as good communication, confidence, and adaptability …. Often, those from arts disciplines have these skills in abundance” (Independent, 22 June 2016).

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“the most successful graduates at finding employment are those who possess ‘soft skills’ such as good communication, confidence, and adaptability …. Often, those from arts disciplines have these skills in abundance” (Independent, 22 June 2016).

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Fine art is a vibrant and creative subject that allows you to develop your skills in using fine art materials such as drawing, painting, print making, sculpture, textile techniques and mixed media. It requires you to regularly practise your skills in class and through your homework. It is a very enjoyable subject and we work hard to ensure you develop your own personal work according to your strengths and interests. We are one of the largest providers of art education in the country and you will learn a lot from your peers as well as from your tutors.

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The Art A level is made up of a coursework project which is worth 60% of the grade and an externally set exam project worth 40% of the grade.  The externally set project ends in a 15 hour exam which is sat over 3 days.
We are currently with the exam board AQA

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Students working in the Open Space during their study periods

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Open Space

This area is available for you to use in your non-contact time to complete homework or extend your art work.

Most of the work on the walls here is second year work so don’t be intimidated by it. Students get a lot better in the two years of the A level course.

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pamela sunday is a sculptor working with hand built ceramic forms. pamela sunday sculptor, pamela sunday art tiles, pamela sunday tiles,pamela sunday artist, pamela sunday ceramics, pamela sunday ceramic artist, ceramic sculpture, ceramic arts, ceramic lamps, ceramic tiles, hand-building, new clay

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Mr. and Mrs. Tutti Atomic by Kate Malone

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Group Exhibition at Chappel Galleries. Wednesday to Sunday 10am to 5pm or by appointment

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hwk 1 - a still life tonal pencil drawing 

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hwk 1 - a still life tonal pencil drawing 

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A guide for buying and using a table top etching press for block printing. Including Blick’s printing presses such as the small Econo Etch and larger 906, and 999 Motel II Presses. Plus, lino press options for home printing.

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Recent work by Bristol-based illustrator Holly Exley.

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David Stone - Near the Edge at Chappel Galleries

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David Stone - Near the Edge at Chappel Galleries

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Saturday 30th August noon to 5pm Continuing to 28th September 2025

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Group Exhibition at Chappel Galleries. Wednesday to Sunday 10am to 5pm or by appointment

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How to Create an excellent Observational Drawing: 11 Tips for High School Art Students

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This article contains list of tips for high school art students who are looking to improve the realism of their drawings.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Create an excellent Observational Drawing: 11 Tips for High School Art Students

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This article contains list of tips for high school art students who are looking to improve the realism of their drawings.

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// Chen Shaoxiong 陳紹雄 (b. 1962 Shantou, China)
// Ink Things (2007)
// Video Animation
// Duration: 03'00''
// Edition: 8＋2AP
// For more information, please e-mail info@pekinfinearts.com or call (8610) 51273220. Thank you!

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// Chen Shaoxiong 陳紹雄 (b. 1962 Shantou, China)
// Ink Things (2007)
// Video Animation
// Duration: 03'00''
// Edition: 8＋2AP
// For more information, please e-mail info@pekinfinearts.com or call (8610) 51273220. Thank you!