Exploring Colour with Acrylic Inks Course

Exploring Colour

Acrylic / Ink / Water-based / Still Life - Materials included

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Course details

Explore the fluid, vibrant world of acrylic inks in this hands-on course designed to help build confidence in using colour in a more expressive way.

This relaxed and exploratory new course offers students the chance to discover the unique qualities of acrylic inks without the pressure of creating perfect, finished pieces.

Professional artist, Ella Carty, will demonstrate a range of techniques drawn from her own painting practice, encouraging students to experiment with colour, layering, and mark-making. With time to play and explore, participants can develop their own creative approach to using this vibrant and fluid medium.

Inspired by a still-life setup, the course begins with sketching warm-ups that encourage observation of shapes, forms, and colour. Students then delve into exploring acrylic inks, experimenting with diverse mark-making techniques using various tools, guided by Ella’s expert demonstrations. Embrace the unpredictability of wet-on-wet and harness the control of the dry-brush to extend your painting vocabulary. 

The journey continues with playful exploration of layering, staining, and diluting inks to unlock the rich possibilities of translucency and opacity. Learn how to build complex layers of colour, creating depth, texture, and vibrant colour harmonies within your compositions.

By the end of the course, you’ll have a collection of studies exploring a range of acrylic ink techniques—offering inspiration and confidence for future creative work.

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Day to day plan

This is a rough indication of what to expect over the course.
However sometimes the structure of the days may alter depending on the nature of the group and weather.

Day 1

Begin with sketching warm-ups, exploring shapes and forms from a still life setup. Using these sketches, develop a composition with guidance on colour and structure. Then, begin experimenting with acrylic inks and mark-making using various tools. By the end of day one, have the first layers started, ready to build on the next morning.

Day 2

On the second day, continue experimenting with mark-making, exploring both wet-on-wet and dry-brush techniques to expand your painting vocabulary and confidence. Embrace the unpredictability of wet-on-wet and harness the control of the dry-brush.

Day 3

On the final day, explore layering, staining, and diluting inks to play with the translucency and opacity of colour washes. There will be demonstrations on how to build texture and depth through layered colour.

What will I learn?

  • Gain confidence in using colour in a more expressive way.
  • How to use different tools such as brushes, squeegees and rags to apply acrylic inks.
  • How to use diluted inks to create stains and translucent washes to build up delicate layers.
  • Wet-on-wet and dry-brush techniques to broaden knowledge of mark-making techniques.

Who would this course suit?

This course is suitable for confident beginners and those with some painting experience. It is ideal for anyone who enjoys experimenting with colour or wants to build confidence in using colour more boldly and expressively.

Exploring Colour

Acrylic / Ink / Water-based / Still Life – Materials included

Book Selected Date

Taught by

Ella
Carty

View Ella’s Work

To nurture a sense of curiosity and playfulness is what I am most interested in, both for myself and for my students. Learning through processes of experimentation, trying out new things, we can look at our own sense of who we are and how we interact with the world. We can also see making art as complete escapism that brings us joy and a great sense of fulfilment.

What to Bring

Our studios are fully equipped and we provide you with all the materials you need for your course. However, if you have a favourite set of brushes or any specialist materials that you would prefer to use, please bring them with you.

Timings and Breaks

The first day starts at 10am and finishes at 4.30pm, please aim to arrive ten to fifteen minutes before the start time.

All course days after that start at 9.30am and finish at 4pm and there will be an hour for lunch. There are plenty of nearby places to eat and we will serve tea and coffee at break times during the day.

FAQs

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