Blog Posts

  For centuries, every art student has learned the same rule:Oil and water do not mix.Yet today you can buy oil paints that thin with water, clean up with water and often don't require solvents at all.So what changed?Have chemists somehow broken the rules of painting?Not quite.Water-mixable oils are one of the most significant developments in ...

By Jayne StillmanCounty Inspector/Adviser for Art, Hampshire Improvement and Advisory Service (HIAS)  Introduction:  Art has always been a powerful way to tell stories, spark conversation and inspire change. In Hampshire, we’ve taken that belief and turned it into a county-wide movement, one that gives young people the tools, ...

POSCA paint markers have earned cult status with students, artists, crafters and anyone who loves bold colour that behaves beautifully. They glide, they pop, they’ll happily draw on everything from paper and wood to fabric, metal and found objects in the art room. But even the best-loved tools can have the odd wobble.   The good news? ...

  There is a moment most art teachers experience when introducing clay for the first time.The lesson has barely started and a student is already holding a sculpture with walls two inches thick saying: “Can this go in the kiln today?”Meanwhile another student has added water to their clay until it resembles soup, somebody else has ...

  Silver has long captivated artists for its cool glow and reflective beauty. From medieval manuscripts to Renaissance miniatures, this metallic hue added light, luxury and illusion to sacred scenes and fine details. Yet behind its brilliance lay a flaw silver’s tendency to darken and corrode. Despite its challenges, silver continues ...

  Green is a colour that grabs attention. Vibrant, sharp and energetic, it appears in nature, design and popular culture, carrying meanings that range from life and growth to danger and mutation. Its vivid hue makes it a bold choice in art, while its scientific and cultural associations give it depth beyond the eye-catching surface. ...

Colour, Process and Possibility in the Print RoomMonoprinting tends to settle into the classroom quite quickly.There’s usually less hesitation. Students get started sooner and the room has a bit more movement to it. It’s not because the process is easier, but because it changes the starting point. Instead of working towards a fixed ...

Layered Linocut: Colour, Process and Possibility in the Print Room Explained  Layered linocut is bold, physical and rooted in tradition, yet it feels contemporary in the way it builds colour, texture and narrative through successive impressions. For GCSE and A-level students, it also answers a persistent challenge: how to move beyond flat, ...

  Bold, blazing and impossible to ignore, orange is the colour of firelight, autumn leaves and imaginative energy. It sits between the passion of red and the optimism of yellow, radiating warmth and vitality. Yet behind its glowing surface lies a story of language, science and ancient tradition, making orange one of art’s most ...

Recently, we hosted a lino printing workshop with printmaker and educator Nick Morley, bringing together teachers and creatives for an afternoon of carving, printing, and learning new techniques.The session introduced participants to the fundamentals of lino printing while giving them the chance to experiment with tools and produce their own ...