For over 15 years, Angus Hyland has championed creativity at Cass Art, from launching our brand identity and activating the Cass Art Manifesto, to the expressive mark making of our own brand range.

Graphic Designer, Author and Creative Director, Angus Hyland has worked with some of the world’s best known brands; from Mulberry and EAT to Penguin Random House and Lawrence King Publishing.

As a Partner at Pentagram, the world’s largest independent design consultancy, he has also received over a hundred creative awards, including two D&AD Awards for the Cass Art Paper Range and our iconic Collection of Tote Bags.

We caught up with Angus to find out more about the inspiration behind The Cass Art Collection…

Hi Angus! How did you come up with the concept for the Cass Art Paper Range?

The first pads were very small – A5 watercolour postcards – that we released in a variety of different covers and colours. I asked my wife, the artist and author Marion Deuchars to do them as little marks – ‘posh doodles’ if you will – that would visually describe the properties of the material.

Essentially, we took the idea that within the store you have these little moments where you can try and test out the medium on the stock, and so they were really kind of a way of formalising that onto the product.

This was also a move away from providing the customer with a perfect artist’s landscape, which had been water coloured or traditionally painted, tying in with the fact that anyone could buy them and make what they can with them. They were deliberately abstract and as colourful as possible, an informal realisation of the medium.

How did you develop this process into the broader collection?

After the first ones, my wife said to me, “If you actually believe in what you're saying, that everyone can have a go, why don't you do it?” So I decided to do the next range myself. Marion’s designs were very free form, and when I took them on I thought all we needed to do was use the covers to demonstrate the quality of the material inside.

So, the best way of describing the properties of watercolour paper was through simple washes. We choose to do them in rectangles because we didn't want to make any creative decisions about what type of landscape or still life to do, but to actually just do it in pure pigment - pure tone, pure colour. If you took the principal for the first series, this could be applied to a range of media and types of paper.

How did you decide on the colour for each?

Each pad is based on the same simple idea; to represent the media directly on the cover. And so we started by asking artists their reasons for buying different papers; Why do you buy heavyweight cartridge? What can you do with it? Is it to draw on it, what medium can you use on it? Can wet mediums be used on it, is it better for drawing? What tooth does it have? Is it better for charcoal?

The challenge was to express a commonality that would connect the range. For example, the Smooth Hot Pressed Pad, has the same swashes of watercolour, but with cartridge it’s all sorts of things. From charcoal to graphite to rolling out pink Indian ink on it to light washes of colour, the qualties of the paper broadens your choice of colour and variety of mark making. So we chose to make the heavy weight red and all the regular weight black, then you have instant visual recognition - a type of coding system.

Some are self-evident, if its Acrylic and Oil then you use the medium to express the quality of the material, but with Mixed Media we could be more experimental as the properties of the paper allowed you to stick things on, as well as roller a bit of ink across it.

How did you arrive at the final marks?

On one hand, they are super simple, but on the other, like with all mark making, there is actually good and bad mark making. We were just presenting artists with what we considered good mark making.

Good mark making is not straight forward. To get one doodle that can basically survive ten years and still look kinda cool, probably takes a hundred versions. Mark gets regular bills with all the materials I'm experimenting with, just to get one pad out!

How has this design idea expanded into the wider Cass Own Brand products?

The pads have given an attitude to all the other own brand products. Though the brushes were the first own brand products Mark and I worked on, the pads were the first on any scale, which took up a significant space in the stores that you could visually merchandise.

By and large, the best thing about ‘own brand stuff’, is that it doesn't have to compete in other environments, where you aren't in control of how it is represented. It gives you the opportunity to extend the overall experience of the store, the manifesto, the lifeblood of the brand – so it should be the best packaging in the store.

How do you communicate quality to an artist through design?

That’s a tricky one, because it’s a given that its high quality, as Cass Art have chosen the best materials for the range. My job is to express the quality in the best light. If you've got a nice pad, and it’s nicely designed, there is a unity.

For example, with the pastels, all of the colours that are inside are displayed on the front, rather than one little drawing of what you can do with them, so in a sense, you allow the artist to make the quality or value judgement.

The representation of the mark making, in terms of pastels, is a good example of how colour is represented. This is a true representation - we haven't done anything with it - just putting pigment on paper really. This is the true starting point, and gives artists some clarity that this is the starting point, the media to realise your ideas, rather than leading you anywhere else.

How does The Cass Art Collection compare to other art materials?

If you look at all the brand leaders, who sit next to the Cass Art range in the store, they tend to take a completely different approach. This is because they haven't got the luxury of being an extension of the whole store experience and the brand. Therefore they have to be self-selling. We don't have to fall into that trap. Artists make a value judgement about brands that are trying to push something - but were pulling - and I think that’s the difference.

If you're expressing something like ‘come to me, come to me’ rather than ‘look at me, look at me’, it becomes a more relaxed, soft sell as its part of the whole experience. Whereas, the brand leaders do that in ways which are kind of stereotypical, or expected, because they don't have the luxury of experimenting.

What has been your biggest highlight working on the Cass Art Range?

That’s a really, really tricky question. It’s got to be working with Mark. It’s a close relationship, we know each other well. In truth, I think the stronger the relationship between the client and the designer, the more trust that is engineered between the two, the better the result.

As the relationship grows and the trust deepens, it becomes increasingly rewarding, whilst also allowing you to become more bold and ambitious.

Was it difficult finding the right design to represent a new, artist quality Own Brand range?

It was an odd paradigm. Here we were in a graphic design business, looking at high quality artist materials that were represented in a way that was actually turning off artists – especially people from just having a go.

We wanted to make art more accessible to everybody, and actually very few people come into an art store. Making the products more appealing was an invitation to everyone, regardless of ability, to come in, pick up some materials and experiment with their creativity.

With every new design and new product, the manifesto and desire to encourage creativity has become more than just a statement - it’s become a reality.

Feeling Inspired?

Watch Angus Hyland and Architect William Russell discuss how they created a new retail experience for Cass Art in our video interview. Watch the Interview.

From pastels and pads, to watercolour and brushes, explore the full range of The Cass Art Collection online and in-store.

WIN YOUR DESIGN FEATURED IN PRINT

Think you’ve got what it takes to be featured on our next front cover? We’re giving you the chance to be featured on the front cover of one of our award-winning pad ranges. 

The winner will be selected from a shortlist of designs and judged by Angus Hyland, with an exclusive print run of the custom design available to buy online and in-store at Cass Art alongside our award-winning range.

To submit your design and find out more, follow the link below. Don't forget to share you designs with us using the hashtag #CASSPAD

ENTER THE CASS PAD COMPETITION 2017

Closes Sunday 2 April 2017

Its official – Gareth Reid is the winner of Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2017!

Gareth’s textured, sculptural drawings separated him from the other artists throughout the competition, impressing the judges with his ability to ‘tell endless stories with those pencils’.

His winning portrait and commission highlights the daring role of drawing as a medium, bringing a sense of power and thoughtfulness to his sitter’s portraits, through composition and selective, yet bold use of colour.

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

Gareth has won a year’s supply of art materials from Cass Art as part of his prize, alongside a £10,000 commission to paint broadcaster and comedian Graham Norton, which will become part of the National Gallery of Irelands permanent collection.

We caught up with Gareth and find out more about his approach to drawing, his inspiration behind the 'Nortrait' and his upcoming exhibitions across the UK.

Hi Gareth! Congratulations on being crowned Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2017! How does it feel?

It feels amazing! A surreal moment when Frank (eventually) said my name. To have my family there at both the final and the unveiling was perfect! It was very emotional to have my whole family there with me, who have supported me so much over the years.

My parents have been my major investors and Ulster cheerleaders over the years. My kids offered invaluable advice along the way - “don’t be boring”, “don’t wear that” - they were fit to burst at the excitement of it all! And my partner Suzy, who gave up so much of her own time as an artist to support this venture (and who gave me a few critical pointers in the final and on Graham’s portrait).

They were very special days that will live long in the memory, to see all their faces as it was announced and give them all a hug, emotional stuff.

You took a gamble by combining watercolour with your drawing. Do you often work in mixed media?

It wasn’t such a huge risk really - I’ve worked that way in the past, drawing over the paint so mistakes could be covered. But I felt it was important to do something new, push it on a bit.

You work directly from life, and have had some very fidgety celebrities to capture during this series!

How did you overcome this, especially in the pressure of the final?

Yes Tom may even have trumped Adrian! But he settled down well after Kimberly and I talked to him in a break – mostly Kimberly! It was necessary because we both work from life, although I was so panicked that I got the camera out at one point, and I’d hardly touched the canvas after 30 mins. As my poor Mum looked on in horror….

Your commission of Bobbie Cheema-Grubb is truly stunning. Can you tell me more about how you came up with such a striking composition? 

Thank you so much. I didn’t come up with it, it just happened. Yet more luck. It was the last shot of the shortest sitting of my life which was too hot, badly lit and very stressful because of the time constraints.

I look for abstract shapes and compositional structure in drawing and painting in quite a formal way, so this commission was perfectly suited - the robes, the colour, the fur etc – they all ended up working well.

And all that after an extremely depressing train journey home when I thought I’d blown the whole thing and the Old Bailey was about to receive a very dodgy portrait of poor Bobbi, courtesy of me!

You have won a £10,000 commission to paint broadcaster and comedian Graham Norton - a move away from your graphite and charcoal works. Do you have any ideas about how you might approach the painting yet? 

Not yet really, I won’t plan too much. I’ll just wait to meet him, do the sittings, see what he is like, talk to him, get a good look at him and take it from there. But although I draw a lot, I am a painter and my approach doesn’t vary a huge amount.

One great thing is the time I’ll get to spend on it - much more than the 2 weeks for the final commission.

There is a sculptural, almost statuesque quality to your drawings. Does your technique and style change when using paint? 

It does a bit but only because of the materials. The concerns are the same - Structure, solidity, atmosphere, presence, mood. But with more colour….

Frank will be pleased to see some more colour! Now that you're no longer sworn to secrecy, what can we look forward to in the future? 

In practice for the show I created a series of preparatory drawings, which I will be displaying in the Art Space at Cass Art Glasgow from the 17th March. I will also be returning to my weekly life drawing classes too – and perhaps a little normality!  

I also have my solo show in Dublin at the Molesworth Gallery from the 8th June, which will roughly coincide with the reopening of the National Gallery of Ireland and the move of the Graham Portrait into its proper home - the National Portrait Collection.

But apart from that I have a few longstanding portrait targets, namely Andy Murray, Brain O’Driscoll and Paul O’Connell amongst others… We’ll see if this helps!

Feeling Inspired?

Read more about Gareth’s journey to the final in our series of exclusive interviews; Gareth Wins Heat 6 of Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year.

Join this year's Portrait Artist of the Year for a weekly Life Drawing Class at Casss Art Glasgow. Gareth will be on-hand to give you his top tips, techniques and artist advice for capturing the figure. To book your space, head to our events page.

GARETH REID: PORTRAIT DRAWINGS

Exhibition at the Art Space at Cass Art Glasgow

Friday 17 - Sunday 26 March 2017

Explore how Gareth became this year’s Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2017 in his first, solo exhibition in The Art Space at Cass Art Glasgow. The works exhibited in ‘Portrait Drawings’ were all made during the sitters’ two hour visits to his studio and, for the most part, as preparatory sketches for the competition. To find out more, head to our events page. Download our event flyer here.

George and Raphael Greaves are the talented duo behind Printed Goods – an innovative design company based in Bristol who use the traditional Risograph printing technique in their high quality prints and artworks. Our Cass Art Student Ambassador Penelope Burkett speaks to the pair about their artistic processes and what it’s like to be a young artist in Bristol.

Hi George and Raphael! Can you tell us a bit about your background as artists?

George: After we finished our illustration courses we did a couple of odd jobs. I worked in a spice packing factory for a bit - that was really horrible. It was while I was doing that I was thinking about things I could do. I’d seen a lot of Risograph about, especially when I was in London. A guy came and gave a talk at our university, and I thought it was a really cool process, and I was like, that’s what I’m going to do! I quit, bought a Risograph machine and got Raphe involved.

Raphael: We thought Risograph printing would be a viable thing to do in Bristol because there was an audience for it here. There’s about five different ones in London.

George: It has been a great starting point for us to get people interested in what we’re doing because the Risograph platform automatically generates interest. There’s a worldwide community of Risograph presses. As soon as we set up our one, we had people from different countries contacting us. However, we’ve found out that we want to go down the design route and put the commission printing to one side.

Raphael: I think sometimes you’ve got to do something to realise that's not what you want to do. It sends you in a direction.

It sounds like it’s a process of trial and error!

George: Well it’s like art foundation, you know, you try all the different things then you find out what you want to do!

Who are your inspirations?

Raphael: A lot of 20th century artists, like David Hockney - he’s great. That’s more figurative, but the way he uses flat colour and tones is amazing. Matisse, of course. His cut outs are incredible.

George: De Chirico is a huge inspiration for me.

Can you tell us a bit more about the Risograph process and what attracted you to it initially?

Raphael: Risograph printing started in Japan in 1986 and is continuing to grow in popularity, with presses now popping up in London, Bristol and Southampton. A Risograph printer looks a lot like a photocopier, very unexciting. It works in a similar way to screen printing. You have each colour as a different layer. So when you design the art work you have to design each layer. It’s different from screen printing in that you’re just scanning it straight into the top of the machine - and you have a more limited colour palette. The good thing about Risograph printing from an ethics point is that it’s pretty much the most environmentally friendly way to print. The ink that it uses is made out of soy beans and we print onto banana paper.

George: I like the effect it gives, you know, the fact that it is quite imperfect. It gives a sort of texture, that old school printing kind of feel.

Raphael: Yes, it’s a nice process. Sometimes limiting yourself to such a specific process can actually push your work forward because it makes you think about how to work around that process rather than overthinking work so much.

What’s it like to be an artist in Bristol?

George: Bristol is a great city to be an artist in.

Raphael: Yeah that’s right - that’s the thing about Bristol, because of its size, everyone knows everyone. So if you talk about what you do, usually there’ll be someone who knows this person who’ll be interested in it and it creates opportunities. A lot of the things we’ve done have been through knowing people. Also, some of the things we've done have been through Instagram – people seeing our work.

George: Instagram is a useful tool. So many opportunities have come my way through it. It’s like a portfolio that everyone can see. It’s a social way of doing things, but people also use it as a serious networking tool.

Raphael: For illustration it’s great. You never know who’s looking. You put an email in your bio bit and someone will drop you an email saying ‘I love your work’.

George: It’s mad. That’s probably been the single biggest thing for us in terms of getting work.

Printing has a lot of history. What do you think the future holds for art that uses traditional methods?

Raphael: It’s interesting because we create most work in Photoshop and then put it through this old machinery, which I quite like. It’s why I wanted to use it because it was a way of making digital images tactile, physical. In a way that was less clinical than getting a perfect digital print. In terms of the future, I think these things will always be around, the processes. I mean, now people are using analogue cameras - before they were going to be obsolete.

George: Yeah, I think the more things do become digital and online, there will be a reaction to that. I think the traditional stuff will be pretty resilient. At the moment there’s a boom.

People love seeing the mark of a human hand, even in digital work. That’s a nice thing that you do, using both the old and the new together. Which is maybe how traditional methods can be reintegrated.

Raphael: Yeah it’s quite a post-modern way of doing it. By using both things - to make something completely new.

What’s next for you two? Or, in an ideal world where do you see your art practice in five years’ time?

George: For a start, next year we’re opening a pop up shop on Christmas Steps.

Raphael: We are definitely going to put together more prints, possibly sell other artists work we like as well. So I think in five years’ time, hopefully have a shop. We’d like to create a scene around the work we like and promote it really. But also still doing designs and taking on commissions.

George: We’ve kind of decided to completely shut down printing for other people now, just because it’s become such a chore.

Raphael: The whole point of us doing this thing on our own is doing things we enjoy.

George: We’re keeping the machine to publish our own work, making little books, or working with other artists and publishing their work. But it won’t be a commercial service.

Raphael: We like using it for our own work, it’s just the enjoyment is kind of taken out when you’re printing for other people. You can be printing great work but you’re stressed out about getting it right. I think we’re definitely resistant to doing anything we don’t want to do.

Last question. What would you say to aspiring artists?

George: I would say think about how you’re going to make it work.

Raphael: I think to have to be passionate about it. Be prepared to do a lot of work. For yourself. It might take a while to get recognised and you just have to do it for yourself. Be observant, look at people you admire and take aspects of what they’re doing.

George: Don’t be afraid to copy basically. Because if you try and learn everything yourself, it’s going to take forever.

Our Cass Art Student Ambassador Penelope Burkett with George and Raphael Greaves

Feeling Inspired?

Check out Raphael and George’s Printed Goods website, Facebook Page and Instagram

Read about Designer Jessica Russell Flint’s Journey to Success

DAS has become one of the most recognizable art brands in the world. The first clay to be developed that could dry without cracking, it has grown to encompass a variety of colours, weights and accessories, and is popular with young children and professional modellers alike. Self-curing, gluten-free and mineral-based, DAS modelling clay allows you to create a range of different media, from jewellery and ceramics to interior decorations and wall hangings.

We set crafters, artists and creatives across the country the challenge to #BeInspired and explore the possibilities of the DAS range. From jewellery and ceramics to picture frames and wall hangings, read more about their experience using DAS for the first time.

Plus, we’ve put together our selection of creative ideas and videos to inspire your own creations with DAS Clay.

Ornamental Plates and Bowls

Explore our How To Start Ceramics blog for more details of how to create your own bowel or plate.

Watch how to create your own Ornamental Plate in DAS’ easy to follow video tutorial.

Jewellery

Whether you’re looking to create rings or brooches, necklaces or bracelets, there are a range of different approaches to creating jewellery with DAS. Mould beads and abstract shapes with the clay, and tie them together with string or suede strips platted together.

You can also embed the clay within different metals. Upcycle an old, silver chain by creating a new pendent or attach a safety pin to the back shaping the clay to create a brooch.

Explore how bloggers Jenny and Lucy created different jewellery inspired by DAS on their blog Two Crafty Brownies. The girls created a range of jewellery after experimenting with the DAS Idea Mix to create a marble effect.

“For the heart rings, I used a sugar paste cutter to cut out a heart shape, allowed them to dry and then attached ring findings using epoxy jewellery glue and for the necklace, I pressed the pendant into the clay, cut around the shape made using a craft knife, allowed it to dry and attached it to the pendant also using epoxy jewellery glue. I really love the marbled effect on these projects!” - Jenny

Crafter Julie at The Sum of Their Stories created a range of intricate necklaces and bold pendants in her step-by-step guide to creating her jewellery. Explore her range of techniques, including how to create marbled beads, flat pendants and chains in her detailed how to guide.

“It was much simpler to work with that I was expecting and the glossy varnish gives the pieces a lovely expensive finish.” - Julie

Watch how to create your own chunky necklace and a range of different beads in DAS’ easy to follow video tutorial.

Interior Decorations & Wall Hangings

The DAS White Clay is a blank canvas when it comes to crafting something decorative for your home. Our bloggers took a range of approaches to brightening their homes.

Jenny and Lucy at Two Crafty Brownies created this rain cloud hanging decoration to brighten their notice board. Creating a range of 2D shapes, you can combine different elements with string and wire to create a mobile effect. Read their full tutorial here.

Graphic Designer and Illustrator Katie created a DIY Hanging Ornament tutorial for her blog, The White Journal.

“I’ve been using this clay for years and years and it is great value for money – it lasts ages and doesn’t dry out thanks to the re-sealable packet. I was really happy to see they now do it in different colours too – much easier than having to paint it afterwards as well as being able to create a marbled effect” - Katie

Read Katie’s DIY to marbling and creating her dream-catcher inspired wall hanging in her tutorial here.

Lifestyle, Fashion and Crafter Paige took on our #BeInspired with her astronomical themed mobile, for her blog Paige Joanna.

“I’ve always loved bohemian and folk style decor, especially with dream catchers and wall art. The Clay made me think of when I was younger making charms with my cousins. With that in mind I decided to create a lovely mobile with sun, moon and star charms. The process was really simple not requiring much practise or clay skills.” – Paige

Read Paige’s experience using the DAS clay range and learn how to craft your own mobile here.

Picture Frames

There are two different ways to approach creating your own frame with DAS clay. You could upcycle an existing frame, preferably a wooden frame, with shapes and details created with the clay layered on top. Or you could create the frame from the clay itself, wrapping ribbon and other craft elements into the mix.

Explore blogger Lis’ inspiration behind her upcycled white frame on her blog, Last Year’s Girl.

I had an idea to create a frame from the clay, in which I could display a collage of things that I found inspirational. I found a small IKEA frame which I decided to decorate with kitty shapes cut from the clay. This is a really simple custom project that even an idiot could make – I know, because I am that idiot, and I’m really pleased with the results.” – Lis

Read more about the inspiration behind Lis’ frame and how DAS changed her approach to crafting and her motivation to be more creative this year, in her blog post here.

Watch how to create your own frame with DAS’ easy to follow video tutorial.

Inlaid Tray

Watch how to create your own Inlaid Tray with DAS’ easy to follow video tutorial.

Feeling Inspired?

Explore how to create marble effects in our How To: Create a Marble Effect with Das Clay step-by-step guide.

Share your DAS creations with us on social media using the hashtag #DASClay - and don't forget to tag Cass Art!

Inject a splash of colour into your sculptures and models with the DAS Idea Mix. Combine the pigmented modelling clay with either the DAS White or Terracotta Clay, to create a range of effects and patterns. We put the DAS Idea Mix to the test and invited Crafter and Blogger, Katie at The White Journal to give her advice and easy to follow steps to creating your own marble effect.

“I’ve been using this clay for years and years and it is great value for money – it lasts ages and doesn’t dry out thanks to the re-sealable packet. I was really happy to see they now do it in different colours too – much easier than having to paint it afterwards as well as being able to create a marbled effect, which I’ll walk you through in this DIY.” - Katie

You Will Need:

DAS Modelling Clay - available in White or Terracotta

DAS Idea Mix - available in a range of colours

Rolling Pin

Mat or protective sheet

Craft Knife

DAS Vernidas to Varnish 

STEP 1

Preparing the Clay

Take a generous amount of the white clay and a smaller piece from the idea mix. Roll each piece into sausage shapes, until the clay is malleable and easy to work with. Roll the coloured clay into a slightly longer and thinner sausage in comparison to the white - aim for a ratio of 1/3 coloured and 2/3 white. As the clay is air drying, ensure that the remainder from each pack is tightly wrapped up, so that you can use it again.

STEP 2

Mixing the Clay

Wrap the coloured clay around the white clay, ensuring it reaches each end. Next, squish the clay together and use your hands to knead the clay into a ball shape. This will disperse the blue throughout the white in patches.

STEP 3

Roll out the Clay

Next, take your rolling pin and begin rolling out the clay. The Das Rolling Pin have bands which can be removed or fastened to either end for easy grip, as well as to allow an even width for your clay. They bands come in a variety of sizes to vary the depth of your clay.

STEP 4

Defining the Marble Pattern

Roll the clay out until it is around 5mm thick. Next, fold the clay in half, and then in half again, then roll out the clay again to a similar thickness. The marble pattern will be defined by the number of folds you work in. For a bold pattern, you will only need to do this twice, whereas for a thinner, more subtle pattern, repeat this process 3-4 times. 

Now your clay is ready to be sculpted into your desired craft idea. You can work directly into the clay with a craft knife or cutter to lift shapes from the pattern or wrap the clay around different objects to create a range of ceramic shapes, such as plates, bowls and jewellery holders.

Watch the DAS Marble Sheet Video to discover more marbling tips and techniques. Why not try sandwiching blocks of colour between the white clay and cutting out rings to layer and create your pattern? Or why not combine two different colours to add a different stone effect.

Feeling Inspired?

Explore the full range of DAS products online and ask our staff artists in-store for their artist advice for starting with air drying clay.

For more crafting inspiration with DAS Modelling Clay, explore our DAS Inspiration and Ideas blog.

Have you sculpted with DAS Clay? Share your creations and top tips using the hashtag #DASClay on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – and don’t forget to tag us!

The Watercolour Challenge returns this spring, and this time there’s a twist…

Inspired by the Royal Watercolour Society exhibition 'Water Paper Paint' and Illustrator Veronica Ballart Lilja's new guide - 'If You're Bored With Watercolour Read This Book' - we want to encourage everyone to pick up a paintbrush and start experimenting with watercolour this season.

Since the competition first launched in 2013, we’ve loved seeing our channels flooded with your watercolour artworks. But now, we also want to know what inspires your love of watercolour.

What first drew you to the medium? How has your style developed with each technique? If you’re new to the medium, what encouraged you to start? Who are your influences?

Share your work with us on social media using the hashtag #MakeASplash with a quote about why you love watercolour for a chance to win £500 of Cass Art Vouchers.

Illustration from Veronica Ballart Lilja's new book, 'If You're Bored With Watercolour Read This Book' 

Are you our Watercolour Challenge Winner 2017?

Share your watercolours on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter by 23:59 on Sunday 28th May 2017 for your chance to win – it’s that simple!

You can use any watercolour materials you like. Whether its water-soluble pencils or the more traditional watercolour half pans to on-the-go mediums, such as Winsor & Newton’s watercolour markers and watercolour sticks.

Perhaps you combine watercolour with other media? Are inks and fine liners your thing, or do you work in collage to layer textures? Whatever your style, start experimenting with your favourites and share your artworks for your chance to win.

How to Enter

Every time you complete a watercolour work, share your work on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook for your chance to win. The more artworks you share, the more chance you have to win.

We’ve put together our guidelines below for each channel.

Instagram

Tag @CassArtLondon with an image of your watercolour work and use the hashtag #MAKEASPLASH

Twitter

Tag @CassArt with an image of you watercolour work using the hashtag #MAKEASPLASH

Facebook

Post an image directly to the Cass Art Page or tag @CassArt1984 and include the hashtag #MAKEASPLASH

For a post to count as an entry, it will need to feature the following:

-       An image of your watercolour work

-       A quote about why you love using watercolour

-       The hashtag #MAKEASPLASH

-       Cass Art tagged in the image or post

We will not be counting entries on any other social platforms.

WHAT YOU CAN WIN
Our team will choose a winner at random to receive £500 of Cass Art vouchers to spend either in-store or online.

So what are you waiting for? Pick up a brush, stick or marker, get painting and share your artworks online. We look forward to seeing what you create! 

Feeling Inspired?

Explore our highlights from previous years on the Cass Art Blog or search the hashtag #MakeASplash to see entries from the previous years.

Terms and Conditions:

You may choose Facebook, Twitter or Instagram to upload your artwork. No other social media platforms will be counted.

You must upload an image of the work, a quote about why you enjoy working with watercolour, the hashtag #MAKEASPLASH and company tag for each social platform to be counted. Using just the hashtag or just the tag will not count into the prize draw.

One Artwork = One Entry

Every time you upload a new artwork which fits the guidelines outlined above, this will be counted as an entry into the prize draw. If the same work appears on more than one social media platform, it will only be entered into the draw once.

All entries must be your own artwork. If we suspect any entries are not your own work, you may be asked to provide proof of ownership. This can result in your entry or previous entries being disqualified from the prize draw.

The competition ends at 23:59 on Sunday 28 May 2017. Any entries submitted after this date will not be counted.

The winner will be announced within 30 days of the competition ending.

Selected artworks will be shared via Cass Art social platforms. Due to the high volume of entries, not all artworks will be shared, however all will be counted.

Are you...

• A first or second year undergraduate or foundation student, on an art, design or creative course?
• Confident, friendly and outgoing?
• A big fan of art materials?
• A keen writer looking for exposure?
• Always eager to take on a challenge?
• Looking for a taste of the arts industry whilst studying?

Then Cass Art wants you!

We’re looking for a team of enthusiastic art students to join our Student Ambassador Programme as the class of 2017-18. Get first-hand experience in the art industry, opportunities to work with exciting art materials and help spread the word about what Cass Art can do for students. 

But what does a Student Ambassador do..?

Represent Cass Art at Your University

As a brand ambassador you'll be helping us to FILL THIS TOWN WITH ARTISTS by spreading the Cass Art love on your campus. Through friendly chatter, freebies and fun events you'll engage with fellow students, and will pass on offers, opportunities and advice to keep everyone around you up-to-date with Cass Art's latest student news.

Take Part in Creative Challenges

Jump at the chance to build your CV, and take part in a variety of fun tasks that will be set to you over the course of the year; from design opportunities to product reviews.

Host Your Own Art Events

Go above and beyond the set programme of tasks by organising and hosting your own creative events on and off campus. With product and promotional support from Cass Art you can have a go at setting up your own exhibition, workshop or art-making event. We love hearing new ideas for student events and offer guidance and support throughout the planning stages.

Write For The Cass Art Blog

Get your writing featured on the Cass Art website. Set tasks include product reviews, interviews and how to's, and you'll also have the opportunity to pitch your own blog proposal ideas to the Cass Art content team throughout the year. Dream big- the only limitation here is your imagination!

Exhibit Your Artwork in London

Take part in a group show for the Cass Art Student Ambassador end of year exhibition, which takes part in a prominent London venue. Assist with the organising and running of the show, meet up with fellow Ambassadors, and toast to a successful year at private view evening.

Feeling Inspired?

Complete our online questionnaire to apply for the Cass Art Student Ambassador Programme, or contact students@cassart.co.uk for more information. If your first round responses are successful we will contact you to proceed to stage two. 

Please note that all applicants must be able to attend the Welcome Day in London in September.

Good luck!

#DRAWFASHION, London College of Fashion’s annual fashion illustration competition, is back for a third year running. It is the concept of Rob Phillips – artist and Creative Director of the School of Fashion Design Technology in the London College of Fashion - who invites students from all over the UK to submit illustrations that capture the wonder of the fashioned body. Cass Art are delighted to be sponsoring the competition by provided three art material prizes worth £1000.

Rob Phillips states about the competition ‘Through drawing we can move design; personify style, mood, identity and feeling; make a statement; progress traditions and construct new worlds to push fashion forward’.

The Prizes:

LCF X CASS ART #DRAWFASHION 2017 Winner: £500.00 worth of Cass Art vouchers and a cash prize of £1,000.00

The Rob Phillips x Cass Art Award for Experimental Practice: £250.00 worth of Cass Art vouchers and a cash prize of £500.00

The Cass Art Highly Commended prize: £250.00 worth of Cass Art vouchers

Shortlisted #DRAWFASHION entrants will also have their drawings exhibited at a central London location in September during London Fashion Week 2017.

How to Enter:

To enter simply email your fashion illustration drawing to drawfashion@arts.ac.uk and upload the same image onto your Instagram account. Remember to include the hashtag #DRAWFASHION and @CassArtLondon.

The competition will run from midday on Tuesday 11 April 2017 to midday on Monday 3 July 2017.

For full information about #DRAWFASHION visit London College of Fashion’s website.

Good luck!

Feeling Inspired?

Read our exclusive interview with #DRAWFASHION curator, Rob Phillips

When it comes to watercolour, combining different techniques can feel a little daunting. Using just a few colours and brushes, learn how to create a quirky bird illustration with Illustrator Veronica Ballart Lilja’s easy to follow step-by-step guide.

Step 1

Using a wet brush, create a rough circle on the paper for the bird’s body. This defines an invisible barrier for the watercolour to bleed to and helps to control the application of colour. Let this dry for a minute or two before moving on to step 2.

Step 2

With a big brush, drop some watercolours on to the moistened area and let the colours bleed. Add the colour slowly to see how it develops over time, taking into consideration the placement of darker colours over brighter, bold tones. Lift the paper and gently move it to manipulate the colour further.

Step 3

Soak up the excess water with a sponge and add more colour and water as necessary to mix the colour into a nice shape. You can lift and apply colour with the sponge repeatedly until your desired colour has been achieved.

Step 4

Use a brush to add some black to the watercolour to make the shape of the bird more distinct.

Step 5

Wait until the paint is dry, then take a thin brush and paint in the beak and feet using a vibrant colour. Use orange as a bold, complimentary colour to the blue and apply using small, neat strokes. Y

Step 6

Paint in the tail feathers using a medium sized brush. You can also add some texture with a comb, toothbrush or by blowing pools of paint through a straw to achieve different styles.

Step 7

Let it dry completely – this is important when applying white or lighter colours, as the darker pigments will bleed through otherwise. Then paint some small white dots onto the bird for texture and give the bird an eye with a larger white dot. Again, let this dry so the paint doesn’t bleed, then add a tiny black dot on top to complete the eye.

And your abstract bird is complete!

Feeling Inspired?

Explore more of Veronica’s watercolour tutorials in her latest illustrative guide, If You’re Bored With Watercolour Read This Book.

Read our interview with Veronica as she tells us about her creative ideas, experimental techniques and her mission to revolutionise how we see watercolour...

We’ve got everything you need to start experimenting with Watercolour in-store and online. 

Watercolour has long been considered a medium that is difficult to master, reserved for picturesque landscapes. If you think watercolour is boring, think again.

Explore Illustrator Veronica Ballart Lilja's new guide to watercolour ‘If You’re Bored With Watercolour Read This Book’ as she shares her tutorials for luminous colour mixing, dynamic compositions and media combinations. Combine comb-flicking and toothbrush mark-making with how to layer colour and mixing shades for the perfect wash, with Veronica’s easy to follow tutorials set to transform your approach to watercolour.

Set to inspire beginners and offer experts a host of new tricks, we caught up with Veronica to find out more about her creative ideas, experimental techniques and her mission to revolutionise how we see watercolour...

Hi Veronica! You’ve travelled the world working with a variety of different brands and creative projects. Can you tell us a little more about your experience as a freelance illustrator?

I’ve been working as a freelancer for almost 10 years now and it’s always a challenge. There’s more pressure and responsibility than working in a company, but you get to be your own boss and you can work from anywhere! I like to work on my own, but this can sometimes get a bit lonely – I currently work in a studio with a few other freelancers so that’s the perfect balance for me.

What first drew you to watercolour?

I love that watercolour doesn’t need to be perfect to look good and there are so many interesting effects you can achieve with it. It’s a really versatile medium that can be difficult to control – but that’s what makes it fun – you can play around with texture, shapes, colour and mix it with a range of media, everything from Chinese ink to charcoal and even embroidery to get some great effects.

How did you come up with your creative tutorials?

As a professional illustrator, I get asked a lot how I produce the effects in my artwork and people asking if they can come to the studio to see how I work. So the book is my way of showing the techniques that I’ve enjoyed using over the years for my illustrations, so that everyone else can learn how to do them too.

You make a range of marks with unconventional tools. How did you discover the possibilities of combs, toothbrushes and sponges?

I had a very good teacher in Barcelona who taught us how to use things that you can find around the house! It’s amazing what you can do with things that are just lying around, and then it’s just a case of experimenting and experience to see what works best.

You use a variety of watercolour in different ways - from sticks and crayons to pencils and pans – do you have a preference? Does each change how you approach a different watercolour technique?

I like using liquid watercolours the most because the colours are so vibrant and they're really good for creating splash effects and textures. But some techniques work better with different types of watercolour, so it can depend on what effect you want to achieve what type of watercolour it would be best to use. In the book I give some pros and cons of different types of watercolour and also give tips on what type of watercolour works well for particular tutorials.

What techniques have you found most difficult to develop and how did you overcome the challenge?

For me, it’s most challenging doing the illustration where I mix a pencil drawing with watercolour, because it can take quite a long time to be able to achieve the realistic style of illustration I want with it. But as with everything, it’s all about practice and not worrying too much about making mistakes.

You combine watercolour with different media, including oil pastels, embroidery and collage. How does combining watercolour with other media change your process?

It can be quite risky, because you never know exactly what result you’re going to get. It can also take more time because you have to take into account the other processes and media you’re working with, but it’s a lot of fun and you can create some really exciting work.

Many of your illustrations have quite defined blocks of colour, shapes and silhouettes. How have you developed this style?

Good question. I think it’s been quite a natural process. As an illustrator, it’s important to have a personal style and try to develop it, and keep looking for new goals. For me, I like that you can actually be very bold with watercolour by using bright colours, block shapes and clean silhouettes. And that that’s different to how a lot of people would assume watercolour illustration is like – people tend to think of it as gentle and old-fashioned! – and I want to show that it doesn’t have to be like that!

What would your advice be for anyone experimenting with watercolour for the first time?

Just take your time and don't be afraid to try new things and get dirty! You’ll soon discover how fun it is and how easy it can be working with watercolour. 

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE WATERCOLOUR TUTORIAL

Exclusive to Cass Art, download your preview of the new book and put Veronica's watercolour challenges to the test for free. Click on the links to download your worksheet: How To Draw Vegatables or How To Create Texture Collages

Feeling Inspired?

Veronica Ballart Lilja’s Illustrative Watercolour Guide ‘If You’re Bored With Watercolour Read This Book’ is available to buy online and in-store at Cass Art - exclusively until Monday 1 May 2017!

Follow Veronica's step-by-step guide to combining different techniques to create an abstract, textured bird in our How To Blog.

View more of Veronica’s work on her website at www.veronicaballart.com or on Instagram.

Explore our range of watercolour and try your hand at Veornica’s watercolour tutorials.

This May we’re continuing the celebrations with a whole month of exciting events in-store. With exhibitions, workshops and demonstrations for all ages, be sure to check the schedule below and join the fun.

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CELEBRATION WEEKEND

You’re invited to a special birthday celebration weekend on 13th & 14th May. Keep it in your diary and watch this space for updates.  

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EXHIBITIONS AT THE CASS ART SPACE

Jealous Gallery at Cass Art Islington

1-14 May, admission is FREE

Find more information and opening times here

Jealous is a contemporary art gallery, print publisher and printing studio, based in East London’s creative hub of Shoreditch, with jealous north in Crouch End. They are known for their collaborative approach to producing high quality limited edition prints with many artists, galleries, designers and museums. The Cass Art Space are delighted to present works from numerous artists who work in association with Jealous. For more information about Jealous visit www.jealousgallery.com

 

TRY ME TABLE

WORKSHOPS FOR ADULTS

PEBEO

WORKSHOPS FOR KIDS AND YOUNG PEOPLE

Evenings and Sundays - Kids’ Workshops with Nuria Torres

FOLLOW US

It's been 10 years since our London Flagship in Islington first opened its doors to artists. To celebrate our birthday, we've transformed the store and curated a month of events and exhibitions throughout May, set to ignite your creativity ! Read on to find out more about the new experience we have created across its three floors and 7,500 square feet.

THE SPACE AT THE ISLINGTON FLAGSHIP

 We’ve opened a dedicated art space for the local community and beyond. It’s free to host an exhibition, workshop, talk or event; the space offers a breadth of creative opportunities for our customers to participate or showcase their work.

Ask our staff artists’ in-store about our upcoming events and how you can get involved.

NEW PRODUCTS & EXTENDED RANGING

With over 7,500 square feet over 3 floors, the London Flagship showcases our broadest range of art materials. Our buyers’ source only the best quality materials, working with international suppliers and artists for the latest, innovative new products. Plus, we’ve taken your feedback on board and expanded our product range to bring you even more.

Some of the new highlights include our extended range of Montana gold spray paint on the ground floor, the world-renowned Daniel Smith watercolours, Winsor and Newton’s new watercolour cotton pad range and Pebeo’s full mixed media range to name but a few.

On the top floor, we’ve removed the shelves which once housed our canvas, board and surfaces to create a new, airy loft space. A selection of easels, including our newest products from Jullian is now assembled in this space to make choosing your next easel a more hands on process.

We’ve expanded our range of mixed media and craft materials too and continue to grow our own brand materials as you ask us for the best quality materials at lower prices.

Watch this space and let us know your favourite brands so we can continue to showcase the best.

With our FREE Click & Collect service, you have over 8,000 products at your fingertips with our online store, delivered straight to the London Flagship with the click of a button. Ask our staff artists in-store for more information about our delivery options.

LIVE DEMONSTRATIONS & TRY ME TABLE

Our new Try Me Table gives you the opportunity to experiment and sample our wide selection of products in store – where else can you do this?

When it comes to choosing the right materials, our artists are on hand to demonstrate exactly how to make the most of these creative tools. Explore their live demonstrations as they take you through everything from oil painting techniques to DIY watercolour to what’s trending now. 

There'll be a different medium for each day of the week – see below .

Looking to experiment with a new material? Ask our staff artists about any product and they will be happy to demonstrate it for you.

You can find the full listing of events and demonstrations on our Events Page or ask our artists in-store.

THE SOCIAL SPACE

Located on the top floor, the space offers a place to sit and chill, start drawing, read a book or just meet up with friends, you decide.

We’ve subscribed to a range of creative books and publications, including Elephant, Frieze and Art Monthly for you to browse and take inspiration.

Invite your peers, colleagues and friends – and make new ones – in our new social space and share your ideas

The space also has a community wall featuring events, exhibitions and creative activities happening within the local area. Ask our staff artists in-store about displaying your event.

EXHIBITIONS AND WORKSHOPS THROUGHOUT MAY

We’re celebrating ten years in Islington throughout May with a calendar full of creative events, exhibitions and a weekend shopping event on 13^th and 14^th May.

Explore our full calendar of exciting events and workshops for both adults and children alike in our Celebrating 10 Years in Islington blog. Here are some of our highlights:

• Jealous Gallery Exhibition at The Space, 1 - 14th May
• Association of Illustrators Exhibition: Wild & Civilised at The Space, 16 - 30th May
• Create your own Pebeo Mixed Media artwork with Pablo Lugo, Sunday 21st May

Come and see what’s new at our Islington Flagship store yourself. Find us on 5 min from the Angel station in Colebrooke Row  Islington. 

Uniting watercolourists from across the world, Charlie O’Shields invites you to share your watercolour artworks and become part of the biggest, online watercolour society in the world. Showcasing a breadth of approaches to watercolour, from urban sketching and plein-air painting to stylish illustrations and everyday drawings, Doodlewash encourages everyone to pick up a paintbrush and give watercolour a try!

We caught up with Charlie to find out more about his love of watercolour and the inspiration behind the World Watercolor Group...

Hi Charlie! How did you come up with the online watercolour community, Doodlewash? Where did it all begin?

Hello, it’s a pleasure to chat with you! Well, it all started back in the summer of 2015 when my partner was trying out watercolour painting and I thought, “That looks like fun! I want to try it too!” Turns out it was super fun, so I got really excited about it and made a blog, where I started posting whatever little thing I made that day.  I guess you could say it all started with a tree as that’s the first painting that I ever made with watercolour. I was so proud of that tree, I even signed it. But I didn’t feel like my watercolour sketches were quite paintings or quite drawings so I coined the term "Doodlewash" and just called them that instead.

Kind of took the pressure off as well. There wasn’t really anyone to see my little doodle washes back then, but it gave me a bit of a routine and I was able to form a daily painting habit. Not wanting to go it alone, and with my mounting enthusiasm for the medium, I tried to get everyone I knew to give watercolour a go as well. Everyone, except our dog, he just wasn’t interested in following such creative pursuits, preferring to rearrange the stuffing in plush toys instead. Each art journey is always unique. After a bit of time, I started posting images from my friends and their friends, and then from artists that I met online. The first artist I featured on my blog was Julia Milner from the U.K. and soon more and more artists followed.

I didn’t set out to build a community at first. I was simply looking for others out there who loved the medium as much as I did. I tried urban sketching and loved it, but I couldn't commit to only painting in that way, meaning, directly from life. So on the days I was using a photo I took at the zoo, I was no longer an urban sketcher, but my style was too loose and sketchy to be a studio painting and I used my pen too much for groups wanting “pure” watercolour.

My writing looks like it was made by a three year old first learning his marks, so I didn’t really want to keep making proper art journals. I adored everything that I saw everyone else make in these groups, but I just didn’t quite fit in any one of them. Then it struck me that I might not be alone in this. I wondered if there was a way to bring all of these very different types of painters and sketchers together into a single group. A group focused not on how we use the medium, but simply a celebration of the medium itself, allowing for any use of watercolour one can imagine. I wasn’t sure a group this unfocused would be much of a success, but it seems to be working quite well!

What first drew you to watercolour as a medium?

I’ve always loved drawing, but missed playing with colour. I had only ever tried painting with acrylics before, back in the early ’90’s when I went to art school. I was perfectly rubbish at it, hated the mess, and left thinking that painting of any kind simply wasn’t for me. My focus at the time was photography and computer graphics, so it wasn’t a horrible feeling, just something I accepted about myself and moved on. When I first tried watercolour years later, in that summer of 2015, it felt like I’d found my home again. I loved everything about it. The way the colours swirled in the water and on the paper, painting along with you as though nature had picked up her own brush to help out. It was such a peaceful and wonderful feeling, even though my first creations weren’t particularly awesome. It calmed me and gave me a way to unwind from a stressful day at the office. Good stress, mind you, but I grew excited to get home and reach for my brush again. It’s an incredible feeling when you find that medium that speaks to your artistic soul.

I love to write as well. My portion of Doodlewash consists of little illustrations that accompany my stories. I’ve been making both a daily watercolour sketch and story each day since I first started on July 3, 2015. I don’t have a lot of time each day, but I always set aside a little hour or more to paint and write. Watercolour allows me to quickly add colour to my sketches and with all this practice, I’ve gotten even faster over time. Speed isn’t necessarily a goal for all, but I love doing an entirely new painting each day. It’s fun, and works seamlessly with my notoriously short attention span.

My subjects tend to be bits of everyday life, with a lot of focus on food since I love to eat, and shiny things because I just love painting them. I’m really just sketching stuff and rambling on about whatever pops into my head at the time. It’s become my live art journal and everything you see appear there literally just happened moments before it was posted. I like to talk about my childhood a lot because I think that seeing life through the eyes of a child and letting yourself play a bit is important in art.

Your manifesto chimes beautifully with our mission to help everyone realise their creative potential. What was it about watercolours that you felt made it accessible to everyone?

At the time I wrote that, I was feeling like I was getting hit with a lot of don’ts when I visited other groups, so I wanted to create a list of only do’s. It was more about giving myself permission to create whatever the heck I wanted, but it’s been rewarding to see it resonating with a lot of other artists as well across the globe. Early on, I was working with a little $10 tin of Reeves watercolours and having a blast! I didn’t need a large studio or a lot of extra supplies to make something. Just that little red tin, a brush, a pen, and some paper. My entire art studio is still a small corner of my kitchen counter and can be thrown in the front pocket of my bag so it’s with me all the time.

I’m currently using a tin of 12 Sennelier paints I bought in Paris (changing out a few of the colours), an Escoda size 2 brush, a couple Lamy Safari Al Star pens with black and sepia ink, and a little A6 Hahnemühle Watercolour Book. That’s it, except a little cup of water, of course. What I learned was that if you just forget about trying to create a masterpiece and enjoy the process, it’s always just a heck of a lot of fun! Anyone can make something that looks rather pretty with watercolour. It’s just a gorgeous medium.

My good friend Aesha has hosted a couple Doodlewash Dinner Parties, where everyone comes and eats, drinks and later in the evening, spends an hour simply painting together. Not one of us ever produces something a gallery would be rushing to hang, but the fun of the evening and the lovely lull when everyone is so into their paintings that you can hear a pin drop, is an amazing experience.

The website features a breadth of watercolourists from all over the world, with the Doodlewash Directory showcasing artists from the USA to Australia to Asia. How important is it to you to encourage the sharing of inspiration and ideas worldwide?

In my effort to build a group that accepted absolutely any use of watercolour, I’ve curated an amazingly diverse gallery that’s truly unique. Combine that with artists from all over the planet and you have a fantastic resource of ideas and inspiration. I think it’s incredibly important to look at all the different ways people are using watercolour today, even when you’ve adopted a particular style. There’s always something to learn when you look at work that shares your medium, yet is completely different than the type of art you yourself create. I’ve learned so much from other artists and it’s informed my own techniques. Because of this, I’ve tried very hard to create a community where people feel free to share their ideas and art while providing positive critiques for one another. The Internet connects us in a way never previously imagined and this helps to expand our visions as artists and remind us of just how small this tiny green planet really is.

Can you tell me more about the World Watercolor Group™?

In the first year of my blog, I got the crazy idea to found an international holiday called World Watercolor Month™ (worldwatercolormonth.com) which made its first annual debut last July. Over 4,500 artists showed up to our Facebook group and many others on Instagram to celebrate the medium with a 31 watercolours in 31 days challenge. It was incredibly fun, and coming back again soon this year! After such a lovely month together as a group, it seems rather silly to just stop everything so World Watercolor Group was formed and even more people showed up to join us.

As I type this we’re about to pass 44,000 members, so that’s pretty awesome! I did end up having to choose just one spelling of the medium with these groups to make a proper logo and have single tag to link to, as we Americans spell it differently, so apologies for that. But it’s an amazing group no matter how you spell it! The Facebook Group is the largest and most prominent hangout, but all you need do to join us is to add the hashtag #WorldWatercolorGroup to your watercolours when you post them online in whatever social space you prefer and we’ll link out to your work at worldwatercolorgroup.com.

You set monthly watercolour art challenges to prompt artists to watercolour every day. How did you come up with the idea for these daily themes?

I’ve personally always used monthly themes from the very beginning as they helped me to keep focused and gave me ideas of what I might paint each day. In April of last year, I decided to invite others to join me so we could paint the same theme together and it was way more fun! I love seeing how other artists interpret the various challenges. Starting with World Watercolor Month I began to include daily prompts as another way to encourage people. They were quite popular, so I’ve been including a set of monthly prompts ever since. But they’re perfectly optional, as are the challenges themselves.

You can just join us with the #WorldWatercolorGroup hashtag when you post whatever watercolour you make. I find themes and prompts are a fun way to stay motivated, but they’re not for everyone. I’m just hoping to provide lots of different ways to inspire people to keep painting as much as possible. Though we do all try to commit to the 31 paintings challenge during World Watercolor Month in July!

Your featured artists show a diverse range of techniques and approaches to watercolour. Where do you look for artists working in innovative new ways?

My featured artists are so incredibly good, right?! Most are by far better than myself, so I’m humbled each and every day. I began by finding artists on Instagram and these days I can simply find them in our own group. It’s going to take me a lot of time to feature them all, but that’s my goal! The diverse range of techniques is really just a side effect of allowing all uses of watercolour in a single group. And not only that, but I love to post work from people of all skill levels, so you’ll find well-known artists next to someone who started painting a couple months ago. The key to these features is that they are primarily the stories told by the artists themselves about their art journey. You can learn a lot from an artist’s personal story and it can often be just as inspirational as the work itself.

We very much enjoyed your product reviews. Do you have a favourite brand that you cannot live without?

Thanks! Though I can’t take credit for the reviews as those are all written by my lovely friend, Jessica Seacrest. She’s fabulous at creating approachable reviews still packed with lots of wonderful and helpful information. Plus, she has a much broader collection of fun art supplies. I’m always threatening to come over and steal… er… play with them. For me, since I’m a sketcher at heart, my Lamy pens and their unique and wonderful feel are something that I’d be lost without, and my Sennelier watercolours just make me so happy with that lovely easily re-wettable honey-based goodness.

What do you think the future looks like for artists working with watercolour?

I think it’s a brilliant time for watercolour artists! It’s a medium that just continues to grow and grow in popularity for all the reasons I mentioned above and more! I think the future is bright for artists in general as well. We live in a world that’s getting increasingly more mass-produced and in response to that, people are craving things created by individual artists. Watercolour is such a beautiful medium and all of the varied uses by modern artists are helping to make it a far more respected medium as well. I feel like we’re experiencing a renaissance of sorts when it comes to this medium and I’m thrilled to be a part of it!

How can I become part of Doodlewash?

To be part of the community, you just have to tag your watercolours #WorldWatercolorGroup and you’re in, but we’d of course love to have you join us in our wonderfully positive and interactive Facebook Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/worldwatercolor). For anyone using watercolour who wishes to be a guest artist on Doodlewash, you can contact me here (https://doodlewash.com/contact/) with a link to your work!

Feeling Inspired?

See more of Charlie’s watercolours with his daily blog on the Doodlewash website.

Explore our range of watercolour products online and in-store, and take up one of Charlie’s watercolour challenges. And don’t miss the World Watercolor Month challenge coming again in July!

Share your watercolour works on social media using the #WorldWatercolorGroup

We’re thrilled to be supporting Xhibit, University of the Arts London’s annual creative showcase, by awarding a £500 Cass Art Materials Bursary Award to one of the exhibiting artists. Selected by a panel of industry professionals, including Turner Prize Winner Grayson Perry, Fine Art student Harriette Meynell was awarded the bursary for her series of etchings commenting on her journey through motherhood. We caught up with Harriette, asking her about life as an art student, her inspirations and what she intends to do with the prize.

Hi Harriette! Congratulations on winning the Cass Art Materials Bursary. Do you have any ideas what you’ll do with the £500?

I'm so pleased to have won this bursary. The first thing I'm going to get is some canvas and decent paper. I've done some recent work on cardboard and MDF, but want to experiment with similar techniques on canvas and to try printing on different types of paper. I'm also going to splash out on some good pastels and acrylics as my current sets are really poor quality. 

Harriette Meynell and Cass Art CEO and Founder, Mark Cass, at UAL’s Xhibit Exhibition 2017 

You’ve created a beautiful series of abstract etchings for the Xhibit exhibition. Can you tell us about the concept behind them?

The repetition inherent in the day-to-day life we lead is brought into sharp focus by the journeys we make. Home to school, home to supermarket, home to park and so it goes on and on and on....the hum drum journeys day in and day out, week after week - with months, then years slipping by. For example, I have done the school run 5,600 times, with another 4,200 to go.

My art work is a representation of how motherhood can shrink your world. For this piece, one of my children traced, using pencil on paper, the repeated car journeys I have to do for them. All these journeys are less than a mile from home. I then replicated these tracings onto aluminium plates to make armour (see lead image) to wear at the destinations. One Mile Radius is a print (and emboss) of these plates in a formal grid layout, mirroring the monotony, with the journeys gradually fading to only the home point - to represent the stifling feeling of becoming housebound in the end. My daughter's life may have been expanding, but mine certainly wasn't.

Detail from One Mile Radius (2017), series of etchings by Harriette Meynell

Life as an art student must be a very interesting contrast with life in the corporate sector. Can you tell us a bit about your journey?

It most definitely is! I was desperate to go to art school after A levels, but was not allowed. Instead I did chemistry and industrial economics at university, then worked in the corporate sector for over 20 years. I barely picked up a pencil in all that time. It was only after the birth of my third child, which was one too many for my work to cope with, that I left. 

Being a full-time mum is hard, and as a small means of escape, I signed up for a local art evening class. I was terrified, but realised straight away that I could still draw. Those two hours became the highlight of my week, so much so, that I realised that I had to have more art in my life. To make this happen, with the backing of my husband, I signed up for a part-time fine art foundation course at Morley College in Lambeth. It was here that I really started to unlock my pent up creativity - with the support of the fantastic tutors there.

Whilst on my foundation course, I realised there was no going back to the corporate sector. Seeing inside the art schools in London on open days only confirmed it. I was so excited when I got offered a place to study at Central St Martins, where I'm currently in my first year of a BA in Fine Art.

The Memory Game (2016) by Harriette Meynell

Can you tell us about your inspirations for your art practice?

In terms of artists, I love Louise Bourgeois and her use of different materials to realise her varied work. I am also a fan of Martha Wilson and her take on gender stereotypes and the performative aspects of photography.

I like to experiment with materials to develop ideas, and often use different processes to create work. I've found that one approach or process can often stimulate ideas in alternative media. The body of work of which One Mile Radius is part utilised aluminium, cardboard, acrylics, plaster, wool, photography and a bag for life! This bursary will definitely be put to good use.

Film stills from Harriette Meynell's video A Woman Erased (2016)

Do you have any plans for your next art project? Are there any new mediums you would like to try out?

I do, it's based on looking into office spaces from the outside through all the floor to ceiling windows. Not as boring as it might first seem...hopefully.

I have never used oil paints and for some reason feel really nervous about them. I've built it up in my head that they are only for proper artists. Now I've won this prize, perhaps the time has come for me to just get on with it.

Thank you Harriette!

You can see Harriette’s One Mile Radius artwork at the Xhibit exhibition at the Art Bermondsey Project Space in London. The show runs until the 14th of May 2017.

Lead Image: One Mile Radius Armour, Destination #3 Park (2017) by Harriette Meynell

Feeling Inspired?

Click here to read our Interview with George and Raphael Greaves Discussing Traditional Art Methods in an Ever Changing Technological World.

Click here to read our Interview with Fashion Artist and London College of Fashion Creative Director Rob Phillips.

Artist, illustrator and designer Felix Scheinberger challenges you to take your watercolours on-the-go and refresh your approach to capturing urban scenes. 'Urban Watercolour Sketching' offers tips and techniques to help you capture the moments around you with colour confidence.

We caught up with Felix to find out more about 'storytelling in colour' in an exclusive interview...

Hi Felix! Congratulations on the release of your new guide, ‘Urban Watercolour Sketching’ – can you tell us more about how the concept for the book began?

I’ve always liked watercolour. A few years ago, however, watercolour was regarded as rather old-fashioned in "cool design circles". I found it a pity because it is very handy and very intuitive for painting. That is why I designed the book - to introduce young designers to this beautiful technique.

How has your career lead to encouraging others to paint in watercolour?

I work as a professor at the University of Münster (MSD) and I teach drawing and illustration. I find watercolour allows young artists to work very spontaneously and beautifully without having to bear high costs. In contrast to many technical means, watercolour is relatively inexpensive. And it is contemporary at the same time. It combines beauty and simplicity.

You talk about ‘Storytelling in Colour’ – is there a process for achieving this?

I believe illustration is actually not always just painting pictures, it is telling stories with pictures.

Where did your love for watercolour as a medium begin?

I first met watercolour in school. In the course of my studies, I experimented for a while with oil colour but found the smell in my room at the time so intolerable that I just started looking for another technique.

Your style uses very expressive and bold mark making – almost the opposite of ‘traditional’ watercolour application. How do you think your approach to watercolour can inspire other artists to see it as a diverse and modern medium?

I find the great strength of watercolour is that it is so intuitive - and when you work intuitively it is much easier to develop your own distinctive style. Personally, I do not believe that watercolour is only suitable for traditional flower pictures or landscape painting. I believe watercolour is suitable for any kind of image and not least for modern pictures.

How has your style developed?

Your own style evolves by itself and it can be a mystery. I think style is simply a mixture of what you like to see and what you like to make.

You capture a range of busy city scenes to countryside escapes on-the-go. What materials would you suggest for any artist painting on the move?

I would always advise young artists not to use expensive and elaborate material. Expensive and elaborate material is only a source of uncertainty – whatever you paint, it’s good to get started, but you’re only likely to do so if you feel you’re allowed to make mistakes.

If you spent a lot of money on an overly expensive material, you think you have to paint especially great pictures. Start slowly and allow mistakes. Learning is done step by step. I advise beginners simply to buy a good sketchbook and a small watercolour box as well as a good brush in medium size. Less is more!

There is a real exploration of colour and what makes different pigment combinations work. What is your advice for anyone introducing colour into their work for the first time?

I would advise you to limit yourself with the colours. To start with, it is always helpful not to use too many colours. If you limit yourself to a few colours you like, you’ll find that your pictures succeed with more peace and beauty.

My tip is to pack all three basic colours and then maybe three more that you really like, which should be enough to start with (especially since it also means they can be mixed).

How does an artist get out of their colour comfort zone?

We all have areas where we feel more comfortable and feel safe. A good trick to get out of a colour comfort zone is to simply use the colour palette of a colleague, you can exchange with friends and colleagues and you will be surprised what you end up making.

What advice would you give to someone looking to start watercolour?

A task I give my students is to paint the ingredients of their lunch before they start cooking. Take small steps and paint small things – a piece of fruit or a fish – and you will see how watercolour builds up piece by piece.

It’s true: it is not a simple technique but even if it takes longer to learn it, once you have you’ll see it is a beautiful, intuitive and natural way to deal with colours.

And you'll see it's worth it!

Feeling Inspired?

‘Urban Watercolour Sketching’ by Felix Scheinberger is available to buy in-store and online.

We’ve got all the tools you’ll need to start experimenting with Watercolour. Explore our full range of watercolour materials online and in-store.

With the success of digital galleries, online portfolios and social media transforming how we engage in creativity, there is an increasing pressure for artists to digitalise their artworks.

As the boundaries between photography, performance, design and mixed media are increasingly blurred, we turned to artist Mark Manzi for some advice on how to navigate this new landscape…

Born in Manchester, designer and photographer Mark began a series of illustrations under the pseudonym Team Sato, as a therapeutic escape from the screen to create analogue illustrations. Drawing on geometry, typography and colour, his playful approach to illustration combines both watercolour washes with detailed, pen and ink drawings.

We caught up with Mark to find out more about his practice and how his digital practice influences his illustration work…

Hi Mark! How has your artistic career developed since graduating from university?

I studied Graphic design at Nottingham Trent. I never did illustration because it was always a hobby and never really imagined that I would take it this far or that people would be into it as much as me. 

I work as a designer/photographer and use illustration as my time away from the screens, so I can focus on mark making and not image making. It’s very therapeutic to draw. I have worked with a lot of talented people and they all encourage me to keep working on my arts. Ben (@fromvirginiaben) has been someone that I’ve grown up with and we both push each other to be better. There are many friends/friends of friends I would love to work with in the future like Joe and Polly (@pollynor).

Can you tell us more about how you began creating your illustrations?

I started my illustration drawing Dragon Ball Z characters when I was in primary school, they were slightly better than my cousins so I thought maybe I could get into this whole art thing. Although I was always interested in music and was studying to be a sound engineer, so art took a backseat during that time. It was only when I started doing graffiti with my childhood friend Ben that I got back into painting, colours and illustrations. My mum and brother have always loved my work too and always kept me going. 

When did you first start incorporating watercolour into your drawings?

I have always loved colour, it’s my favourite part of illustration. When I started ironically I never added colour to my work because it scared me to add colour and then not like the colour later on. I now add colours but still leave it to last. I like my work to be able to adapt to colour changes at any time. One day I love yellow then the next I want everything in green.

Can you talk us through the process behind your work?

I usually start by either taking a photograph of the illustration that I plan on working on as an idea or I will find images in magazine, books, online or on the street and I take a photo on my phone. My work consists of more females than males because my style of drawing isn’t always as suitable for men’s facial features, hair and overall aesthetic.

I was influenced by Art Nouveau painter Alphonse Mucha, Hokusai and Hiroshige; who I studied in my early art lessons and also featured more females than men. I loved the style of Mucha with long lines, framing and twirls. I also loved the idea that colour was secondary to Hokusai and Utagawa Hiroshige in the Japanese woodblock prints.

I still embody Japan in my work as it was a big influence on me. I loved Japanese art and then began to really like everything about the place itself, my name Sato is something I got from my favourite ex F1 driver called Takuma Sato, no surprise that he is Japanese. 

How has the introduction of watercolour textures and washes influenced your work?

Watercolour allows me to be playful with colour and like film photography to digital; it allows me to be more spontaneous with application. Colours blend together, bounce off each other and create strange patterns that are visually striking. You can’t create that digitally, it’s an analogue practice.

How does your illustration style translate into a digital format?

I scan my original illustration in and I then have a full resolution image that I can then add type to and also additional features like vectors and logos in Adobe Photoshop or InDesign. I like to keep my original artwork free from logos and computer typography; they look much more fresh in person and on walls.

You use a lot of bold, block colour in your photography. Does this digital composition influence your drawings?

My photography has a big influence on my illustration, the colours i see in photos I then do in my drawings. The way I photograph faces is exactly how I like to draw them. It’s all pretty intertwined and it flows together easily. 

Do you have any materials you cannot live without?

I have been using the Cass Art products for several years. They work really well in keeping colours and textures. I do all my work with black BIC biro pens, they work perfect, the limitations are there but it keeps my work progressing.

I use the Parker Quink black ink for large areas of filled black because it really holds up in the watercolours and overtime changes in hues. For my paper I tend to use the heavy weight Cass Art Cartridge Paper and Windsor & Newton Inks - canary yellow is the best yellow I’ve ever seen.

What do you enjoy most about the media you work in?

I like to be playful with it all - I don’t take it too seriously. It’s all just self-expression and I don’t really worry about having thousands of followers or likes or any of that internet-ness. I am happy that people like my work, however many. It’s nice that people can share my passions and even more to those that support it and others like me. It’s great to have platforms like Instagram to showcase your work to those that love it. It brings me heaps of joy when people comment on my work with positive vibes. 

What can we look forward to in the future?

Team Sato is launching various clothing ranges in June and July – watch this space!

Feeling Inspired?

You can explore more of Mark’s work on his website www.markmanzi.com and on Instagram @teamsato

Experiment with your own watercolour works with our range of Watercolour products online and in-store.

Looking to transform your artworks into a digital form? Ask our staff artists in-store for their advice and guidance.

Are you...

• A first or second year undergraduate or foundation student, on an art, design or creative course?
• Confident, friendly and outgoing?
• A big fan of art materials?
• A keen writer looking for exposure?
• Always eager to take on a challenge?
• Looking for a taste of the arts industry whilst studying?

Then Cass Art wants you!

We’re looking for a team of enthusiastic art students to join our Student Ambassador Programme as the class of 2017-18. Get first-hand experience in the art industry, opportunities to work with exciting art materials and help spread the word about what Cass Art can do for students. 

APPLY NOW TO BE A CASS ART STUDENT AMBASSADOR

But what does a Student Ambassador do..?

Represent Cass Art at Your University

As a brand ambassador you'll be helping us to FILL THIS TOWN WITH ARTISTS by spreading the Cass Art love on your campus. Through friendly chatter, freebies and fun events you'll engage with fellow students, and will pass on offers, opportunities and advice to keep everyone around you up-to-date with Cass Art's latest student news.

Take Part in Creative Challenges

Jump at the chance to build your CV, and take part in a variety of fun tasks that will be set to you over the course of the year; from design opportunities to product reviews.

APPLY NOW TO BE A CASS ART STUDENT AMBASSADOR

Host Your Own Art Events

Go above and beyond the set programme of tasks by organising and hosting your own creative events on and off campus. With product and promotional support from Cass Art you can have a go at setting up your own exhibition, workshop or art-making event. We love hearing new ideas for student events and offer guidance and support throughout the planning stages.

Write For The Cass Art Blog

Get your writing featured on the Cass Art website. Set tasks include product reviews, interviews and how to's, and you'll also have the opportunity to pitch your own blog proposal ideas to the Cass Art content team throughout the year. Dream big- the only limitation here is your imagination!

APPLY NOW TO BE A CASS ART STUDENT AMBASSADOR

Exhibit Your Artwork in London

Take part in a group show for the Cass Art Student Ambassador end of year exhibition, which takes part in a prominent London venue. Assist with the organising and running of the show, meet up with fellow Ambassadors, and toast to a successful year at private view evening.

APPLY NOW TO BE A CASS ART STUDENT AMBASSADOR

Simply complete our online questionnaire to apply, or contact students@cassart.co.uk for more information. If your first round responses are successful we will contact you to proceed to stage two. 

Please note that all Cass Art Student Ambassadors must be registered on a creative course at a UK college or university for the academic year 2017-2018 and able to attend the Welcome Day in London in September.

Applications close at 23.59 on Friday 14th July 2017.  

Good luck!

Rebecca Gordon, Head Curator at Rise Art gives her professional insight into framing, hanging and caring for the art in your collection.

FRAMING

Framing helps to enhance and protect your artwork.

● Educate Yourself It is important to know the proper materials and procedures for framing, whether you will be doing the job yourself or taking it to a professional.

● Use Archival Materials They are worth the investment.

● Store Artworks Flat If you're not framing immediately.

● Avoid Dry Mounting Please use a hinging technique.

● Glass vs. Acrylic Glazing

- Glass Pros: cheaper, easier to clean, and more resistant to scratches.

- Glass Cons: heavier, more breakable, sensitive to variations in temperature, and highly reflective so it often creates a glare.

- Acrylic (often known as Plexiglas) Pros: better thermal insulator, shatterproof, lighter.

- Acrylic Cons: attracts dust, cannot be cleaned with regular glass cleaners, inherent properties of static electricity and therefore should never be used in framing pastels, charcoals, or any other powdery pigment surface.

Framing Styles

Window Mounting is one of the pricier options in the world of framing, but it certainly pays off! It provides an elegant effect, especially with abstract and figurative works. If you are trying to fill a large space then this frame is for you. It can also give smaller works a greater sense of importance with its wide matte and dramatic presence.

Box Frames provide a significant amount of visual depth to an artwork. It will draw the eye of the viewer in, and finishes it off beautifully.

Floating artworks in their frames is personally my favourite type of framing! This option is terrific for works with a hand torn or textured edge so that it remains visible to the eye, and will showcase the original nature of your work. An acid free tape will provide the support for this floating / rippling effect - but beware, the artwork can slip down with age.

Tray Framing is a shallow box-like frame that often comes unglazed (without a glass or perspex cover). It is a contemporary style of framing a canvas, which reveals the sides of the artwork. The piece will sit slightly recessed below the front of the frame and creates a minimalist feel.

Hanging & Displaying art to its best advantage

● Hang so the centre point of artwork is at eye level.

● Use wire versus string. It is much stronger, more reliable and the knots won’t come undone. As an added bonus, it doesn’t stretch or relax.

● Use D-rings and wire combined or just D-rings for heavier works.

● Lighting - Essential to light the artwork well. As a guideline, use a light source that is three times the intensity (brightness) of the ambient (room) lighting. This helps to accent your piece without the light appearing too dim or overwhelming.

Hanging Styles

The Stairwell The principal, focal artworks should follow your eye line as you climb or descend the stairs. Then work outwards, filling the space around them with smaller pictures. Try to get a broad range of different-sized frames to add plenty of interest.

The Salon The central frame is the focal point and all the other works should be mounted moving outwards away from the main (central) piece. This is where you can really let loose with a mix of different artwork and frame styles.

The Geometric Aim for symmetry and precision. You should use the same size pictures, the same size frames, and measure the exact same distance between each work, as well as the top and bottom rows. This layout looks great hanging above a bed or sofa.

Caring for Artwork

● Exposure to light: UV rays will damage and ultimately fade your artwork. Where appropriate use UV protecting glass.

● Poor quality mounting and framing: While we touched on this already, it is worthy of emphasis. Leaching of acid based materials will damage your artworks. Avoid dry or wet mounting on delicate original works.

● High humidity and change in temperature: Acute changes in temperature and humidity will cause swelling and contraction as the materials in an object or artefact attempt to adjust to the environment.

By Rebecca Gordon

Feeling inspired?

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

We’re excited to be supporting The Batsford Prize 2017 by awarding a £500 Cass Art Bursary to Jemima Hall, a talented Fine Art student from Oxford Brooked University. We caught up with Jemima to find out about the concept behind her work and what she plans to do with the prize.

Hi Jemima, congratulations on winning the Cass Art £500 Materials Prize. Do you have any ideas what you’ll do with the £500?

Thank you so much! This is the first award I have ever won so I feel incredibly lucky with the prize. My sculptures cost quite a bit of money to make, so this definitely makes up for it. I'll be saving up the rest of the prize money for my final fine art degree show work next year. Who knows what I'll be spending it on then!

Your series of photographs entered in The Batsford Prize are beautiful! Can you tell us about the concept behind them and how you went about creating the sculptures in the photos?

I used three full body plaster casts to create my sculptures. Each sculpture was made individually with soil that I dug up myself. I made fourteen soil sculptures in total which took me about three months to make! It was very physically tiring and challenging, but I couldn't have been happier with the final outcome. With these sculptures I wanted to explore the topics of life and death and our connection and relationship to and with nature. I wanted to discuss how we are a part of nature and how, just as nature, we grow and decay. It is quite overwhelming to look at my fourteen life size sculptures lying in the grass at Oxford Brookes together. The bodies seem like part of the landscape and whilst they can be seen as peaceful and silent they also hold a certain sinister feeling.

You’re currently studying Fine Art at Oxford Brookes University. What’s it like to be an art student there? Is there a big art scene in Oxford?

I can't believe I am already going into my third and final year at Brookes. I absolutely love it here! All our staff are so helpful and the university provides great facilities. We are constantly reminded and emailed about prizes, exhibitions, events and openings going on in town and further away from Oxford. There is so much great stuff to get involved in!

Who are your inspirations in your artistic practice?

Every day I am inspired by things I see and hear, both large and small, loud and quiet. From the changes in weather to massive art installations by artists such as Zhang Huan. Both Huan and the artist Ana Mendieta have inspired a lot of my work in regards to the relationship and connection between the human body and nature in their work.

Do you have any plans for your next art project? Are there any mediums you would like to try out?

I am going to have to do some brainstorming over summer! I'm taking the time at university to experiment with my art practice. Since being at Brookes I have used photography, painting, performance and sculpture in my work. There are so many possibilities! I would quite like to get into performance art again and continue to experiment with the topic concerning our relationship to nature and our body. A topic which, I believe, is forever relevant and able to be explored.

Feeling Inspired?

Read more about the Batsford Prize 2017 here

Apply for the Cass Art Student Ambassador Programme 2017/2018