Sometimes the best way to bring a smile to someone's face on Christmas Day is to present them with a creative and personalised present!

We love the crafty finishing touches here at Cass Art, so we wanted to share with you our favourite personalised gifts available this year.

Personalised Ryan Callanan R2 TAG 2 Print 

From TAG Fine Arts, 20% off for Cass Art customers

For all those incredibly excited Star Wars fans, this print is the perfect geek-out gift! Your name next to everyone's favourite robot, R2D2, is a great image for anyone's wall.

Personalised with their name in your chosen colour, you can get 20% off this print if you're a Cass Art customer. Simply enter the code CASSART into the online checkout at TAG Fine Arts. The code is valid until 24th December 2015 so it's the time to buy! Get it with 20% off here. 

For guaranteed UK delivery before Christmas orders must be placed before December 18th 2015.

Personalised Bear Family Print

From Not on the High Street

A subtle and heart-warming print that you can personalise with your family's name, this would make a sweet gift for any loving family. We think it makes a lovely print for anyone's home, with the soft watercolour illustration and choice of name and date. Buy it here.

 

Personalised Pencils in Box

From Great Little Trading Co

It's no secret that we love pencils, but personalised pencils with your name on? That's a new level of awesome. Give that stationery fanatic something to get really excited about, or brighten someone's office or desk with these lovely fellows. Get them here.

 

Personalised Classic Novel

From U Star Novels

Know someone who loves nothing better than to get lost in a good book? Why not make them the star of their favourite story this Christmas? At U Star Novel you can buy a book but replace the main character's name with another. A fun and quirky gift, it puts your loved one at the centre of their favourite fictional world. Choose your book here. 



Personalised Photo Frame Keepsake Box

From Prezzy Box

This is a stunning gift for any budding photographer, who can slot their favourite snaps on the outside of this wooden box. You can also personalis it with your chosen message and have it carved into the wood. Get your hands on one here. 

Feeling inspired?

You can also shop for Christmas Gifts on the Cass Art website - we stock luxury gifts, gift vouchers and gifts for all kinds of artists. 

The festive season is a great excuse to express your creativity, get messy and use excessive amounts of glitter. We want to give one lucky student the necessary means to MAKE CHRISTMAS this year, with our Win Your Wishlist competition.

Steps for entry are simple;

1. Browse the Cass Art website to find the products of your heart's desire- there's no maximum number of items you can choose- and your basket can be worth up to £250! 
2. Add the items to an online wishlist (find out how to create your wishlist here.)
3. Share your wishlist with us by emailing students@cassart.co.uk using the online Share This Wishlist form. Let us know where and what you study in the comments section.

The deadline for entry is midnight, Sunday 20th December so don't delay and start wishlisting today!

The winning entry will be drawn randomly and the winner will be notified on Monday 21st December.

All wishlist items are subject to availability of stock. If any products on the winning wishlist are unavailable, you will be notified and given the opportunity to select another product of the same value. In this event, please respond with your new product choice within 24 hours, to ensure that we can update the order and get it sent out on the sleigh!

Please direct any questions to students@cassart.co.uk, and note that you have to be a student to qualify to win.

Festive fashion may have a bad reputation, but Fashion student and Cass Art Ambassador, Livia Pinheiro, knows how to keep the colder season stylish with her elegant snowflake-inspired designs. She is giving us some inside knowledge into how to MAKE CHRISTMAS, and create beautifully simple Christmas fashion illustrations.

Watercolour pencils are a great starting tool for anyone looking to create simple and effective fashion illustrations. The ability to blend tones, experiment with finishes and combine with different mediums gives any budding designer the scope to explore their ideas. It may even sew the seeds for beautiful future garments.

When it comes to using watercolour pencils there are no big secrets: it's really quite simple. However, some of the tips and techniques shown in this article may help you achieve a cleaner and more colourful result.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

Watercolour pencils

Medium-sized soft paintbrush 

Small-sized soft paintbrush

Watercolour paper (recommend 300 GSM for a textured finish)

Water 

Fineliner or hard pencil (optional)

Start off by drawing the general idea of your piece with light hues, such as yellow, light pink and sea green. After you have completed the base outline, start to add the stronger tones on top, to create layers of colour. Use different pencil strokes, using the side of the pencil for a smooth effect, or press more heavily and create cross-hatching for darker, shaded areas. Remember that when you add water the colours will blend, so keeping within the same colour palette will result in a smoother gradient effect. 

Once you are happy with your drawing, it is time to start adding water. Wet your brush carefully, making sure that is does not become too saturated; dip your brush into the water once, and squeeze it out lightly before applying to the paper. At this stage I recommend using a medium-sized, soft brush. Don't worry too much about small details, and instead focus on creating a surface which you can work onto.

Notice how the colours blend as you guide them with your brush, and use the water to create subltle shades of your chosen colours. Different brush strokes can replicate different types of clothing; for example dabbing your brush repeatedly onto the paper can mirror the appearance of heavy fabrics such as fur or wool, whereas light, extended strokes can be used for flowing materials such as satin or silk.

 TOP TIP: Leave a space on your paper to experiment with colour mixing, before applying to your actual drawing - it can help to test ideas, and may also end up as part of your piece.

Using a thick watercolour paper allows you to add multiple layers to your illustration. When the base is dry, you can start to work into your drawing by adding new colours and marks with the watercolour pencils.

To create detail, use a fine brush or leave the pencil marks un-blended. In this case, I have left some of the more delicate patterns as dry pencil, such as the snow flakes on the model's jumper. Further detail and varied texture can be created with a hard pencil or fineliner. Keeping finishing details fine will prevent these marks from dominating the subtle watercolour strokes.

Now your Christmas jumper design is complete all there is left to do is sit in front of the fire and get knitting!

Feeling inspired?

Follow Livia's work here.

Shop for watercolour pencils and other drawing materials online at Cass Art.

A reindeer dripping with snow (or Christmas cake icing, either way) is the Cass Art Christmas mascot this year. But an artist who champions neon stags all year round has caught our eye - Louise Mcnaught, an artist whose creations feature unusual celestial creatures and bright, blazing colours.

Louise studied Fine Art at West Kent College and takes a mixed media approach to her Christmas inspired drawings and paintings, exploring acrylic, pencil, fast-drying oil paint and more. Using fluorescent colours and her mythical research behind each animal, her work focuses on an almost mystical energy radiating from each living thing.

Hi Louise! So tell us about your Christmassy illustrations – what inspires them?

Oh, the many many beautiful things in nature. Particularly animals that seem otherworldly like hummingbirds and albino animals. Nature is endlessly inspiring to me; I've loved animals and drawing ever since I can remember and art is all I have ever really wanted to do.

I see you use acrylic, pencil and gold leaf amongst other materials – but what is your favourite art material and why? 

I think my absolute favourite has got to be Winsor & Newton alkyds, which are fast drying oil paints - they still create that lovely warm, buttery affect of oils but don't take weeks to dry!

Your neon stags are particularly popular and a great icon at Christmas time. How do you decide which creatures to draw? 

I often draw animals because of their symbolic meaning, for instance stags have many. Their antlers were traditionally thought to be 'spiritual antennae' which meant the more points they had, the closer they were to the 'other world'. Sometime it will be how an animal looks that sparks off a painting as well, but I do still tend to look into the myths, legends and symbolism behind an animal to feed my inspiration.

What’s your advice to budding artists and designers wanting to pursue a creative career?

Well my first advice is never just listen to the opinion of one person! But what helped me most is getting my work online and 'out there', in as many shows and galleries that I could. Then people slowly become aware of you and your work, you start to socialise with other artists, opportunities come up and the art world slowly unfurls before you. But it is all down to you I'm afraid, you're not going to be 'discovered' unless you do the work.

 

And finally – what’s on your Christmas list this year?

Well my ultimate present would be a purpose-built studio in my back garden! But if not anything from Laura Leas Design Boutique in London.

Feeling inspired?

See more of Louise Mcnaught's work on her website.

Shop all our Christmas gifts to make someone's Christmas or even treat yourself this festive season. 

Ah, colouring. It's a trend that has swept the nation this year and turned many of us into cool, calm, collected souls, exploring inspiring scenes and staying within the lines to pass the time. And one of the most popular colouring books out there is the one that started it all - Secret Garden, by Johanna Basford.

This Christmas, publisher Laurence King has released an extra special book for all colouring fans - The Secret Garden Artist's Edition.

And the best part? We've got 50 of these gorgeous colouring books to give away this Christmas!



HOW TO ENTER

All you have to do is share a page of your colouring, from an existing Johanna Basford book.

Whether it's from the original Secret Garden, her second Enchanted Forest or her newest Lost Ocean, we want to see your creations!

Colour her postcards, her calendars, her cards - as long as it was drawn by Johanna, your entry will count.

1. Take a photograph of your colouring page - whether it's finished or in progress, we don't mind!

2. Upload it to Twitter, tagging @CassArt, or via Instagram tagging @cass1984

3. Remember to include the hashtag #casscolour so we can trace your entries

4. Be sure to follow Cass Art on Twitter and Instagram - otherwise we won't be able to contact you directly if you win!

5. The competition will close on 24th December, so be sure to share your colouring by then.
 

WHAT YOU'LL WIN

50 colouring artists will be selected at random and sent a copy of Secret Garden Artist's Edition by Johanna Basford.

This special edition features 20 of the best drawings from the original book, scaled up and printed on luxuriously thick card.

Each print once coloured in can then be pulled out and framed, or given as a unique gift!

Feeling inspired?

Then get colouring and sharing your designs! We wish you the best of luck.

Shop for Johanna Basford books here if you don't have one yet.

Find out more about Laurence King, the publisher of Secret Garden and Enchanted Forest.

Christmas needn't all be about gold and silver glitter, and reindeers don't always have to have red noses. Drawing student Kate Ashton gives her tips on how to MAKE CHRISTMAS, and take the festive season back to the 1980's, with her abstract take on a classic decoration. 

Read on for her tutorial on how to decorate a decopatch reindeer. 

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

Decopatch reindeer  

White acrylic paint or white gesso 

Additional coloured acrylic paints  

Scrap piece of card or greyboard  

Masking tape  

Small round paintbrush

Large flat paintbrush

Craft knife

Cutting Mat

A pencil, paper and some coloured pens for the design stage (I used Crayola Pipsqueaks)

Before we get started: Check your reindeer over for lumps and bumps.

If you're as clumsy like I am you may find a few minor fractures in your reindeer, but there's no need to panic if this is the case. Grab your masking tape and layer up over the affected area. Any patching will be well-concealed once the first layer of paint has been applied.  

Step One: Paint the Base Layer

Using a scrap of card or greyboard as a palette and a reasonably sized flat brush, apply an even coat of white paint over your reindeer. The white creates a nice base layer to work onto. You can use Gesso if you have any at home, but acrylic paint works just as well for this project and is far more cost-effective. You may want to apply a second coat once the first is dry, to ensure an even finish. I chose to leave a foot untouched until the very end to give myself something to hold on to whilst painting the rest of the body - beware of finger marks, which may compromise the overall look of your finished reindeer. 

Step Two: Think about Print 

It's now time to decide what pattern or design you want on your reindeer. I tried out a few ideas based on classic Christmas themes and motifs (holly and berries, Christmas trees, presents and snowmen) and tried to deconstruct, minimalise and abstract them. Remember to bear in mind that you'll need to repeat the final design in paint onto your reindeer, so keep things nice and simple! I whittled my initial ideas down to four favourites and finally settled on the 'snowman ingredients' pattern, which is based on a snowman's coal eyes and carrot nose. Of course, you can always spray paint a flat colour or cover the reindeer with Decopatch paper, instead - I just wanted to take the illustrative route.

Step Three: Make a Template

Depending on your chosen design, you may want to create stencil, which will make transfering the pattern onto your reindeer quicker and more consistent. To make your stencil, layer a few strips of masking tape onto your table (or preferably a cutting mat) and use a craft knife to cut out the desired shape. My stencil was of the triangular snowman's nose, but you can make a template for any block shape you want to repeat in your design.  

Step Four: Mix your Colours

I made life simple for myself by choosing two easy colours to mix (in fact, one didn't even need mixing at all). Use another scrap piece of card to mix your paints on and make sure you make enough of your chosen colours to finish the whole reindeer.  

Step Five: Paint your Design

Now the template and paint are prepared you're ready to get painting; roll up your sleeves, make sure the cat is safely locked away in another room, and pick up your paintbrush. Place the stencil (if you're using one) on the reindeer wherever you like, making sure it's flush to the surface, and gently apply the paint. Try to stick to one direction when brushing on your paint so that the end result looks clean and smooth. Repeat this over the reindeer until you are satisfied. Wait for the first layer to dry and then proceed to the next step of your design. I did the coal lumps last, painting them freehand in between the carrot shapes, but you could use a second stencil if this is easier for your chosen design.  

Step Six: The Voilà Moment

Let the whole thing dry, stick the hair dryer on it if you are as impatient as I am, and you're done!

My reindeer will be guarding the presents under the tree, but you can put yours wherever you fancy; in the window framed by fairy lights, by the fire place, or on the dining table for the fanciest of all centre pieces.  

By Cass Art Student Ambassador, Kate Ashton.

Feeling inspired?

Take a look at more of Kate's work here.

Shop for paint and craft materials online at Cass Art.

Darryll Jones is a conceptual artist. A photographer, painter, food photographer and story-teller, he is most well-known for his narrative images of Star Wars characters, for whom he imagines new, alternative lives. With the arrival of the new film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and due to his witty captions and brilliantly shot photographs, Darryll has acquired quite the following.

Stormtroopers and Darth Vader aside, we wanted to find out about Darryll's mixed media process, from the inspiration behind his photographs and his discovery of painting with coffee. Read on to find out more about his work.

Hi Darryll! You’re an ex-graphic designer, and a conceptual artist. What kind of work do you make?

I used to work in the packaging industry in South Africa, where it was day-to-day designs of boxes for irons, toasters, kettles and things that basically want to make you want to bash your head repeatedly against a toilet. I now work as a studio photographer for Tesco, which is an amazing job and has afforded me the luxury of photographing Eric in places all across the UK.

Luckily I have my creative outlets on the go. Via instagram, I do my 'eric' toy photography, which has gained me a substantial following. I like to think of my photographs as little stories and poems and hopefully that's what sets me apart from the bazillion other people taking pictures of toys. 

I don't like to pigeonhole myself as a photographer, and prefer to think of myself as a conceptual artist, or visual artist. I guess you really could say, I am just a hacker, who makes whatever he likes, and others seem to like it too. I paint and sell my work around the world. From Vans Shoes, to coffee paintings, to making sculptures out of found materials.

Can you explain the thinking behind your Stormtrooper photographs?

I have always loved taking photographs, and when I moved to this country 6 years ago I would walk around outside, shooting landscapes and street photography. Then the darkness and cold of winter came; something I was unaccustomed to, coming from sunny South Africa. I found myself staying inside more, setting myself little photographic challenges.

I have always loved Stormtroopers; not even Star Wars necessarily; just Stormtroopers and the dark side. I had a few Lego troopers and a Darth Vader sitting atop my shelf, so I started setting up little scenes with them, which made me laugh. At that point I was still using deviant art and I was having huge amount of fun. People were responding positively, so when Instagram came out I started posting there, and the feedback and reception was just phenomenal. The whole story of the Stormtroopers started to take shape and looking back, I have had quite a few characters, but it has kind of settled now in the form of Eric and his adventures. 

Tell us about your coffee paintings…

I saw someone on Instagram doing some coffee doodles, and thought it looked like fun. Initially, I just wanted to incorporate it into a picture of Eric making a doodle, but before I knew it I was hooked on painting with coffee and ink. I have auctioned a few of the pieces on instagram, and have found myself having to fulfil a number of commissions, even for a few high-profile clients. I intend to put together some time-lapse material and tutorials on it on my website and instagram, as many people have asked. Like my photography, this work is evolving, and I love that I am still finding techniques that work for me.

We know you’re a fan of Ampersand Aquabord, but what are your other favourite art materials and why? 

I'm the kind of person who LOVES art supplies. I have a desk full of mixed drawing media, paints and odds and ends. I just muck through it and use what works for me at that time. Right now, I am thoroughly enjoying my coffee painting, so the only thing I need is a slow brewed dark roast coffee and a bottle of sepia and white ink. My style is very free and rough, so if I couldn't find a brush I could just as easily use the end of my cats tail, although I do add detail with some fine brushes at the end. I have recently introduced accents of brown and vibrant colour in gouache, for the splashes and drips in the images. Since gouache is more opaque than ink, it works well for finishing details, and a little tube goes a long way. I was initially doing these on 300gm watercolour paper, but since finding the aqua bord, I am hooked, and it means I no longer have the stretch the paper. It's such a vibrant surface to work on, and I get lost in the detail, and how the coffee and inks run into each other and mix. Like I say, it's an evolving process so the more I discover, the better it becomes. After discovering Cass Art, I can see myself buying a lot more materials. 

What advice do you have for someone trying to make it as a professional artist?

I can't give anyone advice on being "professional", as I am most definitely not one myself. All I can say, and this goes for whatever you are doing; photography, painting, drawing; do what you love, find your own style and just keep doing it. No matter what anyone says, do what you want to do, and work to keep yourself happy. That way you will never tire of creating your work and will eventually find your audience. Also, social media! Whatever format works for you, just keep posting, people love seeing progress shots, behind the scenes etc. 

What’s next for you and your work?

This year has been an amazing year, and hopefully the next is going to be even better, I am planning a trip around the UK on my little motorbike, which I purposely purchased to get around to remote locations and photograph Eric on his adventures. I hope to bring them out in a graphic novel, as well as a cook book, as I discovered food photography these past few years at my current job and I love it. Painting wise, I would love to incorporate it into my trips, setting up in little coffee shops, bashing out unique coffee paintings all over the place and possibly auctioning them off in order to cover a few expenses. I then plan to do a few exhibitions, mainly photographic works as I am currently in talks with a few sponsors, which is pretty exciting, but I am sure I will be slipping a painting or two in there too, as it all links in together. The main plan is to just to keep doing what I love, and one day I'll hopefully be able to support myself financially and do a lot more of it!

Feeling Inspired? 

Find more of Darryll's work on his Instagram, Facebook and 500 px pages. 

Explore more of Darryll Jones' work on his website here.

Shop for his preferred Ampersand Aquabord at Cass Art.

So you know you want to paint. You walk into an art shop and are greeted by a plethora of different types of paintbrush; synthetic, sable, hog hair, squirrel mop...

And understandbly you have no idea which to choose! Of course, our Cass Art staff are always more than happy to help and can offer you expert advice, but we thought we'd put together a handy guide to help you select the right paintbrushes for you. 

 

DIFFERENT TYPES OF PAINTBRUSH

You'll need a different brush depending on the kind of paint you use. If you're a watercolourist, you'll need sable or another natural brush, but acrylic and oil painters will require hog or synthetic.. for example There are three main types to choose from:

•    Natural Hair
•    Hog Hair (Bristle)
•    Synthetic Hair

Read on for which is suited best to your kind of painting.

NATURAL 

Natural hair paintbrushes are ideal for painting with watercolour or gouache because they are softer and more flexible than other brushes. They come in different types: 

•    Sable brushes maintain a perfect point, allowing for great control and fine details. Sable hair is also naturally absorbent which means these brushes hold a lot of colour for excellent flow. Sable brushes are very high quality, with the best being hand made from the tip of the tail of the Siberian Kolinsky sable such as Winsor & Newton Series 7 Kolinsky Sable Brushes.

•    Squirrel mop brushes carry colour very well because they can hold a lot of water. They are very good as mop and wash brushes with good covering power, as they do not point as well as Sable.



HOG HAIR (OR BRISTLE)

Hog brushes are perfect for painting with oil and acrylic. They are naturally stiff and each bristle is split into two or three at the tip,  so the brush can hold more paint and apply it evenly. Remember, hog brushes come in different shades so if they are white then you need to make sure that this is natural and not bleached as this will have weakened the bristle. 

Hog brushes are extremely resilient so that the brush keeps its working edge and shape for longer.

Winsor & Newton Artists’ Hog Brushes are high quality and we also stock our own brand Cass Art Hog Brushes Set of 6.

SYNTHETIC 

If you are on a tighter budget or would prefer an alternative to natural hair, then synthetic brushes are the ones for you. They can be soft or stiff; the soft brushes work well with watercolour, while the stiff brushes work well with oils.

Cass Art Brown Synthetic brushes work well with both watercolour and acrylic, whilst the Cass Art Grey Synthetic brushes are a great choice for working in acrylic and oil. If you like working across different painting media, however, the Cass Art White Synthetic brushes is a set of all-rounders, perfect for watercolour, acrylic and oil painting.



DIGITAL

Maybe working on canvas isn't your thing? In this technological age artists have been using digital paintbrushes to paint and sketch on their tablets, phones and computers.

The Sensu brush and stylus is compatible with most touchscreen devices, and equally the Lynktec Professional Stylus and Paintbrush has a fiber tip for sketching and drawing and a soft conductive paintbrush tip for digital painting.

Feeling inspired?

We hope this helps and you know which paintbrushes are the ones for you! Shop all paintbrushes here and remember, if you have any questions, feel free to ask any Cass Art staff member.

Christmas isn't all about fancy presents and over-eating; it's about thinking about the people around you, and making the most of being at home. This year, we want to inspire you to MAKE CHRISTMAS, and student of Contemporary Art Practice, Megan Archibald, has a couple of great design ideas for the Cass Art Create Your Own Mug Design kit, which might inspire you to get creative and make a handy gift to give to your loved ones this year.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

Cass Art Create Your Own Mug Design kit, which includes;

- One china mug (large enough to keep the caffeine cravings at bay)

- Six marker pens

Wet wipes/ a damp cloth

Paper and pencil for sketching out ideas

Design Idea 1: Aberdeen Winter Horizon

I think that Christmas is a time to celebrate being at home, so I decided to create some mugs based on where I live, Aberdeen. We are a town known for oil, so I looked towards our local landmarks, and started to collect photographs of the rigs out on the horizon. 

With imagery in mind I began by sketching out some ideas on a scrap piece of paper, before transferring my design onto the mug itself. The markers become permanent after a few seconds, so I recommend keeping a damp cloth nearby to wipe away any mistakes as you go.

I started by making a light line about one quarter of the way up the mug, to mark the horizon of my scene. Using the black marker pen I then began to map in the basic basic silhouettes of the oil rigs, tankers and lighthouse. Because the nib of the markers are quite thick, I recommend opting for images based around block shapes and pattern, to make sure the final design is neat and clean.

Once the darker shapes are mapped in, it's time to add colour and detail; the pigments within the markers are really strong, so there's no need to be shy here! I decided to recreate an evening scene at the harboursie, when the beauty of the landscape is highlighted by the colours of the setting sun. An unexpected bonus of the markers is that they are blendable, meaning you can layer different colours on top of one another, to create new shades or seamless gradients. In this case, I chose to blend black with the blue of the water, to echo the icy tides of the North Sea. 

The finished result is a tasteful nod to Aberdeen, and a beautiful Christmas gift for anyone who enjoys looking out to sea.

Design 2- Santa Visits Aberdeen 

For my second design I decided to try out something simpler; incorporating fewer colours and not rely on blending the markers. My favoured drawing style is quite childish and I love the opportunity to doodle, so I decided to go for a cartoonish look, which will appeal to all age groups. Gaining inspiration from bad Christmas card puns, I started playing around with a few ideas, which linked Christmas, humour, and Aberdeen. The chosen idea stemmed from a street in the city, which is closed to all vehicles except buses- this led me to think: if Santa visits, how will he get through? The bright colours and clean white background create an effective, happy and festive finish!

Incorporating elements specific to your home town, or your friend's favourite place, gives the mug a personal touch, and will hopefully bring a smile to the recipients face on Christmas morning. Make sure to write the date on the underside of your mug, and sign your name so they will always remember who gave it to them and when. 

Feeling inspired?

Follow Megan's work here.

Shop for a Mug Design Kit online at Cass Art.

Elinor Brass is an artist. She also happens to be an art teacher, who found it hard to fit her own practice around her teaching duties.

This is why she set up Sketchbook Circle, a monthly sketchbook exchange between Artist Educators across the UK. We interview Elinor about how it works, why it's important to have that creative conversation, and why other artist educators should sign up for 2016.

What inspired you to start Sketchbook Circle?

I did my masters part-time whilst teaching full-time early on in my career, and I learnt to become quite disciplined in my making, keeping my skills and my ideas moving. Once that was completed, I missed the chance to connect with other makers and also found it tough to keep up my practice alongside a busy life as a teacher. With another friend, who is also an artist educator, we decided we would seek a new way to commit to our practice and brought together a group of people we knew in education, who were also committed to making work, and arranged them into our first sketchbook circle. The idea being that we would collaborate, exchange and inspire one another.

How does the project work?

The circle is organised at the beginning of the year. This year we have 175 artist educators from around the country involved. Everyone buys a sketchbook, small enough to fit through a letterbox, which they then make some work in (or record larger work in.) They then post it to the person next to them in the circle (everyone posts in the same direction.) So everyone sends a book and everyone receives a book. The person receiving the book has one month to make work in response to what they have received, and then posts it back to the original sender. It means that the members are having an in-depth conversation with two artists over a year, but everyone is connected via a large circle. We use Facebook to post snippets of work to share and it is a really active and supportive group. We also have events that happen across the country. For example, currently Sketchbook Circle have an exhibition at The Baltic in the North East and in February there will be an exhibition of the 2015 circle at Gerald Moore Gallery in London. Alongside this there will be workshops, the chance for people to meet their sketchbook partners and to make connections with other artist educators from all over the country. This year we have developed a monthly mailout which is curated by a different artist educator each time. We have sent out fun art materials or posted some exciting resources and these have been really well received by participants.

Why do you think these kind of collaborative projects are so successful?

I suppose part of it is that there is never enough time to make when you are a teacher, as there is always something else that you should be doing! But by committing to the project you are actually saying that you are going to commit to your own practice and your own well-being. And if you don't make something - however small - you are letting your partner down too, which helps people to find time. The supportive nature of the group is very powerful too; many of those involved have indicated how important it has been to them both as artists and as teachers. The sketchbooks are used in lessons, and teachers have set up circles for their students, and for other teachers in their school (non-artists too). With creative subjects very much under threat in schools it has kept people connected to others who can offer advice and encouragement.

Do you have a favourite kind of sketchbook?

I am a bit of a kraft paper fan and so often that is what I choose to start with for sketchbook circle.

Why should someone join Sketchbook Circle for 2016?

I find that it's exciting to receive something that you have to react to. It means that you don't only make what is comfortable or obvious. I think it is about investing in your own making, connecting with others and it is so lovely to get exciting things through the post each month!

Feeling Inspired?     

Visit the Sketchbook Circle website to join for 2016. To register your interest, email sketchbookcircle15@gmail.com before the end of 2015.

Shop for sketchbooks and sketch pads online at Cass Art.

If you too are an Artist Educator, you can sign up for a Viridian Card at Cass Art, which gives artist educators discount for life and contributes to The Sorrell Foundation.

It's been a year since Christian Hook was crowned Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year, and now applications have opened for Portrait Artist of the Year 2016.

The different painting heats will take place at The Wallace Collection, home to one of Europe’s finest art collections. If entering the competition isn't for you, you can go and see them being filmed as the heats are open to the public.

The popular duo Frank Skinner and Joan Bakewell will return to present, and the familiar judges Tai Shan Schierenberg, Kathleen Soriano and Kate Bryan will also be judging this series.

Above Image: Christian Hook, Self Portrait 

WHAT YOU CAN WIN

The winner of Landscape Portrait of the Year 2016 will be awarded a £10,000 commission and £500 to spend on art materials at Cass Art.

 

HOW TO APPLY
 
You can apply on the Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year page here.

You must submit a photograph of one of a Self-Portrait painting (not including the frame.) You then submit an additional piece of work, and an optional third piece of art, neither of which have to be a portrait. You must also submit a passport photograph.

All photographs must be JPEGs, no less than 800KB and no more than 1.5MB.

One entry per person, and applications close at 12 noon on Friday 1st April 2016.


 
Titus Agbara, Entrant of Portrait Artist of the Year 2015 

Feeling inspired?

Find out more and enter the Portrait Artist of the Year competition on the Sky Arts website.

Please follow @paoty2016 to keep up to date with developments on Portrait Artist of the Year 2016. 

Read the Cass Art interview with the last winner, Christian Hook, on our blog.

The new revolution is here - the Winsor & Newton Pigment Marker is no ordinary marker!

A dazzling new marker pen that breaks all the rules, you can buy the individual markers here at Cass Art. 

Watch illustrator William Broome in action as he uses the markers like paint, dragging the ink and layering the colours together. He also shows off the White Blender, which stands out brilliantly on black paper. The range of lightfast, highly pigmented colours can be used for best results on the specialised Winsor & Newton Pigment Marker Paper. See William Broome talking about the new revolution and what's so special about these markers and you'll need to try them for yourself!

After it's successful first series, with Nerine Tassie crowned as the winner, Sky Arts have opened applications for Landscape Artist of the Year 2016.

The Sky Arts Landscape Competition, produced by Storyvault Films, is an evolution of the Portrait Artist of the Year. It's in association with the National Trust to showcase the love and delight that the British countryside has offered artists for so many years. The upcoming series will be filmed at National Trust properties across the country in June and July 2016. Exact details  will be released in early 2016, so watch this space!

The popular duo Frank Skinner and Joan Bakewell will return to present, and the familiar judges Tai Shan Schierenberg, Kathleen Soriano and Kate Bryan will also be judging this series.

WHAT YOU CAN WIN

The winner of Landscape Artist of the Year 2016 will be awarded a £10,000 commission and £500 to spend on art materials at Cass Art.

 

HOW TO APPLY
 
You can apply on the Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year page here.

You must submit a photograph of one of your landscape paintings (not including the frame.) You then submit an additional landscape, and an optional third piece of art which doesn't have to be a landscape. You must also submit a passport photograph.

All photographs must be JPEGs, no less than 800KB and no more than 1.5MB.

One entry per person, and applications close at 12 noon on Friday 15th April 2016.

Feeling inspired?

Find out more and enter the Landscape Artist of the Year competition on the Sky Arts website.

Please follow @laoty2016 to keep up to date with developments on Landscape Artist of the Year 2016. 

Read the Cass Art interview with the last winner, Nerine Tassie, on our blog.

Collecting contemporary art for your own home is on the rise, and Rise Art’s curator Rebecca Gordon is here to help you make your choices with tips on how to get hold of your favourite pieces.

TIPS FOR BUYING ART

1. The secret to buying art is there is no secret

If you see a piece of art that you absolutely love and you want to buy it, then buy it. You don't need special credentials or a degree in Art History to start a collection; you just need the desire to collect and the means to do it.

2. Be prepared and informed

You can help yourself by being prepared and informed. Do some research: visit galleries and museums, read reviews, and train your eye. Know your taste and budget, and take your time– but not too much time! The wonderful thing about art is that much of it is one of a kind. Excluding prints and multiples, an artwork is a unique object – so if you hesitate for too long you may miss out on something you love.

3. Buying as an Investment

Whether one should buy art for art’s sake or as an investment is consistently a big question. The good news is that the two don’t have to be mutually exclusive. The first rule of thumb is to buy what you like, because you will be living with this work - it should intrigue, excite, challenge, and uplift you. And if, in addition, you are interested in collecting up-and-coming artists whose work might appreciate, familiarise yourself with their résumés and background and also what they have planned for the future - solo or group exhibitions, residencies, fellowships, and the like.

4. Negotiate 

In many cases, the price of an artwork is negotiable. Do your research and don’t be afraid to raise the topic of a better price.

5. Know the Factors that Affect the Price of Art

Primary vs. secondary market: Pieces bought on the primary market (i.e. you're the first owner) tend to be less expensive than those bought on the secondary market (i.e. previously owned works being sold privately, through a gallery or at auction). 

Rarity: Is the piece one of a kind, or one of an edition of 100?

Medium: In most cases a work on canvas is more valuable than one on paper - however this is not an absolute, rather it is contingent on the artist and the market for their work.

WHERE TO FIND THE ART FOR YOU

Traditional Galleries: The best way to train your eye – and it’s free! Take as many opportunities as you can to visit commercial galleries and see what is new and on view.

Art Fairs: Art fairs are a great hunting ground. Within them you are provided with a huge selection of curated artworks, all under one roof.

Graduation Degree Shows: Some of the most exciting locales to view contemporary art are at art school graduation exhibitions. Prices are reasonable, there is often an exceptional range of works on view, and you often get to meet the artist whilst looking at the work. However, please bear in mind that this is early stage work; the artist may change their style radically as he/she develops. That being said, we still love the adventure of it all.

Auctions: Familiarising yourself with the auction house’s buyer’s commission is essential. Auction house pre-sale exhibitions are exceptional displays of art – and they’re free to the public! We think they are a wonderful way to train your eye, so plan a walk through the galleries each auction season and relish the visual feasts on offer.

Online Galleries: An exceptional selection of artwork is available in one place where you can search with the aid of specialised filters from the comfort of your home. It's not intimidating and there are often try-before-you-buy and rental options. Online galleries are often curated by Insider Committees.

By Rebecca Gordon 

Feeling inspired?

Check the Cass Art blog for the next two blogs in our series of A Guide To Collecting Art.

Visit the Rise Art website here for more tips on choosing and collecting contemporary art.

Swirling seahorses, sunken ships and shoals of fish all feature amongst the pages of Johanna Basford's newest colouring book, Lost Ocean. The illustrator's adult colouring books have sold millions of copies across the world, and when looking at her intricate drawings, it's not hard to see why.

Watch this video to go behind the scenes and find out about the illustrator, get a sneak peek into her studio and find out what inspires her newest title.

Feeling inspired?

Buy Johanna's colouring books Lost Ocean, Secret Garden and Enchanted Forest at Cass Art.

Read our in-depth interview with Johanna here.

Video courtesy of Virgin Books and Penguin Books.

Here at Cass Art we believe in young emerging artists - they are the artists of the future, after all. We take a look at the talent across the country, delving into the work of the Cass Art Student Ambassadors. Read on to have a nosy into the dynamic painting and printmaking practice happening at art schools this year.

Above: Shapes in a Void- Frankie Graham- acrylic paint & thread- 22 W x 16.5 H inches- 2015 

Frankie Graham is currently enrolled in a Portfolio Preparation course at Glasgow Clyde College.

Frankie's artwork is predominantly influenced by urban structures, and the patterns and shapes that they create against the landscape. She delights in experimenting with drawing;  putting to use different techniques to create a mark, such as stitching into painting to create a line. She also finds interest in the idea of hiding and revealing shapes, and explores this idea by layering transparent drawings, on surfaces such as acetate or tracing paper. Photography forms another basis of her practice, as she considers how light and shade can change or create pattern. Her current body of work draws inspiration from both the negative spaces and solid matter of the urban landscape, in order to highlight the shapes and patterns which normally go unnoticed.

Find more of Frankie's work here. 

Untitled- Lucy Roberts- emulsion, acrylic paint, recycled & found objects on un-stretched canvas- 39.3 W x 35.4 H inches- 2015

Lucy Roberts is in her second year of Fine Art at Kingston University.

Mainly using found materials and acrylic paint, her focus is on surface texture and how different paints and materials can work on different surfaces. Her current work plays on the marriage of different styles; aiming to integrate small detailed watercolours of fish into larger abstract pieces. Lucy counts Anselm Kiefer's incorporation of recycled and found objects into his works' meaning as a huge inspiration.

Find more of her work here. 

My family on staircase- Joshua von Uexkull- acrylic on canvas- 19.6 W x 15.7 H inches- 2015

Joshua von Uexkull studies Fine Art at Central Saint Martins.

He is interested in exploring figuration in painting, in particular focusing on the things that a photograph cannot show. This involves a rejection of Western perspective and line, a focus on colour theory, and a focus on the time put into a picture, as opposed to the fractional time of a photograph. He does not limit himself to a single medium, enjoying both the permanency of acrylic, which requires planning, and the flexibility of oil paint, which allows you to constantly transform an image. He works predominantly to a small-scale, and while his work often seeks to depict space, he sees this more as a matter of perspective rather than one of image size. He revels in the challenge of working to this scale, as it forces him to make considered decisions around the available surface and pictorial space.  He counts David Hockney as a key influence to his practice, as well as the impressionist painter Edouard Vuillard, who tried to see with just his eyes, without the rational verbal mind that clouds perception.

Find more of his paintings here.

Spaces of Isolation- Sophie Barron- acrylic paint on steel & aluminium- 5.9 W x 5.9 H (2), 11.8 W x 5.9 H- 2015

Sophie Barron currently studies Fine Art at the Chelsea College of Art.

Having an interest in architecture, site and the everyday, she explores the feelings of absence and disconnection which she encounters when visiting public spaces. With a research focus in the practice of psycho-geography, Sophie immerses herself in unfamiliar urban environments, and using photography as a primary medium, captures images which form a basis for her later painted works. Although technology plays a central focus in her creative process, the artist considers her paintings to be the resolution of her practice.

Find more of Sophie's work here. 

Untitled- Callum Morley- oil paint, encaustic, spray paint & acrylic on board- 23 W x 29 H x 2 D inches- 2015

Callum Morley is currently studying in the first year of a Fine Art degree at Liverpool John Moores University.

His recent body of work focuses mainly on the physicality of materials and forms. His concepts are ever-changing, but tied together by a desire to communicate powerful messages. He strives to constantly develop and introduce new ways to explore these concepts, and while he identifies primarily as a painter, he has recently began to experiment with new mediums, including film, sound and installation. He is heavily explorative of texture and materials, and looks to the likes of Anselm Kiefer, Gehard Richter and Sigmar Polke to draw influence. He hopes one day to exhibit his work internationally, using it as a tool to reach out to people for reflection and enjoyment.

 You can find more examples of his work here. 

Reconstructing the Deconstruction- Laura Speirs- paint on paper- 47.2 W x 16.5 H inches- 2015

Laura Speirs is currently studying Painting and Printmaking at the Glasgow School of Art.

Laura's mixed-media practice aims to explore the progression of painting. Taking an experimental approach, she seeks to determine the relevance of painting in society, and works towards the overriding aim of fully immersing the viewer within her work. Working from previous paintings, she questions the integrity of her older work through the method of printing and reproduction. The surface dictates a piece's scale; whether it be a found object, paper or MDF. With a focus on surface and texture she strives to engage and interact with the public; "I walk into some contemporary art galleries, not only to look at the art but to consider people's reactions of the work. I believe art is made to engage, art is a reaction, and some contemporary artists are forgetting this notion”. 

Find more of Laura's work here. 

Foxgloves- Jessica Withers- watercolour on paper- 11.7 W x 16.5 H inches- 2014

Jessica Withers is studying Fine Art at the Carmarthen School of Art.

She pursues a versatile practice; enjoying experimentation with drawing, painting and printmaking, and delighting in the exploration of colour and line. The human form and natural world are key inspirations for her, though she chooses to avoid the traditional depictions of landscapes. Her focus is instead directed towards objects of nature, such as pinecones and sycamore seeds. Playing with different materials allows her to explore a variety of scales for her work. She prefers to keep her printed pieces relatively small in size, seeing their concentrated outcome as their strength. She retains this control within her painted work, avoiding expressionistic strokes, and conveying a realism in her botanical watercolour studies. She finds the most freedom within her drawing; working onto surfaces from as small as a postage stamp, to large-scale pieces on imperial sized paper, which have filled entire rooms. She counts Albrecht Durer as one of her key inspirations. 

You can see more of her work here. 

Untitled (Military Surplus 2)- Megan Archibald- acetone print & acrylic on paper- 10 W x 15 H inches- 2015

Megan Archibald currently studies Contemporary Art Practice at Gray's School of Art in Aberdeen.

Primarily a painter, she increasingly ventures into simple printmaking and mixed media; incorporating elements such as military surplus maps, old greetings cards, personal letters, and news cuttings into her pieces. 35mm film and Instax photography are obsessions, and a visual journal, stockpiled over many months, helps to build the foundation of much of her work. She explores personal themes; including her hostility towards the city, as well as her own struggles with the idea of home, security and belonging. Her current work explores the locations she discovers as a natural wanderer, in both a figurative and abstract sense. She cites Mark Rothko and Jim Lambie as her biggest inspirations, as well as curio shops, vintage letters and postcards.

Find Megan’s visual diary on Instagram - @doingtheunstuck

Dreamscapes- Taijasi Mishra- photocolours on couch-roll paper- 20 W x 15 H inches- 2015

Taijasi Mishra studies Fine Art at Goldsmiths, University of London.

Her practice is heavily influenced by material and process, and she loves to work with inks and dye in a variety of scales. By dipping paper in water diluted with inks, the paper absorbs and draws up the ink to create what the artist calls 'dreamscapes'. The method is controlled, regualated and considered. Taijasi says "the thin lines created by the settling of inks denote the time taken to create each piece, as one line will approximately take an hour to form. The process functions on the principle of capillarity movement of the ink and is known as chromatography."

See more of her work here and here.

Organic Forms- Christina Marshall- acrylic paint- 16 W x 20 H inches- 2015

Christina Marshall studies Fine Art at Chelsea College of Art in London.

As a painter, she is driven by experimentation of materials and techniques, and finds pleasure in the process of painting; enjoying mixing and blending colour as much as she enjoys making marks and forming shapes. Working in watercolour, acrylic and oils allows her to explore both different surfaces and different scales within her work. She is particularly drawn to abstraction and finds inspiration in the paintings of Frank Auerbach, Vincent Van Gogh and Gerhard Richter. Other influences include William Morris, Natasha Kidd and Bob and Roberta Smith.

See more of Christina's work here.

Acrylic pastiche painting, inspired by Samir Mondal- Amber Akaunu- acrylic paint- 11.7 W x 8.3 H inches- 2014

Amber Akaunu studies Fine Art at Liverpool Hope University.

Amber's work focuses on the capturing of facial expressions and emotions through the mediums of drawing and painting. Both her pencil and acrylic works are sized modestly; refusing to be viewed as intimidating, despite their dynamic imagery. Her influences include Samir Mondal and Joshua Petker, who capture emotion effortlessly yet intensely.

See more of her work here. 

Guest writer Rebecca Gordon of Rise Art is back with her second blog on collecting art. She tells you why so many people are starting to buy art for their homes, and explains how to find your preferred medium.

Why Collect Art?

Expression: Art is a powerful form of expression, not only for the artists who create it, but also for those who own it. Art allows people to express their individuality - the art we buy is as much about who we are as it is about the artists who create it.

Aesthetics and Design: You can use an artwork as a bold statement piece to attract attention and create a talking point - or you can use it to complement and enhance your interior design and colour scheme.

Art as Action Point: Art encourages people to ask questions, to think about new ideas, experience fresh perspectives, and most importantly, it encourages us to take brief moments out of our busy lives to reflect. Art stimulates conversation, dialogue and interchange – it gives people permission to share thoughts, feelings, ideas and impressions that they might not ordinarily share.

Quality of Life: Art improves our quality of life. Studies have shown uplifting effect art can have in the workplace, in hospitals, and in the home. Art personalises and humanises where we live and work. It revives lifeless interiors, and transforms them into unique, beautiful and engaging environments.

Investment: There are essentially two reasons to buy art. The first is because you love it and feel passionately about it. The second is because you see it as a potentially lucrative investment. Advice: buy early - look for artists who are starting to be shown in public places and familiarise yourself with their work.

Support Young Artists: Being an artist is not an easy career or lifestyle choice, and it is important to support emerging artists. A great deal of time and effort goes into producing original works, and for an artist the hardest point can be letting a work leave their studio – you’d be surprised how many paintings are never quite finished! However, the knowledge that someone sees merit in an artist’s work and appreciates the blood, sweat and tears that went into creating it makes a big difference.

Find Your Medium

Paintings

● Tactile - A print’s surface can never match the visceral textural variations of a painting. Whether done on canvas, wood or mottled watercolour paper, original paintings have a tactile quality that sets them apart.

● One of a kind. There’s something inherently satisfying about having a piece of unique artwork in your home.

● Handmade. Like handmade knits, hand-thrown pottery and handcrafted furniture, paintings show the hand of their maker. This quality brings richness and personality to the home — factory-made furniture and slickly printed posters simply cannot compete.

Sculpture

Sculpture can often be much harder to place in an environment than paintings or prints, however that should not discourage those who are interested in collecting it. There are a wide array of materials used for sculpture, and whether they’re monumental or intimate in scale, abstract or figurative in composition, there is an enormous amount of skill involved with any sculpture - not to mention time, effort and cost of production. They are certainly worth the effort!

Prints

To the uninitiated, the world of prints can be quite confusing – not to worry! Original prints are an exciting and affordable way to collect once you learn a bit about the process.

● An original print is an artwork that has been created and hand printed by the artist from a plate, block, stone, or stencil.

● Understand what the numbers in the corner mean. The larger number indicates the total number of prints made in the edition, while the smaller number is where the piece falls within that edition. All prints within a given edition are of equal value – unless the artist is known for altering individual prints within an edition (which will be noted accordingly).

● The limited edition is essentially a pledge by the photographer or artist that no more than a certain number of prints of a given image will be made - ever. An edition can be anything from two to 500 or more. The fewer prints in the edition, the higher their worth.

● Giclée better known as digital prints using inkjet printers. Most often associated with reproductions; a giclée is a multiple print or exact copy of an original work of art that was created by conventional means (painting, drawing, etc.) and then reproduced digitally, typically via inkjet printing.

By Rebecca Gordon

Feeling inspired?

Keep a look out on the Cass Art blog for Rebecca's final installment in the Guide to Collecting Art series. 

Visit the Rise Art website for further advice on collecting artwork.

You don't have to wish too hard for rain in the UK, but that's something we're actually looking forward to in 2016; With so many incredible exhibitions coming up this year, a little drizzle is the perfect excuse to hole up and find shelter inside one of the UK's many galleries. Keep reading to find out which art exhibitions we'll be visiting to soak up some inspiration this year...  

Frank Auerbach

9^th October 2015- 13^th March 2016 at Tate Britain

If you haven’t had the chance to catch Frank Auerbach’s major retrospective at Tate Britain in 2015 there is no need to fret, as the New Year offers a further 3 months to catch this critically-acclaimed show. Auerbach is now acknowledged as one of the world’s greatest living painters, and this show goes a long way to prove why. Visitors are able to view the progression of his work from the 1950’s to the present day, through a series of paintings and drawings. Go along to marvel at the artist's masterful use of texture and mark-making, which bring his portraiture and landscape works to life.

Alexander Calder: Performing Sculpture

11^th November 2015- 3^rd April 2016 at Tate Modern

Alexander Calder is the man who showed the world that sculpture needn’t be static. His famous suspended pieces, christened mobiles by Marcel Duchamp, are displayed alongside film, music, dance and theatrical collaborations in this celebratory show. Calder’s work is as delicate as it is monumental, and the variety in this exhibition offers real insight into the artist’s exciting and eccentric practice.

 Delacroix and The Rise of Modern Art

17^th February- 22^nd May 2016 at National Gallery

Eugène Delacroix was an innovator during the 19th century, and this exhibition honors the legacy passed down by the artist. Delacroix's work marked a turning point in French painting, directing it away from the shackles of traditional technique and moving towards a freer, more modern way of working; in the process paving the way for eminent future artistic movements, such as Impressionism and later, Post-Impressionism. His work will be shown alongside pieces by artists including Courbet, Van Gogh, Renoir and Matisse, all of whom cited the artist's style as an influence in their own work. This will be the first exhibition of Delacroix's work on British soil for more than 50 years, so it is definitely one not to be missed!  

Botticelli Reimagined

5^th March- 3^rd July 2016 at V&A

In a simliar vein to Delacroix at the National Gallery, the V&A will be presenting a comprehensive celebration of the work of Italian Old Master, Sandro Botticelli. Once again, the artist's work will be shown alongside those who have followed in his footsteps, painting a striking visual timeline of his incredible influence. The emphasis in this exhibition is the image itself; and presented works can be seen to directly appropriate and re-invisage the famous style and content of his pieces. Expect wide-ranging exhibits, including fashion, sculpture, print and film from artists and designers such as William Morris, Elsa Schiaparelli and Andy Warhol, alongside a substantial collection of Botticelli's own work. Renaissance buffs and modern culture fans alike should find something to love in this show. 

Bridget Riley: Paintings, 1964-2015

15^th April 2015- 16^th April 2017 at Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art

A fascination with monochrome in the early 1960's earnt Bridget Riley critical acclaim, and she has since been known as one of the key figures in the Op art movement. Her paintings, featuring geometric shapes evoke a sensory reaction from viewers, who see movement and depth within the static surfaces. Over the course of her career she evolved to explore colour within her work, and this retrospective exhibition shows the development of her practice from her black and white beginnings in the 60's, through to the present day. Visit the exhibition for pattern, illusion, and maybe event a hint of seasickness. 

Francis Bacon: Invisible Rooms

18^th May- 18^th September 2016 at Tate Liverpool

With a taste for grotesque imagery and brilliant eye for composition, Francis Bacon's paintings are simultaneously beautiful and unsettling. Austere geometric structures recur through much of Bacon's work; encasing his painted subjects within boxes, rooms or cages. These ghostly frames are highlighted by Tate Liverpool's upcoming exhibition, Francis Bacon: Invisible Rooms, which will feature approximately 35 original works including this key theme. The dramatic setting of Liverpool's dockland serves as the perfect venue for a reflective exhibition on some of the artist's most bleak and powerful pieces, which are arguably masterpieces of the modern age.

Painters’ Paintings: From Freud to Van Dyck

22^nd June- 4^th September 2016 at National Gallery

David Hockney RA: 79 Portraits and Two Still Lifes

Being able to work with mixed media truly opens doors for your art practice, allowing you to experiment and achieve a multitude of different effects.

Be inspired by watching the detailed How To video below, where Pebeo reveal the true possibilities of working with mixed media. They showcase the effects of materials like glazing resin, acrylic paint, vitrail, lightening medium, fantasy moon, relief gilding paste, fantasy prisme and mirror effect metal leaf, all coming together to create one dynamic painting. 

Feeling inspired?

You can shop for all the Mixed Media materials from Pebeo at Cass Art, including the glazing resin, vitrail glass paint and sand texture gel.