Portfolio Season is upon us, with students across the country compiling and fine-tuning their cherished art work. We want to make this time as stress-free as possible, so we’ve asked our Student Ambassadors, Felicity Meachem, a Painting student at Brighton University, and Anna Kenneally, a Fine Art student a Bath Spa University, to give their top tips on creating the perfect portfolio.

Hi Felicity and Anna! What advice would you give students who are in the process of preparing their portfolios and applying to an art course?

Felicity: Portfolios are going to be an important tool in your artistic career, not just for applying to university, so this is great practice! It's a bit of a cliché but definitely don’t leave it to the last minute. Portfolios take time and should be constantly updated as you make new work. Make sure to pay close attention to detail - it shows you are professional and are proud of your work. Applying for university is not just about grades anymore, your work is what’s key. Most importantly, do not let someone else dictate your portfolio for you. Always welcome a fresh set of eyes to look at your work but remember, you are the artist and you are in charge. University is about you becoming an independent artist rather than always relying on what your teachers tell you to do. Trust your instincts, you can’t pretend to be something you're not!

Anna: Get other people’s opinions when selecting work to include as they may notice things you have overlooked. Limit the amount of work in a submission; really good examples of work can become lost in a large portfolio. This portfolio is a chance to not only show off your work, but showcase creative achievements. These can include images of exhibitions you have been a part of, interviews, dissertations or personal projects.

 Extract from Felicity Meachem's Portfolio 

How important is it to show your own style in your portfolio?

Felicity: Depending on what kind of course you're applying for, it can vary. In terms of painting it is very important. Showing your own unique flair is what interviewers are looking for. They see the same thing all the time so try to find some kind of distinctive hook or thumbprint that sets you apart from other candidates. For instance, you could use something unconventional to fold your work in. I knew a girl who put her work in an old vintage suitcase that she inherited from her grandparents.

 Anna: The main thing the selectors will be looking for is a coherent body of work; they want to see a clear insight into the applicant’s interests and gain an understanding of their practice. It is good to not only show your best work, but also work that links together in terms of idea or project. Playing to your strengths will work in your favour. If you feel strong in a certain medium, make sure this is being communicated.

Portfolio Season is upon us, with students across the country compiling and fine-tuning their cherished art work. We want to make this time as stress-free as possible, so we’ve asked our Student Ambassadors, Felicity Meachem, a Painting student at Brighton University, and Anna Kenneally, a Fine Art student a Bath Spa University, to give their top tips on creating the perfect portfolio.

Hi Felicity and Anna! What advice would you give students who are in the process of preparing their portfolios and applying to an art course?

Felicity: Portfolios are going to be an important tool in your artistic career, not just for applying to university, so this is great practice! It's a bit of a cliché but definitely don’t leave it to the last minute. Portfolios take time and should be constantly updated as you make new work. Make sure to pay close attention to detail - it shows you are professional and are proud of your work. Applying for university is not just about grades anymore, your work is what’s key. Most importantly, do not let someone else dictate your portfolio for you. Always welcome a fresh set of eyes to look at your work but remember, you are the artist and you are in charge. University is about you becoming an independent artist rather than always relying on what your teachers tell you to do. Trust your instincts, you can’t pretend to be something you're not!

Anna: Get other people’s opinions when selecting work to include as they may notice things you have overlooked. Limit the amount of work in a submission; really good examples of work can become lost in a large portfolio. This portfolio is a chance to not only show off your work, but showcase creative achievements. These can include images of exhibitions you have been a part of, interviews, dissertations or personal projects.

 Extract from Felicity Meachem's Portfolio 

How important is it to show your own style in your portfolio?

Felicity: Depending on what kind of course you're applying for, it can vary. In terms of painting it is very important. Showing your own unique flair is what interviewers are looking for. They see the same thing all the time so try to find some kind of distinctive hook or thumbprint that sets you apart from other candidates. For instance, you could use something unconventional to fold your work in. I knew a girl who put her work in an old vintage suitcase that she inherited from her grandparents.

 Anna: The main thing the selectors will be looking for is a coherent body of work; they want to see a clear insight into the applicant’s interests and gain an understanding of their practice. It is good to not only show your best work, but also work that links together in terms of idea or project. Playing to your strengths will work in your favour. If you feel strong in a certain medium, make sure this is being communicated.

Extract from Anna Kenneally's Portfolio 

What are your must-have portfolio products?

Felicity: I would recommend Cass Art's Presentation Portfolio. It's waterproof, and you're going to want something lightweight especially if you are travelling far for an interview. In 2014 I took a cumbersome leather portfolio without a shoulder strap to a London interview and ended up doing my back in and cutting into my shoulder- big mistake! So make sure you get one with a good grip on the handle. I would also advise you to get your hands on some Cass Art Presentation sleeves to protect your work. I would get various sizes just in case. Plastic sleeves are a bit controversial - some say the glare from light distracts from your work - but I actually love them! They make life so much easier, especially when organising and placing your work. If you're not a sleeve fan, I would suggest getting some good quality card - something that can easily be moved around. What I wish I had during my interviews was a Jakar Teletube container with strap. This can hold larger work- which universities love to see- and you can roll artwork up and keep it safe. Finally, I recommend the Seawhite Euro Portrait Sketchbook. This set comes in various sizes, so you can show you can work on different scales.

Anna:  A decent camera to take good quality photos of your work is essential. Cameras can often be loaned from university or college, so you don't need to fork out the cash for a new one. To position your artwork onto surfaces (before taking photos) I recommend 3M Spray Mount 400ml. 

Extract from Felicity Meachem's Portfolio

How far in advance should you start preparing your portfolio?

Felicity: I would say a minimum of one month. You don’t want to start too early - you’ll change your mind a lot as you will always be making new work. You also don’t want to leave it to the night before your interview - though no doubt there will be last minute tweaks!

Anna: Giving yourself as much time as possible is best, allowing you to consider choices of work and think about order and layout of the page. Photographing work and recording medium and dimensions on completion will help build a portfolio without a last minute panic. Showing both older and more recent work can help give an insight into your progression and interests.

Are there any things that you think are vital to include in a portfolio?

Felicity: Though it is starting to become quite old fashioned and traditional, I believe Its vital to have life drawing in your portfolio. Drawing from life is an easy way of showing you have good eye for proportions and recreating life into a new picture space. Sketchbooks should be mandatory! They are where all the initial ideas happen, so they give the interviewer a way of seeing into your thought process and progression to your final products. It is also important to include artist research and other visual inspiration such as photography. I think what my interviewers especially liked was that I brought a big painting to show at my interview - they said that it’s not often they get to see big paintings in the flesh. So if you can bring maybe one larger piece of work along with you, do!

Anna: Sketchbooks and preliminary work are perfect when presenting a portfolio, but only if they are important to you within your practice. If your portfolio is being looked through at an interview, it can be useful to add little bookmarks to sketchbook or portfolio pages that you would especially like to talk about.

Do you think that it’s still important to send physical portfolios? Do you think we will be submitting portfolios digitally in the future?

Felicity: It is definitely still important to send physical portfolios. At the end of the day, art is made to be viewed physically in front of you. A lot of art is 3D and can only be fully appreciated in the flesh, such as sculpture, impasto painting, textiles and fashion. Though there are digital forms of art such as graphics and illustration, these still turn into physical products. We are actually currently submitting Digital portfolios and I think we probably will be doing more so in the future. It is good practice to photograph your work. These are also quite challenging as you are often only allowed a few selected images to submit.

Extract from Anna Kenneally's portfolio 

Anna: I think it is important to send physical portfolios, as it can be difficult to get a good idea of scale, surface and colour from photographs. In recent years courses have begun to ask for digital submissions. If successful, many ask to see physical examples of work. Digital submissions can allow you to make really good documentations of your work, which will also be useful for other submissions and artist websites. Adjusting contrast and cropping images when putting together an online portfolio is very important, as a bad photograph can reflect poorly on the applicant. Another advantage of submitting a digital portfolio is that you can add images showing close up details of a favourite piece.

 Feeling Inspired? 

See more of Anna Kenneally's artwork 

 See more of Felicity Meachem's artwork 

Check our our blog on Top Tips to Personalise Your Portfolio

Using only the finest pigments from the furthest corners of the world, its no wonder the latest colours from the masters of oil have us all dancing for joy.

Discover the latest colours from Michael Harding's professional range before anyone else here at Cass Art, with our exclusive interview and first look into the newest colour to hit the high-street.

GREEN GOLD

EXCLUSIVE TO CASS ART

Green Gold boldly launched in January 2017 to add a splash of rich green to our palettes. We caught up with Michael Harding to find out more about his new shade.

What made you decide to add Green Gold to your collection of oil colours?

It is a pigment I have admired for many years, although essentially a modern colour. As a stand-alone pigment it brings to your painting a unique green that has its own elegance.

What is special about Green Gold?

When mixed it is ‘weird!’. When you first look at it as a single colour it is very interesting‎, however when mixed with other transparent colours it does extraordinary things. One wonders where the ‘third’ colour came from as it seems quite magical.

Which other colours can be mixed with Green Gold for surprising results? 

Mix any transparent colour with Green Gold and let that colour take you on a fascinating journey! Some of my favourite mixes are Alizarin Claret or Magenta along with Indian Yellow and Ultramarine Blue. There is only one organic pigment in Green Gold and as such this pigment is highly transparent and lightfast, giving it wonderful glazing properties and power.

Green Gold is exclusive to Cass Art until 24 March 2017. Get your 60ml tube at any Cass Art store or shop online here. 

Feeling Inspired?

Discover the history of Michael Harding Oil Paints here.
Explore our full range of Michael Harding Oil Colour in-store or online here. 

Valentine’s Day is round the corner and our Cass Art Student Ambassador Samantha Ibarra is sharing her Calligraphy expertise in this quick and easy Valentine’s Day Card demonstration.

What you need:

• Anita’s A6 Quality White Cards 240gsm – the thickness of this card is perfect for the calligraphy inks
• Black Indian, Scarlet and Gold Winsor and Newton Inks
• A selection on Calligraphy nibs from the Italic and Poster Calligraphy Set. I used tape nibs in the sizes 1mm, 2mm, 2 1/2mm and the 4mm Poster nib.
• A Calligraphy Dip Pen

Card One – Free Flow Calligraphy

This first design is a free flow calligraphy style- you can never go wrong with this style because you can form the letters however you want.

• Step 1: Take a 1mm tape nib and a black Winsor and Newton ink
• Step 2: Drag the ink from the edge of the card to begin writing and remember to keep the pen on the paper until the word is complete. Placing the card at an angle makes it easier to write on the same line. Make sure the nib has plenty of ink to keep the flow. You wouldn’t want to lift your pen in the middle of the word to dip for more ink.
• Step 3: Fill in any hard edges where the ink might have ran out to give the letters a full look. 

Card Two - Loopy Lover Calligraphy

This second style can be a little bit trickier because you have to keep the pen nib at the same angle all the way through. But, it does come out great after some practice!

• Step 1: Take a 2 ½ mm tape nib and an Ecoline 259 ink
• Step 2: Dip the nib into the gold ink.
• Step 3: Tilt the card at a comfortable angle and start by writing the first word at a 45 degree angle.
• Step 4: Continue writing the rest of the greeting ensuring that all loops at the bottom of the letters ends in the same direction. Don’t forget to keep dipping the ink before it runs out and ensure that you keep the same angle of the pen for consistency of the letter style.
• Step 5: Put it to the side and let it dry before writing your message inside the card.

Card Three - Loud and Clear Calligraphy

Here, we experiment with a much thicker pen nib compared to the ones we used before. I’ve chosen to write the word j’adore and since it’s only one word, a thicker nib will emphasise it better.

•  Step 1: Take a 4mm poster nib and a Winsor and Newton gold ink
• Step 2: Dip the Poster nib into the ink and begin by writing a “j” with a loop.
• Step 3: Add the apostrophe next to the letter and keep the pen in the same angle throughout.
• Step 4: Leave a small gap before adding the letter “a"
• Step 5: Connect the other letters to complete the word. It doesn’t have to be straight and boring, writing the letters higher or lower than the letter before makes it more exciting!
• Step 6: Leave the card to dry and go back to work on the letters if you want to darken specific areas.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial on how to make your own Valentine’s Day cards using calligraphy techniques. Spread the love this Valentine’s and feel free to share these cards to your loved ones!

Feeling Inspired?

Find out more about the Winsor and Newton William and Henry Collection

Discover Valentine’s Day Ideas for Kids

We're now over half way through Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2017 - and the talented artists just keep coming. After an exceptionally strong heat, the judges narrowed down three finalists, all with a very different approach to oil painting.

Catching a moment of actor Trevor Eve that captivated the judges, Greg Mason prevailed as Heat Four winner this week.

Greg Mason is a professional artist who lives in Devon. After an impressive career as an art director, Greg now works from his studio in Exeter as a professional artist. Here, Greg runs Hope Hall Arts hosting two major gallery exhibitions each year alongside Art Week Exeter and Devon Open Studios. He also teaches a variety of painting workshops to develop skills in oil painting. 

We caught up with Greg to find out more about his bold brushstrokes, how he approaches a composition and his advice for entering this year’s call for entries…

Hi Greg! Congratulations on winning Heat 4 of Sky Arts Portrait of the Year! What was it like painting in front of a live audience?

To be honest, I wasn’t really conscious of the audience most of the time. I don’t need to use headphones to block out background noise as the conversation I have with myself in my own head while I paint is generally loud enough to take care of that. As the day progressed I did notice the odd camera appear between my legs and under my arm as the public tried to snap my painting on the go. That was a bit unusual!

Probably the most distracting thing was having to stop work every so often to do interviews with the presenters and judges, which is why you’ll probably notice that by the end of the first hour I only had three pencil lines down on my canvas. Although we have 4 hours to paint, what viewers most likely don’t realise is that a lot of that time is taken up with the mechanics of recording the show.

How has your career influenced your journey into painting portraiture?

I studied illustration at St Martins School of Art in the 1980s and lived in London making work for magazines like New Scientist, the Listener and The Times Educational Supplement - sending artwork off on deadline by motorbike well before the days of fax or e-mail. A few years on, a friend showed me a computer he’d just purchased – it was an early Macintosh – one of the first to be used commercially in the UK.

I hunted down a supplier and bought one almost immediately, spending the next 20 years working as a designer, art director and photographer in the fashion industry – travelling the world steering brands like Vidal Sassoon and Aveda with their image-driven identities to become global fashion leaders. It was fast-paced and great fun.

In 2008 I sold my company. I had a window of time to invest in a new direction and I jumped at it. Painting was something I had been passionate about in the past, but had taken a back seat whilst mortgages and children came along. The big question for me was ‘where to start’. When you’ve been disconnected from one type of creative process for so long it’s the ‘beginning again’ which is most scary. Fear can stop you starting most things and I had to find a way of ‘re-beginning’ - eventually working out a solution that would unpick the designer in me and remake the artist.

So… armed with two books by painters I completely adored, Lucian Freud and Tai Shan Schierenberg (which is a bit ironic given Tai’s involvement with the show), I hired a model every Friday for a year and painted her over and over again. The books fed my mind, as I tried to get inside the way that these great painters were thinking - and my model provided the muse.

In your professional practice, what do you explore in your work?

For me, painting is all about relationship. It's the relationship with a sitter, the relationship with a landscape or the relationship with the material of paint itself. All these things impact the sequence of choices I make when painting - to achieve something that I can eventually call ‘complete’. I guess I look for authenticity in the encounter with the subject as I construct and deconstruct my work in order to find the moment that captures the energy and emotion of that place or person. I never begin a painting knowing what it will look like by the time it’s finished - to me that would be pointless.

As well as teaching others, I make sure I get my own practice shaken up a bit and to achieve this I go and train each year with a Colombian artist Nicolas Uribe. For me he’s one of the world’s great figurative painters and his approach and technique are truly inspirational - he’s a painter’s painter. 

Your carful choice of composition impressed the judges, both in your submission and your portrait at the Wallace Collection. How do you think this influences your portraits?

Composition is everything. When I was designing trend collections for the fashion and beauty industry, I worked with some of the world’s top models, stylists and photographers. I learned so much about rhythm, pace and balance - how to help a viewer navigate a piece of work and how to keep tension through composition. Undoubtedly this comes through in the work I make now - I instinctively look for the thing that’s a bit wrong or odd, often cropping an image to keep the energy within the canvas. You’ll notice I took off the top of Trevor’s head and played heavily with diagonals to create echoes throughout the painting.

What materials do you use to achieve your work?

I try not to get too hung up on materials as I’m conscious that there are many more ‘qualified’ artists out there who understand the chemical processes and possibilities of mediums, varnishes and surfaces much better than I ever will - so I stick to one brand of paint, Schmincke Norma oil colour and one type of surface, ‘linen’. Sometimes I will under paint in acrylic and for that I use whatever is to hand. I do like sharp, flat brushes and will invest heavily in this area, as a brush defines the kind of marks you are able to make and I need to know that my tools will give me control in this area.

You caught a side of Trevor that he really enjoyed. How do you convey a sense of person in your work?

It’s all about looking for that small, special something that’s going to add personality. In the case of Trevor, it was an eyebrow he raised for just a second - I caught it and it made the painting come alive. I was so pleased he picked out my work to take home with him - when that happened it felt like ‘job done’. If I’d had a target for the day it was to get my sitter to pick mine, so what happened next was a complete bonus in my mind. 

The initial drawing was a beautiful piece of work before you even started in paint! Do you always draw out your portraits first before translating them into oil?

I always draw first. If composition is the first choice I make, then solid drawing is the second. It’s a bit like putting down the foundations of a house - if you get those wrong then the whole thing falls down around your ears. It’s so much easier to correct a drawing at an early stage than to correct a painting half way through when the paint is wet and unfriendly.

How do you bring an emotional expression into a portrait?

Once I’ve got the drawing down and I move into acrylic or oils, I know that the likeness will stay within the painting as long as I take care and make good choices. However, getting emotion into a piece and grounding it in some deeper kind of authenticity is often the product of accidents that happen in a more instinctive way. Without wanting to sound too pretentious, I remember feeling about 70% of the way through that my brush just seemed to know what to do and all I had to do was let go. I think that was the moment when it became a more emotional picture.

What advice would you give to artists thinking of applying for the next series of Portrait Artist of the Year?

You can’t beat the advice of Ewan McClure from the first series of Portrait Artist of the Year, he said “Paint a portrait every day for a month". I tried this running up to the heats and made some of the worst paintings I’ve ever done in my life. However, what I learned from these terrible results was what ‘not’ to do so on the day. So, by the time the heats came along I knew I had a shot at making a painting in four hours that would demonstrate something of the quality I knew I could generate when painting normally in my studio.

Feeling Inspired?

Discover more of Gregory’s work at www.gregorymason.com
Read our exclusive interviews with Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2017 heat winners every week on the Cass Art Blog.

Follow Gregory's lead and experiment with bold brush strokes and oil painting online and in-store. Stock up on your own painting and drawing supplies, and share your portraits via our social channels. Use the hashtag #POATY2017 and don't forget to tag @CASSART

Catch the next episode of Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2017 on Tuesday 21st February on Sky Arts from 8pm

APPLY FOR SKY ARTS PORTRAIT ARTIST OF THE YEAR

APPLICATIONS CLOSE 3 MARCH 2017 - ENTER HERE

As the long awaited return of Portrait Artist of the Year returns to our screens, what better inspiration to prepare you for next year's competition? Find out more about how to enter and our top tips for choosing your submission in our Call for Entries blog.

Feeling Inspired?

Read our exclusive interviews with Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2017 heat winners every week on the Cass Art Blog.

Follow Taro’s lead and experiment with speed painting with quick drying paint mediums, such as acrylic range online and in-store. Stock up on your own painting and drawing supplies, and share your portrait paintings via our social channels. Use the hashtag #POATY2017 and don't forget to tag @CASSART

Catch the next episode of Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2017 on Tuesday 14th February on Sky Arts from 8pm.

WANT TO GO BEHIND THE SCENES OF SKY ARTS PORTRAIT ARTIST OF THE YEAR?

ENTER OUR PRIZE DRAW BEFORE 30 MAY 2017

Love portraiture? Cass Art has teamed up with Sky UK to give you the chance to win an exclusive behind the scenes experience at the filming of the next series of Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2018.

Hitting the London Fashion Week catwalk, the Maruques'Almeida collection rocked a 1990s retro look, featuring waves of tie-dyed material in slip dresses and oversized gingham shirts.

Whether you twist it, dip it or tie it - Tie-Dye is the perfect technique to inject some energy into your everyday items. Learn how to create Galaxy, Spider and Heart Shaped patterns with our step-by-step guides to creating your patterns at home.

Preparing Your Material

Whatever technique you’re looking to try out, it all starts with these three simple steps:

Step 1

Ensure the fabric is fit for purpose. The best materials for Tie Dying are natural fabrics as these absorb the pigment and keep their colour strength when washed. Cotton, linen, wool and silk are the perfect materials for trying out your Tie Dye techniques.

Synthetic materials do not dye well and often lose their colour strength over time. Steer clear of Polyester, nylon and spandex.

Step 2

Make sure your work space is ready to go.  Cover a large surface with a plastic protective sheet and/or newspaper to ensure your dye doesn’t transform your table tops or carpets. Have all your materials ready and on hand, as once your gloves are on, it can be tricky to untie elastic bands or remove lids.

Top Tip: If the weather permits, we would suggest tie dying outside to keep splashes and spillages to a minimum.  

Step 3

Prepare your fabric. Remove anything you do not wish to dye - this could be tags, badges, strings or laces. Using a large bowl, submerge your fabric so that it is completely soaked through with water. Squeeze the excess water out and straighten your fabric back to its original shape. This will allow the dye to spread and blend easily.

You’re ready to go!

We’ve put together some of our favourite techniques to inspire your creations. 

How To: Heart Tie Dye

Fold your t-shirt in half and mark out half a heart shape using a water soluble marker.

Pinch the material along the line, in a concertina affect. This will prevent the dye from taking and outline your heart shape. Using elastic bands (or string) fix the pinched fabric in place so that it is tight and will not unravel.

Apply your concentrated dye, mixing and layering the colours for your design. Remember to cover both the front and back!

Seal your fabric in a plastic bag and allow the dye time to develop.

Wash your fabric, either via hand or machine, and leave to dry. Make sure that this is washed separately; otherwise you are in danger of multi-coloured laundry fiasco.

How To: Spider Tie Dye

Fold your t-shirt in half and pinch slightly above the centre with your fingers.

Twist the material into a spiral, ensuring the fabric stays flat on your surface. Using elastic bands (or string) fix the pinched fabric in place so that it is tight and will not unravel.

Apply your concentrated dye, mixing and layering the colours for your design. On one side, cover your fabric with colour, a mixture of brights always works well. Flip the fabric over and cover the reverse in black dye. This is what will define your pattern.

Seal your fabric in a plastic bag and allow the dye time to develop.

Wash your fabric, either via hand or machine, and leave to dry. Make sure that this is washed separately; otherwise you are in danger of multi-coloured laundry fiasco.

How To: Galaxy Tie Dye

Starting at the bottom corner of your fabric, start to pinch and twist the fabric randomly, securing with an elastic band after each new fold.

Twist the material until the entire fabric is twisted and folded. Add more elastic bands randomly to keep everything in place, and add more effects to the design.

Apply your concentrated dye, mixing and layering the colours for your design. Using dark colours such as purple, blue and black with one bright, such as a yellow or pink, really brings the galaxy technique to life.

Seal your fabric in a plastic bag and allow the dye time to develop.

Wash your fabric, either via hand or machine, and leave to dry. Make sure that this is washed separately; otherwise you are in danger of multi-coloured laundry fiasco.

How To: Spiral Tie Dye

Lay your fabric out on a flat surface. Pinch the centre and twist the fabric anticlockwise.

Continue twisting the fabric in an anticlockwise direction, ensuring the fabric stays flat and the twists are even. Keep twisting until the fabric circular in shape with a clear spiral emerging.

Using elastic bands (or string) fix the twisted fabric in place so that it is tight and will not unravel.

Apply your concentrated dye, mixing and layering the colours for your design. Remember to cover both the front and back!

Seal your fabric in a plastic bag and allow the dye time to develop.

Wash your fabric, either via hand or machine, and leave to dry. Make sure that this is washed separately; otherwise you are in danger of multi-coloured laundry fiasco.

Feeling Inspired?

Find everything you need to experiment with tie-dying in-store and online with our range of Tulip and Dylon products.

Learn how to customise your trainers with Tulip with our How To Guide

Share your Tie Dye creations with us on our social media channels. 

ILLUSTRATION

FASHION

FINE AND APPLIED ARTS

THEME FOR 2017: INTERPRETING NATURE

PRIZES

HOW TO ENTER

Rob Phillips is a key figure in the world of fashion. A renowned Fashion Artist, he also holds the position of Creative Director in The London College of Fashion. We catch up with him to get an insight into his thoughts on Fashion Illustration and what inspires his unique artworks. 

Your drawings have a distinctive use of line and colour. How important do you think it is to maintain a unique style as a professional artist?

I think it’s quite important to be aware or in tune with your signature. The style of my work evolves, and must do so, but my signature remains. I use a large brush the same way I use a fine pencil so while the aesthetic may look different it's quite apparent that I created it. 

I'm very conscious of growing and evolving as an artist. I want to feel challenged, stimulated and I want to develop. I'm told I have a definite signature to my work but through diversifying my media and changing the people I draw, I can develop and continue to feel totally engaged and stimulated. Plus the subjects I choose and the feeling my work emits are part of my visual voice, identifiably my statement. The styles grows and changes and that's healthy for me because I work a lot from feeling.  Feelings change and thus so should my style. I don't want to be forever miserable, but alas I fear I will be.

Are there any art materials that you’re particularly fond of using when creating your paintings?

So many it’s insane. Right now I love oil and ink and my preferred surfaces are either Arches 600g Hot Press or primed wood.

You’re an incredibly prolific fashion artist as well as holding the position of Creative Director in The London College of Fashion. Do you find it a challenge balancing your working life with your own creative practice?

It's very, very challenging, but hey life's challenging so I won’t moan. I'm in a privileged position.  My role at London College of Fashion is very demanding and I have to get myself in the right head space to draw, so going from being very decisive and authoritative, to thinking and doing quite freely, clear minded and tuned into to my feelings before I approach the page isn't without complications. However, I'm very confident in what I do because I believe in it. I have a lot of experience, I'm well prepared and researched, agile and responsive, head strong and imaginative and a very good problem solver. But finding time is the issue and the lack of time scares me. You have to be focused, and have some kind of balance. The type of focus I have tries to equally weigh up positives and negatives that my artwork tends to reflect. Probably more the negative.

You’re the curator of #DRAWFASHION, London College of Fashion’s annual fashion illustration competition. What inspired you to create the competition? Do you think the work submitted by students has evolved over the years?

The idea of #DRAWFASHION came about because I felt that there were no other distinct fashion focused drawing competitions or platforms. So I invented one. London College of Fashion were thrilled with the idea and together with Cass Art the project really flew. It's been a great success.

#DRAWFASHION was conceived because I wanted to encourage more drawing in design in a diverse way, from technical and academic drawing to expressive and abstract drawing and beyond. I wanted to get more people in fashion education to engage with drawing, to open their eyes, see more, think more, re-design the world around them, push fashion design further and communicate fashion in all its diversity and detail in new ways.

Drawing, to me and so many designers, is everything – it’s our unique language, our imagination, a communication tool. Within a design practice it helps you discover and depict people, personify them, create characters, discover new textures, colours, shapes and more. It's equally psychologically beneficial - stimulating the brain and exciting the senses. Ultimately drawing gives form to thought, relieving some space in the brain.

Over the past two years I've witnessed the students work changing. The competition element and the project profile enables students to see and connect to what others are doing and this pushes them in all sorts of directions, whether it challenges them, makes them question things or try new things. You can see that the works become much braver and while there are some nods to traditional perceptions of fashion drawing, students also see past those foundations and go to wonderful new extremes.

Is there anything you look for when judging the fashion illustrations submitted by students?

Personally I look for something immediately different, not referential, something honest yet difficult, something very imaginative and executed with a skilful or interesting use of media that also plays with composition and presentation. Often standard paper can be so boring but as an artist I feel confined to them, socially conditioned to use them, so I hope others explore them further. I'm imprisoned. I look for something that makes me strongly feel or react. I advise all participants to spend time experimenting and practicing before they work on final pieces. Getting to know your media, tools and surfaces can take time, so give them time and put the effort in. Allow time to be free and time to play. Let media do what it wants to do, spend time discovering the characters off media and pushing them. Find new media! The more you give drawing time, the more you'll start to really see and the more you will do.

Rob Phillips will be creating a life size fashion illustration at Cass Art Soho on the 17th and 18th February. For more details, please see our Event page.  

Feeling Inspired?

Find out more about #DRAWFASHION

See more of Rob Phillips work

The Hermione Hammond Drawing Award was established in 2012, in memory of the artist Hermione Hammond (1910-2015), to encourage the practice of representational drawing among art students. From 2017, it is run in partnership with Mall Galleries, central London's leading gallery, celebrating contemporary visual arts through a lively and diverse programme of exhibitions and events.

THE PRIZE

The award is open to students in the UK and Republic of Ireland who have the opportunity to win a £4000 prize and a £250 Cass Art Materials prize. Shortlisted entrants will also have the opportunity to exhibit their art work in the Islington Cass Art Space later in the year.

CONDITIONS

• The subject can represent any form of human, animal or plant life, a still life, an interior, or any scene – witnessed or imagined.
• Entries must be hand-drawn from life or from an imagined image but not from photographs. Multiple colours are not permitted.
• Artists may submit up to six images each
• Entries must have been completed within the last 12 months
• Entrants must be aged 18 or over
• Submission is free

HOW TO ENTER

• To enter, please upload up to six images of new or recent drawings (completed within the last 12 months) at registrationmallgalleries.org.uk between Monday 9 January 2017 and Friday 21 April 2017, 12 noon. Please note that images must be in JPEG format and under 1MB.
• All work must be submitted online. Entrants will be notified of the winner by email. The winner will also be announced on the Mall Galleries website and social media, on Monday 8 May 2017 at 12 noon.
• Works will be judged by the organisers of the Award, representatives from Mall Galleries, and guest artist Jason Bowyer NEAC PS RP (member of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters, The Pastel Society, Past President of the New English Art Club, and the 2015 recipient of The Prince of Wales’s Award for Portrait Drawing).

Feeling Inspired?

Find out more about the Hermione Hammond Award

Visit The Mall Galleries website

Portfolio season can be stressful, especially the challenge of compiling and display your artwork. Here at Cass Art we want to make this time as easy as possible, so we’ve compiled a list of the top ten essential products for preparing the perfect portfolio.

1. The Portfolio

Most courses will accept A1 and A2 portfolios but it’s best to check the requirements with the college or your current tutor. Cass Art offers a range of suitable portfolios designed with students in mind and a 10% discount with your Cobalt Blue Card.

2. Sleeves

Cass Art’s own range of presentation sleeves are made from medium gauge PVC. Their non-stick surface means your work won’t be trapped or damaged when it comes to unveiling your portfolio. They also work perfectly with our Cass Art portfolios.

3. White Paper

The paper you choose to mount your work on is dependent on the nature of your work. It’s often recommended that you choose a crisp white heavy weight paper to let your work do the talking. Try Cass Art’s heavy weight pads of cartridge paper in sizes A4 to A2.

4. Black Paper

If your style is generally quite light and subtle, then it may be a good idea to choose a darker paper so your work stands out. The black range from Canford is ideal for this.

5. Scalpel knife

Once you have all your images printed on high quality paper, you need to cut them down to size. A scalpel is great for this, and the accuracy reached is incomparable.

6. Cutting mat

When cutting your photos and artwork, you need to ensure that you are using an appropriate surface. Our West double sided cutting mats are thick, durable and lightweight.

7. Mechanical Pencil

When mounting your artwork on paper, it’s important to place it exactly in the centre. Use a ruler to measure the centre of the paper and a mechanical pencil to mark where you need to place your artwork. Mechanical pencils are also ideal for this as they never go blunt.

8. Spray mount

When you know exactly where you’re going to place your artwork on the paper, you need to secure it in place. Apply a light layer of spray mount to the back of your artwork and attach carefully to the paper. Spray mount is also fantastic because you can reposition your artwork for up to 12 hours, if you didn’t get it right first time, without damaging a thing.

9. Double sided sticky tape

An alternative to spray mount is double sided sticky tape, especially if you don’t have a well ventilated space to spray in. The main difference between this and spray mount is that the tape sticks permanently- so make sure you position your artwork correctly the first time.

10. Putty eraser

Use a putty eraser to remove any excess glue or pencil marks. It’s the softest eraser available, so it won’t tear, crease or mark the surface.

Feeling Inspired?

Check out Cass Art’s Guide to Building a Portfolio

Visit our blog on Top Tips to Personalise your Portfolio

 

What would you put on Trafalgar Square’s Fourth Plinth?

Entries close 10 March 2017. To find out more or to take part, visit london.gov.uk/imagination

WANT TO BECOME PART OF THE CASS ART COLLECTION?

We’re giving one lucky winner the opportunity to be featured on the front cover of one of our award-winning pad ranges. An exclusive print run of your custom design will be available to buy online and in-store at Cass Art alongside our range of painting, drawing and graphic pads.

The winner will be selected from a shortlist by CEO & Founder of Cass Art, Mark Cass, Head of Design at Cass Art, Naj Ellwood and award-winning designer Angus Hyland, Creative Director at Cass Art and Partner at Pentagram, who leads the design of the Cass Art Collection of products.

PRIZES

1st Prize: Your Design Featured in Print + £250 Cass Art Vouchers

2nd Prize: £150 Cass Art Vouchers

3rd Prize: £100 Cass Art Vouchers

HOW TO ENTER

To submit your work to the competition, follow our step-by-step submissions guide.

1) Create Your Artwork

You can create your artwork using any medium. This includes paint, charcoal, pastels, pencils, pen and ink, watercolour, oil, acrylic or even mixed media – no medium is off limits.

Work directly onto our Pad Template or create your design separately, ensuring that your work stays within the boundaries of our grid (203mm width by 206mm height). Only one design per artist may be entered into the competition.

Download our pad template here. 

2) Save Your Artwork

When your artwork is finished, transfer it into a digital format, either via photography, digital design software (such as Adobe InDesign or Photoshop), or by scanning your design. The file needs to be a maximum of 3MB and saved as either a JPEG, PNG or PDF. Please ensure you artwork meets the criteria in the Eligibility and Submissions section below before submitting.

3) Enter Your Details into the Submission Form

Please ensure your artwork is ready to send before completing or submitting the form. You will need your contact details ready, such as a telephone number and email address. This is so we can contact you if you are shortlisted. Once completed, press the SUBMIT button at the end.

4) Send Us Your Design

Email your artwork to casspad@cassart.co.uk with you first and last name. Please quote ‘Cass Pad Competition 2017 Entry’ within the subject line. This will be paired with your submission form and completes your application.

Please note, you will need to complete both the submission form and email your artwork in order to be eligible for the competition. 

Submissions can be made between Monday 20th February and Sunday 2nd April 2017. Entries close at 23:59 on Sunday 2^nd April 2017.

Each week, 10 shortlisted designs will be selected by our judging panel and added to the final shortlist. The final shortlist will be announced 2 weeks after the competition closes, with the winner announced one month after the closing date.

The winner will be emailed directly confirming their prize and announced on our social media channels.

SUBMIT YOUR DESIGN HERE

We've put together the ultimate guide to submitting your design. Please read through our submissions guide below, where we provide more detail for your application.

TOP TIPS

Consider the type of pad you would like your work to feature on.

The judges are looking for a stunning visual, but also a design which suits our brand and best reflects the characteristics of our paper.

Are you a watercolourist? Why not design a front cover for the Cass Art Hot Pressed Pad? Is mixed media more your thing? Design the cover of our versatile Heavyweight Cartridge Paper range.

Look at how your design will fit alongside the Cass Art Paper Range. Our iconic range features mark making with a variety of different materials, pushing their textures and diversity. How will you make your paper stand out above the rest?

We've included several examples throughout this guide to inspire you. You can view our full range of Drawing & Graphic and Painting Pads online and in-store.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

ELIGIBILITY AND SUBMISSIONS

This exhibition is open to UK residents of all ages. Artists under the age of 18 years must get permission from their parent or guardian before completing the submission form.

Artists may submit one piece of work each. 

All artworks supplied must be in a digital format (JPEG, PNG or PDF).

All images must be no larger than 3MB when submitting your work.

All artworks must fit a grid of 203mm width by 206mm height.

Image file names must include your first and last name, ie: john_smith

The image file must be saved so it opens in the correct orientation.

If shortlisted, you will be required to send a hi-res file for the final round of judging. Please consider this when capturing your work in the conception stages. The minimum that will be accepted is 300dpi.

Two-dimensional works in any medium will be considered. Three-dimensional work in any medium are also eligible, however this must be supplied as a photograph or image, which can be translated onto the two-dimensional pad. Moving image will not be accepted.

The work must have been completed in the last two years. Works made prior to 2015 will not be accepted.

Artists submitting works must hold the intellectual property rights to the work and must have obtained any third party consents required for the use of third party owned material contained in the works. 

There is no submission fee.

Applications with information missing will not be valid. No postal applications will be considered. (Please do not email Cass Art asking how to convert your images).

IMPORTANT DATES AT A GLANCE*

Artists may submit works from Monday 20 February – Sunday 2 April 2017 inclusive.

Artists will receive an automated acceptance notification when their submission has been accepted. Please contact casspad@cassart.co.uk if you have not received an email one week after your submission date and a member of the team will get back to you.

If your design has been shortlisted, you will be asked to provide a hi-res image of your work before 17 April 2017 via email.

Successful applicants, who have been shortlisted and submitted to the final selection, will be contacted before 1 May 2017. If you have not been contacted, please assume that you have been unsuccessful.

The winner will be announced via the Cass Art social media channels and via a direct confirmation email to the winner.

We kindly ask that you do not contact Cass Art for updates either online or in-store, as all artists will be contacted via the contact details if necessary. 

*Dates and times are subject to slight change, successful artists will be notified of any changes to the schedule.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

For full terms and conditions regarding the competition, please click here.  

CONTACT

Having trouble uploading your design? Please email casspad@cassart.co.uk and a member of the team will get back to you.

Alternatively, our Customer Care Team will be happy to answer any questions regarding the submission of your design. Please call 020 7619 2601 between 9:30am and 5:30pm, Monday - Friday to speak to a member of the team.

Ready to become our next cover star? 

SUBMIT YOUR DESIGN HERE

Thank you in advance for your application and we wish you the best of luck! 

You can draw! And Jake Spicer will show you how.

Best-selling author of Draw Faces in 15 Minutes and DRAW, Jake is back with a new drawing guide set to spark your creativity. Bringing years of experience as a successful artist and teacher to every page, Jake invites you to put his teachings into practice. So pick up a pencil and discover the joy of drawing!

Jake Spicer is an artist and drawing tutor based in Brighton. He is head tutor of the independent drawing school DRAW, and regularly runs portrait drawing and figure drawing courses for the Camden Arts Centre and National Portrait Gallery. Plus, Jake hosts monthly life drawing classes at the Cass Art Islington Flagship.

With straight forward advice and lots of tricks, we caught up with Jake to find out more about his latest drawing guide.

Hi Jake! Congratulations on the release of your latest drawing guide 'You Will Be Able To Draw By The End Of This Book'. Where did your inspiration come from?

The inspiration for the book came from seeing some of my students photocopying exercises from my last book and sticking them in their sketchbooks so that they had immediate reference for the exercises whilst they were out and about drawing - I designed this new book to be half sketchbook, half drawing instruction so that all you need to use it is a pen or a pencil and a sense of curiosity. Publishers like to suggest bold titles, but the thing is that we can all learn to draw - Im always surprised that people even question it. With practice we could all learn French, or learn to play the guitar - we can all learn to draw. We all draw as children, we just need to pick up from where we left off. 

This is another fantastic addition to your series of books dedicated to helping us all pick up a pencil and start drawing. What's in store for readers? 

People buy How-to-Draw books as talismans of good intention - after reading the introduction it is easy to pop them on the shelf and hope that you get better at drawing overnight. Everybody can learn to draw well, but it takes application so I wanted to make a book that you had to engage with - something practical and personal that developed as your drawing develops. 

You showcase a variety of different exercises. How do you come up with each activity?

All of the exercises in the book are drawing exercises that I practice myself, or exercises that I use with students in drawing classes. With this particular book I wanted each activity to build on the next, so the first two chapters focus on building fundamental observational skills and developing a language of basic marks, where the later chapters suggest different methods for approaching particular subjects, using the skills developed. 

Do you have any materials that helped you learn how to draw?

I started simple - a 2B pencil and LOTS of paper. I filled a lot of sketchbooks with terrible drawings before I made anything I wanted to show anybody, and I'm glad that I stuck at it. 

What materials do you like to use now to capture your work - has it changed from the beginning?

Last February I went on a drawing trip with the landscape artists Hester Berry and Nic De Jesus - most of my work is figure based so I was keen to broaden the sense of space in my drawings. I rediscovered charcoal as a result of drawing alongside them and I have been making big drawings in compressed charcoal and charcoal pencil ever since then. More recently I have been working with Derwent and that has reignited my love of coloured pencils... It always seems to be a cyclical process - after exploring new mediums I always return to old favorites. 

How important is it to you for us to stay creative?

We live in a peculiar stage of history where people in affluent societies can afford to live without having to make anything - we don't have to make clothes, our own houses, our own furniture. We don't even have to cook our own food. Human beings have a fundamental drive to make and create - exercising that drive elevates us all. 

Who is the book aimed at?

The book is for anybody who would like to draw more, from the complete novice upwards. Anybody who is committed to the idea of learning to draw could pick up the book and have a go - if you have the dexterity to write your own name, you'll be able to learn to draw. 

Any plans for the future?

I have just started work on the next book in this series! It will be focusing on portraits - a development of my earlier books 'Draw Faces in Fifteen Minutes' book but in this sketchbook format. There will be seventeen, even eighteen minute long exercises in there. I'm joking, it won't be time based. 

Feeling Inspired?

Discover more of Jake Spicer's drawing guides and books online and in-store.

Read more of Jake's top tips for drawing in our blog, Anyone Can Draw. 

Explore more of Jake Spicer's work and find out about his live drawing events on his website, DRAW. 

Why not try an exercise for yourself? Download two free activities from the book below.

The Body as a Landscape Exercise or Chasing Tails Exercise

Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year saw another nine artists step up to their easels this week for the final heat of 2017. 

With the final only weeks away, it would seem the judges are really concentrating on portraits which best translate a sense of character and the sitter’s experience on the day, as well as exceptional technical and creative flare.

Previously appearing in the 2015 series of Portrait Artist of the Year, it was second time lucky for artist Gareth Reid, who impressed the judges with his delicate, yet sculptural, charcoal drawing of Adrian Childs.

Born in Belfast, Gareth studied at Glasgow School of Art and Florence Academy of Art, and now lives and works in Glasgow. Previously a drawing tutor in Con Ed at Glasgow School of Art, Gareth now teaches at the Centre for Lifelong Learning at Strathclyde University and also runs weekly life drawing classes at Cass Art Glasgow.

We caught up with Gareth to find out more about how he captures a sitter, his experience on Sky Arts and why he favours minimal colour in his textured, black and white drawings…

Hi Gareth! Congratulations on winning the final heat of Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year! How did you find the whole experience?

Thank you! I loved it. I did it 2 years ago in Dublin, pretty reluctantly - but it turns out I really enjoyed it, so I applied this year again. I teach portraiture and regularly give demonstrations to the students from the model so I think that the experience lent itself to the whole structure of the show.

I was nervous in the lead up because you’re not sure about the imponderables, like who the sitter is going to be, what angle you’re going to get etc. but as soon as the drawing started I relaxed and was able to focus on the work. Of course, the other artists and the crew are all so lovely that it’s a joy to take part in. Stressful, exciting, exhausting and pure fun – to sum it up!

You’ve recently started to add a touch of colour to your portraits. How has this influenced your work?

In the early 2000s for about five years I did nothing but draw for solo shows in Belfast and Glasgow, most of the time just charcoal on canvas, often quite large scale. Then there was a period of painting but a few years ago I returned to using the charcoal on canvas for an exhibition at the Molesworth Gallery in Dublin. That was the first time a hint of colour made an appearance in the form of pastels, using them really as nothing more than a tint. I never wanted to make fully rendered pastel drawings but to keep it as simple as possible. I had always admired Degas’s beautiful charcoal drawings where he used one or two colours to transform them so I probably thought this could work within the context of the competition, though obviously at a much more laboured, clumsy level.

Adrian could barely sit still with excitement! Have you ever had such a fidgety sitter— and how do you approach this challenge?

Ah yes… Excitement? I have a feeling that was sheer boredom! He was pretty bad at the start I must say - I nearly chewed my own hand off behind the easel a few times. Usually I’d consider a sitter not that still if they wavered half an inch, but Adrian was just fully mobile ALL the time.

When you’re working from life and not a photo, and focussing on structure and form, it’s essential that the sitter is very still (talking is very much allowed but only if they can return to the pose quickly). Any small discrepancy can result in the skull “falling apart”, losing solidity or likeness. So we just all basically ganged up on him and kept trying to impress on him the actual meaning of “still”. And Frank took him for a brisk walk around the block… But in the end he was great, I was very happy to have had him as my sitter. 

It seems like you really had your work cut out! You captured an almost sculptural quality to Adrian’s face. How do you structure your portraits?

That’s why I was pleased he was in our section - he has a very solid aspect to him and I wanted to accentuate that. So I drew him bigger than life size and exaggerated the planes of his face, which is probably why it looked quite sculptural.

The thing that I look for drawing or painting the head is the structure - the parts in between the features that join them, and make the portrait believable and strong. I’m always trying to get students not to focus purely on the features (which is human nature), leaving the cheeks, the chin, the forehead blank, but to attempt to convey a convincing three-dimensional human being, not an imagined one.

You use sharpened charcoal to complete your drawings – do you have a preferred set of materials?

I use Nitram Charcoal, a hangover from my days in Florence. Unusually it comes in grades of hardness and I mostly use the H for the finer parts of the drawings on canvas. The advantage is that is can be sharpened to a very fine point and anything else is too soft to deal with the sandpaper-like roughness of the canvas.

The canvas is just a basic cotton-duck, which I stretch, size and glue myself - along with another secret layer - I also use Unison Pastels which are totally beautiful to behold, but slightly unwieldy to use – they’re not really for very fine work! 

You regularly teach life drawing in our Glasgow Art Space - What advice do you give your students when approaching the figure?

My advice is pretty much: think about the mass of the figure, don’t focus on the outline too much. Don’t worry it’s only a drawing - correct, draw over, keep looking, use your rubber as a drawing tool, correct, draw over, squint, don’t start with the head, don’t worry about the details, balance, stand back, squint, check, get stuck in, make the figure work… aaaand repeat!

Has your experience at the Wallace Collection shaped how you will approach the Semi-Final?

I’m not sure either way. I just know I’m extremely excited and it’s given me some confidence, so there will be an element of just winging it. I find good things often happen if you stay flexible and work with what is presented to you on the day and don’t try and plan too much.

It’s very hard to anyway with something like this, where you don’t know the name or even the sex of the sitter until the very last moment. I’ll have a few different options in terms of the size of my boards so that I can attempt some variation in the compositions, but that’ll be about it – I’m very much looking forward to it.

Feeling Inspired? 

Explore more of Gareth’s work on his website: or via social media on Instagram.

Gareth runs regular life drawing classes in our Art Space. Visit our Glasgow Store to find out more about how to book your place onto his next class, or visit www.glasgowlifedrawing.co.uk.

Follow Gareth’s lead and experiment with charcoal and graphite with our range online and in-store. Stock up on your own drawing materials and share your own portrait paintings on our social channels using the hashtag #POATY2017 - and don't forget to tag @CASSART

Read our exclusive interviews with Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2017 finalists and from previous years, every week on the Cass Art Blog.

Catch the Semi-Final of Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2017 on Tuesday 7^th March on Sky Arts from 8pm.

SKY ARTS PORTRAIT ARTIST OF THE YEAR

DEADLINE EXTENDED: APPLICATIONS CLOSE 6 MARCH 2017 - ENTER HERE

As the long awaited return of Portrait Artist of the Year returns to our screens, what better inspiration to prepare you for next year's competition? Find out more about how to enter and our top tips for choosing your submission in our Call for Entries blog.

The Pebeo Mixed Media Art Prize is back for 2017. Submit your artwork created with products from the Pebeo Mixed Media range for a chance to exhibit and sell your work at The Stand Gallery in Central London this summer.

Works will be selected by a panel of international judges and curated by Pebeo and street artist Pablo Lugo. 

Pablo Lugo was born in Mexico City and studied Visual Arts througout his educational career. His professional artist practice includes an array of creative practices, including drawings, engravings, sculpture, video and performance work. His career has lead him to teach several lectures, classes and workshops on mixed media artworks across the world. Explore more of Pablo Lugo's work at www.pablolugo.com 

PRIZES

Shortlisted artists will be given the opportunity to exhibit their work at The Strand Gallery in Central London. Plus, three lucky winners will also recieve vouchers to spend in-store or online at Cass Art.

1st Prize: £500 Cass Art Vouchers

2nd Prize: £250 Cass Art Vouchers

3rd Prize: £100 Cass Art Vouchers

WATCH THE VIDEO

SUBMIT YOUR WORK

CALL FOR ENTRIES CLOSE ON MONDAY 8 MAY 2017

Discover how a twinned passion for science and art can transform your mixed media works with our How To Guide on Pebeo's best-selling materials.

WORKSHOPS & DEMONSTRATIONS

Join renowned street artist and curator Pablo Lugo as he takes you through everything you need to know about creating mixed media artworks. Find Your Local Pebeo Workshop.

Our Staff Artists will be running live demonstrations of the Pebeo range, including Vitrail, Fantasy and Ceramics on our brand new Demonstration Table at the Cass Art Islington Flagship.

EXPLORE THE PEBEO RANGE

Art Education is hugely important to Cass Art and we are always keen to provide forums for discussion and generate new ideas of what art education can be. A perfect example of this is Kingston University's Interdisciplinary Project, run by tutor Alice Stewart. An initiative designed to integrate students from different university courses, The Interdisciplinary Project encourages students to share ideas and working methods – something they don’t often get the chance to do as courses tend to be isolated from each other and located in different studios. 

Our Cass Art Student Ambassador Roisin Tierney had the opportunity to support Alice in her recent Interdisciplinary Project workshop in the Art Space in Kingston’s Cass Art. Inviting students from Fashion and Illustration and Animation courses, they introduced them to the concept of ‘e-textiles’. Roisin also took a moment to ask Alice some questions, about her background and her experience of the Interdisciplinary Project so far.

Hi Alice. Can you tell us a bit about your background in Art and Design?

I studied Illustration and Animation at Kingston University and graduated in 2014. I had an interest in coding and electronics as a tool for making work and shortly after graduating, I helped to set up the Hackspace Workshop at Kingston. This was following a demand from the students for a facility that supports the use of technology in an arts context. I was a technician in the Hackspace for a year, and since then I have continued working in the area that intersects between Art and Science.  

How did The Interdisciplinary Project start? Can you tell us more about it?

The Interdisciplinary Project at Kingston University is brand new this year. It was set up by the university because of a keen interest from the students. It was clear that Kingston students wanted to have the chance to do more interdisciplinary projects that allow collaboration across courses. As an ex-Kingston student, technician and tutor I know the faculty pretty well, and so the university saw me a good fit to coordinate the project. It’s basically my job to create new opportunities for students to come together across disciplines.

The focus of the project so far has been on digital skills, such as the e-Textiles workshop run in the Cass Art space. In addition, I have run coding introductions and website-building workshops, and made efforts to introduce the Game Design courses at Kingston to the Illustrators. Digital skills seem to be a good bridge between courses, as every discipline can have a different approach, but will use the same tools. For example, a designer might use code to build an interactive website, and an Architect might use code and electronics to make an interactive model of a building where the lights turn on when it gets dark.

Why do you think it is important for students from different courses to work together?

There are so many benefits to working in an interdisciplinary context within education. There are obviously great social benefits in knowing a diverse range of people. Also, it’s invaluable to know students that have access to a whole range of tools, skills and knowledge that you wouldn’t be able to acquire on your own course. To work with different sorts of people who have a range of interests and approaches at university is a great simulation of how the real world works once you leave. It’s not likely that you will graduate into an industry that just employs people exactly like you, so experiencing an interdisciplinary environment before graduating is great preparation, and in turn it makes you more desirable to employers too. 

How can courses within the Arts faculty be encouraged to integrate better?

Within any large structure such as a university there will always be challenges with communication, and we can only keep trying to improve this factor for things to get easier. It’s important to know what the students want, and allow them to make decisions about their experience of the university. Having said this, the students have to be on board, as it’s no use doing collaborative projects if neither course wants to work with each other!

What ideas do you have for the future of the project?

There are plenty of things upcoming, so to name a couple - I am hoping to run more digital and interactive projects that use the Hackspace and teach new technologies. As well as this, I’m going to ask students at Kingston University to become tutors for a week and share their range of skills with one another. I hope that as the project continues, more students will come to me with new ideas about who they would like to collaborate with - and I will do my best to make it happen!

Feeling inspired?

Read our interview with London College of Fashion Creative Director Rob Phillips

Check out our Art Student’s Survival Guide to Degree Shows and Assessments

The Big White Wall Project at Central Saint Martins, now in its third year, gives CSM students and staff the opportunity to work on an unprecedented scale, by covering a 7m x 30m wall in the heart of the campus. The initiative was devised by the Dean of Academic Programmes, Mark Dunhill, and is fully supported by Cass Art and Liquitex. 

Students and staff from the courses BA Textile Design and MA Culture, Criticism and Curation have been announced as this year’s winners of the Big White Wall Competition. Their Eduardo Paolozzi inspired artwork, which interrogates the intersection of traditional analogue and contemporary digital print processes, impressed the judges and they were given the opportunity to bring their vision to life in UAL’s impressive Central Saint Martins building. 

We went along to see the wall in progress and talk to Big White Wall artists, Vivien Reinhart and Lucy Macdonald, about the project. 

Can you tell us about your design and its inspiration?

Vivien: Our Big White Wall artwork is paying tribute to the late Eduardo Paolozzi- each individual shape represents one stylistic period in his life. During the project, we were looking at his work and his inspirations. Our goal was to record the essence of all his different creative phases and combine them in one coherent mural that tells his story.

Lucy: Our design was very much inspired by Paolozzi’s mono prints and the monochromatic way of working that we had seen across a lot of his work. We were particularly focussed on his collage and the very layered nature of much of his work, so this became a significant focus for our Big White Wall installation. Obviously Paolozzi’s fascination with communication technology was a theme that we were eager to work with, as it was such a fundamental pillar in the work that he did across his very varied career! Using this old technology was interesting as it was a way of up-cycling technology that no longer served a functional purpose, and bringing it back to life through design.

How are you finding working to such a large scale?

Vivien: At first it was extremely intimidating. I thought there would be no way that we would be able to fill the wall within the given time, but as I began to print I experienced it to be very liberating. It makes you less fussy about small mistakes, because they won't have any effect on the end result. That takes a lot of pressure off you. 

Lucy: Working to such a large scale was certainly daunting to begin with. We knew that it would be a real challenge to cover a wall of that size, however we discovered that it was manageable. Because it was a collaborative project, and all of the technology and mediums we were working with became part of a shared economy, there was no sense of individual ownership over the work. I that we were less precious about each individual outcome, as the project was about the broader artwork that belonged to us as a collective.

There are a number of people involved in the project. How did you find working as part of a team?

Vivien: I usually prefer working on my own. With group work there is always the danger that you either, won't get along with the other involved people, or that your tastes are just too different. However, this time everything just worked. I think I am lucky to be in a print group where the overall atmosphere is just right. Everybody was working hand in hand and made adjustments in order to achieve our overall end result. I think that this is why it worked so well, because we were all following the same goal and were grateful for the opportunity of creating this mural that is going to be seen by so many people. Everybody was working hard because we wanted to leave something special.

Lucy: Working as part of a team was very exciting. We are always working alongside one another in the studio, however the majority of the projects that we have done so far have been created individually. What was so exciting about working as part of a team was the opportunity to bring a variety of different strengths and diverse working styles together in the form of one large installation. It’s very cool to have so many different creative brains working alongside one another to make something that represents all of us.

What has been your biggest challenge so far?

Vivien: Personally, scaling up my work, since I usually work in small scale. In regard to working as a group, the biggest challenge was making our work look organised. We had to come together and define, as a group, what it is that makes Eduardo Paolozzi’s work his work. When almost 30 people work on one project it can be quite difficult to make it look coherent. Therefore, I think organisation and communication were the biggest struggles we started off with. However, as the project proceeded we all kind of tuned into the same channel and everybody knew what they had to do.

Lucy: The biggest challenge with this project was bringing all of the different elements and mark making together and making sure that there was a clear sense of fluidity and cohesiveness to the overall atmosphere of the installation. It was easy to make the work itself but then marrying it all together and creating something that made sense of what Paolozzi did and what we had done as a group was slightly challenging, particularly given the large scale of the installation and the large number of individual prints that we had to produce for the wall.

What materials are you using to create the artwork?

Vivien: For my piece I was working with the Liquitex Heavy Body black paint, the Winsor & Newton Galeria Matte Medium, the Winsor & Newton Thickening Gel and the Winsor & Newton Galeria Black Lava Texture Gel- to give my mono prints some texture.

Lucy: This project actually had a slightly less conventional process of making in comparison to what our other print projects usually entail. The majority of the prints were done using mono printing techniques – so virtually no paintbrushes were used in this process. The project began with each individual student sourcing old, out-dated communications technology from markets, charity shops or our own homes – stereos, mobile phones, computers, fax machines. We completely deconstructed and dismantled all of our findings, and used all of the individual components of each piece of technology to monoprint with. The internal anatomy of these pieces was so beautiful and intricate and when painted and mono printed, they produced really interesting shapes and silhouettes. We predominantly used Liquitex coloured paint, Liquitex black and white inks, Galeria Black Lava Texture Gel, Liquitex spray paint and some really interesting Galeria gel mediums. All of our prints were made on used newsprint from the print workshop.

What other work do you create?

Vivien: Normally my work is more small scale and very illustrative.

Lucy: Over the course of this project, we did a stitch and projection workshop with Amy Dickson. We used found film footage in combination with a new film strip to make a short film that was an amalgamation of each individual working on the Big White Wall Project. We stitched onto the film and drew and collaged onto it so this will be a slightly separate element of the exhibition, but something that we feel is still relevant in the context of Paolozzi’s artistic legacy. As far as the work that we have done for projects previous to this one, we do a lot of screen-printing. We also use the heat press to generate a lot of our outcomes, as well as digital embroidery and laser and vinyl cutting. The heat press is exciting as it allows us to do lots of interesting things such as embossing, flocking and foiling.

Would you do it again?

Vivien: At any time! This project, even though it was comparably short, taught me a lot about my own working process as well as working in a group with other people. I created a lot of work in a fairly short period of time, I learned to adjust in order to fit into the work of a team and to scale up my work. Furthermore it feels like this project made us all come together closer as a group. It was also really interesting to kind of forget about your own personal design-style and almost adapt the one of another artist. Paradoxically, this aspect was both, very liberating and fun because it gave you a rest from your own aesthetics, and on the other side it put pressure on you because you feel like you have a responsibility to represent Paolozzi’s work.

Lucy: Yes! We would most certainly love to do it again. It was a wonderful experience and a very valuable learning curve. There are so many layers of process that take place in pulling together an installation of this sort, so it was interesting for us to experience the trajectory of something like this. Not only that, but being able to create something that pays homage to such a fascinating and talented artist that we formerly did not know that much about was very exciting and a great opportunity.

Visit our Event Page to book tickets to see the Big White Wall 

Feeling Inspired?

Read more about The Big White Wall Project and its previous winners

Shop for Liquitex products online at Cass Art

Returning to The Wallace Collection, the heat winners were in for a surprise this week as the Judges revealed a twist for their Semi-Final painting challenge.

Unlike the heats, the stage for their sitter was bursting with energy; including a vibrant stretch of greenery and an ornate garden bench scattered with pillows at its centre. The artists’ were challenged to encompass the surroundings and build a narrative into their portraits, with the aim of showcasing bold elements of award-winning actress, Imelda Staunton’s personality, amidst her passion for gardening.

Another twist in the semi-final saw the return of Liam Dickinson to the competition as a Wild Card. Impressed by his photo-realist style of painting in the earlier heats, the judges couldn’t deny him a place in the competition, and invited Liam back for a second chance at the title.

Four hours of painting, drawing and sketching later and the judges took Gareth Reid, Kimberly Klauss and Liam Dickinson through to the Final, to paint at the National Portrait Gallery in London.

We caught up with them to find out more about their experience painting Imelda, how their style is developing and how they plan to tackle the final of this year’s competition…

LIAM DICKINSON

Hi Liam, congratulations on your surprise return to the Semi-Final as a Wild Card! How did it feel painting in the competition again?

Thank you! It was like a whirlwind almost – I’d gone out at the heats and put the competition to the back of my mind, then I got the call at relatively short notice and was straight back in the mix. Part of me was nervous; I felt like an underdog and that I hadn’t earned my place in the same way as the other semi-finalists. But on the other hand I felt very confident and determined to prove a point, and also to justify the judges’ decision to bring me back. I think that confidence showed on the day, everything fell into place at just the right time.

There was an instant likeness which shone through in your portrait of Imelda. What features are most important for you when capturing a sense of personality?

Likeness is very important to me, especially in portraiture. You could have the most beautifully painted piece but if it doesn’t capture the person or their character, it detracts from the overall result. I’d say nail the likeness first and then focus on making a good painting.

Rightly or wrongly I tend to use a grid to map out the portrait. It allows me to focus on my mark making and application of paint without worrying whether the nose is too big or the eyes are too far apart - I know they’re correct because it’s mathematically planned.

That said, capturing personality/character is something you can’t do with a grid or a photo reference - it’s something deeper and more instinctive. My portrait of Imelda had a mischievous quality to it I felt, with the smile (which she held impeccably all day by the way) and a slight twinkle in her eye. Eyes tell a lot about a person so I’d say they’re a key element in a portrait. I try not to overwork them, sometimes a few marks and a well-placed highlight is all it takes.

Where does narrative live for you? How do you translate it?

The great thing about art is that it’s very subjective and personal. I think the best pieces are ones where the artist doesn’t impose the narrative on the viewer, but rather lets them decide for themselves what to take away from it.

I just aim to capture what I see on the day and provide enough information to help the viewer interpret it. In this case we had Imelda sat on a bench in front of a rose bush. Perhaps you could say she was waiting for someone, or she could just be having a break from gardening - who knows?!

Backgrounds are something I always like to incorporate into a portrait. They provide some context and narrative, but they’re fun to paint too! Flipping my canvas and painting on a less conventional landscape orientation helps me get the best of both portrait and background. You also get a cinematic quality to the piece which is something I just find visually satisfying.

With the final only days away, how are you preparing for the final challenge?

Well I’ve got the commission to get done which should be fun! But as far as the final day is concerned, it’s business as usual. I’m comfortable painting in the four hour limit and I’ve settled into the whole gig of being filmed and talking to the judges/hosts - it’s nerve wracking at first but you soon learn that everyone involved is so nice and supportive.

Ultimately I’m just going to make sure I enjoy myself! It sounds cliché but it really is a once in a lifetime opportunity to paint at the National Portrait Gallery. I can’t quite believe I’ve got this far, so win or lose I’m going to go home happy. Ten grand would be even better though… ha!

GARETH REID

Hi Gareth, congratulations on making it through to the Semi-Final! How did you find the challenge of instilling a sense of narrative under pressure?

Thank you! I just wanted the background to be a prominent part of the drawing and to clash a bit with Imelda's dress. Sometimes what surrounds the sitter gets forgotten about and that tends to take away from a sense of solidity, making the figure look cut-out.

I like areas of pattern e.g. in the work of Vuillard, so the solid hedge gave me an excuse to cover the canvas in abstract interlocking shapes. But in the end I felt I had bitten off more than I could chew - I didn't really get the chance to make it work as I would have wanted. 

The Judges commented that they loved how you were “brave enough to argue, that pencil and charcoal should be pushed up in the hierarchy of media.” – What are your thoughts regarding your choice of media?

I love drawing, always have, and for most observational work it's fundamental. It really can't be overstated. Sometimes paintings have great colour and vibrancy but they fall down because the drawing isn't quite there. And I don't mean in a tight, exact way either.

Drawing can be anything you want and convey as much as painting, but sometimes all you need is a single pencil and a little notebook. The Conté drawings of Seurat, my all-time hero, are some of the best things in art full stop. One of the reasons I mostly draw on canvas and not on paper (apart from for the texture) is that I wanted to make them feel as robust as paintings. 

You added a subtle amount of colour, drawing back from the boldness of the roses and leafy background with a softer pink shade. Do you see colour becoming more prominent in your piece in the final?

I'm not sure if it will become more prominent - I have to see what's put in front of us on the day. But I think it adds something so I'll definitely continue to add a hint of colour at some point.

What are your thoughts going into the Final of Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year? How will you prepare?

I'm very excited indeed. I didn't really consider the reality or even the possibility of this but here we are and I'm going to enjoy it whatever happens. In the lead up I'll just keep practising, doing my two hour sittings with friends or models in the studio, and I'll try a few things out with paint and pastel. I feel like I need to keep progressing but I don't really want to be attempting something for the first time in the final. No that would be madness...

Read more about Gareth's experience on Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year in his Heat Winning Interview. 

KIMBERLY KLAUSS

Hi Kimberly, congratulations on winning a place in the Semi Final! What was the experience like capturing the narrative of a sitter and background with such vibrancy?

Thank you so much, I still can’t believe it! I absolutely loved the setting. It was bulging-eyeballs beautiful. Clasp-your-chest beautiful. Combined with Imelda Staunton at its centre? It was a painting I would’ve loved to paint a thousand times over.

You were the only artist to tackle the whole body. How did you decide on such an ambitious composition?

Did you see Imelda’s boots?! I knew immediately when she crossed her legs to that I wanted those wellies in my painting. And then her gown, and the roses, and those lavender cushions and that bench? She, her clothing, and the scene all referenced each other – everything had both glamour and grit – that I didn’t want to leave any of it out. It all made sense together.

Imelda talked about the scene’s meaning to her as well; I thought I would only be portraying half of what she was showing us if I couldn’t convey what the wellies were doing in that setting.

And then it was also a practical decision. We weren’t all that close, so I knew I’d struggle capturing the details of Imelda’s face. Even though it was surely too much to take on in the 4 hours, it was the best way for me to attempt a good painting, and to capture my excitement about the scene.

You chose to paint in rose and dusky purple tones on the day. How have you developed this instinctive approach to painting?

I think it comes from my practice with drawing. I’ve always drawn, but I haven’t been painting for that long. There’s so much else that’s hard to control, that keeping it down to just a few colours means I can concentrate on the whole slew of other things that can make or break a painting: light, likeness, composition, contrast, brushwork, and so on.

I also like when a painting has something fictional about it, and leaves some things untold. It’s exciting to look at a painting that tells you just enough. We’ll see. For now using colour this way feels right, but you want to be careful that you’re not being chicken.

How will you prepare for the final?

More practice! I was still trying to settle on key features like Imelda’s eyes until the very end! That is way too much excitement.

Read more about Kimberly's experience on Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year in her Heat Winning Interview.  

Feeling Inspired?

Explore more work by the heat winning artists of Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year with our series of exclusive interviews on the Cass Art Blog. 

Don't miss who will be crowned Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2017 in the Final, Tuesday 14th March 2017 at 8pm, on Sky Arts.

2017 is certainly the year of Eduardo Paolozzi. A Scottish born artist of Italian descent, his career was prolific to say the least. Representing Britain at the Venice Biennale in 1960, he went on to produce numerous acclaimed artworks, such as the murals at Tottenham Court Road Underground Station and his iconic 'London to Paris' sculpture at The Cass Sculpture Foundatin in West Sussex (pictured above). Acknowledged as The Godfather of Pop Art, Paolozzi’s work was based on his interest in the mass media and new developments in science and technology in the post-war era. This year we observe a nation reflecting on Paolozzi’s remarkable achievements. Here are some of the highlights!

‘London to Paris’ Sculpture (pictured above) at The Cass Sculpture Foundation

The Cass Sculpture Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation set up by the family of our CEO and Founder, Mark Cass, in 1992 with the aim of inspiring and enabling creativity in contemporary sculpture. The Foundation, situated in West Sussex, is home to over 40 iconic artworks created by some of the most important figures in contemporary art. It goes without saying that Eduardo Paolozzi holds a central position in the landscape of British Art, which is why his iconic concrete sculpture, London to Paris, is one of the Cass Sculpture Foundation’s most prized pieces.

Eduardo Paolozzi at The Whitechapel Gallery: 16th February – 14th May

The Whitechapel Gallery have curated a major Eduardo Paolozzi retrospective, featuring over 250 works, spanning five decades. From his Post-War bronzes and Brutalist concrete sculptures to his revolutionary screen-prints and textile designs, this exhibition gives an unparelled insight into the mind of one of the inventors of Pop Art.

Big White Wall at Central Saint Martins: 18th March

The Big White Wall Project, now in its third year, gives Central Saint Martins students and staff the opportunity to work on an unprecedented scale, by covering a 7m x 30m wall in the heart of the campus. This year’s artwork, a spectacular array of mono prints created from dismantled mobile phones, computers and stereos, takes inspiration from Eduardo Paolozzi’s engagement with communication technology. This is the first year that the Big White Wall is open to the public, who can book tickets to see the Big White Wall and attend the workshop on the 18th of March. Visit our Event Page to reserve a place.

Central Saint Martins Window Galleries Exhibition: In Collaboration – Eduardo Paolozzi at the Central School 1949 – 1955: 3rd February – 16 March

In addition to Paolozzi’s prolific career as an artist, he is also known for his teaching roles in a breadth of notable institutions. These included the Central Saint Martins Textile and Print Department, where Paolozzi spent time as a tutor between 1949 and 1955, alongside acclaimed artists Richard Hamilton and William Turnbull. This exhibition in CSM’s Window Galleries displays a range of the artist’s prints produced during this influential period of his life.

Eduardo Paolozzi’s mosaic at Tottenham Court Road Station 

Created in 1986, these mosaics in Tottenham Court Road Station are widely considered to be one of the most spectacular examples of post-war public art. The vibrant designs, that cover 950 square metres in total, contain references to London's entertainment culture and rushing commuters, reflecting their location in a major station in one of the busiest cities in the world. Over recent years, the art work has had to be relocated to a different part of the station, because of the addition of the Elizabeth line in 2018.

Feeling Inspired?

Read our Interview with CSM Big White Wall Winners 2017

Find out more about The Cass Sculpture Foundation

(L-R) Richard Dean and Ewa Klupczwska.

To celebrate the launch of The Cass Art Collection, we’re giving one lucky winner the opportunity to be featured on the front cover of our award-winning pad range. 

Shortlisted designs will be selected by CEO & Founder of Cass Art, Mark Cass, Head of Design at Cass Art, Naj Ellwood and award-winning designer Angus Hyland, Creative Director at Cass Art and Partner at Pentagram, who leads the design of the Cass Art Collection of products. Plus, three designs will recieve up to £250 of Cass Art Vouchers to spend in-store and online.

We've put together a selection of entries to inspire your design for the competition.

(L-R) Chris Walker, Zowie Green and Gill Smith.

(L-R) Mandi Keighran, Maria Fotaki and Eddy Parnell.

(L-R) Laura Justice, Kirstie Taylor and Dave Buonaguidi.

(L-R) Richard Jefferies, Kelly Duncan and Rocio Perez Vallejo.

(L-R) Yumi Kudo, Kathleen Russell and Susie Ritchie.

We'll be sharing more of our Cass Pad Competition Highlights on our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram channels - Keep an eye out to see if your design is featured. Don't forget to share your ideas and designs with us using the hashtag #CASSPAD. 

Feeling Inspired?

You can use any medium to create your design, either by downloading our template and working directly onto the front cover or by sending an image of your work, cropped to fit a 203mm x 206mm size.

Full details of how to submit your design and our top tips can be found in our Submission Guidelines. 

SUBMIT YOUR DESIGN HERE