MAGIC THEMED ACRYLIC WORKSHOP

We were rather low on numbers this month due to various understandable reasons, but the four workshop group members who turned up I feel had lots of fun with acrylics on Saturday.

We started the morning discussing the various acrylics available on the market from Liquitex Heavy Duty and Soft Body both available in good size pots and their latest edition of Liquitex inks and the creamy Finity created by Windsor and Newton in tubes. Then onto less expensive fairly thinned paint ranges such as Inscribe for £1 a time!! We discussed the use of the various gels and mediums from crackle, pearlescent, modelling paste and the lovely texture range of beads, pumice and sand gritty pastes. I know there are plenty more such as the mica flake and black lava, but I did not have samples of these. I also supplied some sheets from confetti presses to give circular patterns layered upon previously dried acrylic.

So the morning progressed using various tools from soft and stiff brushes large and small, palette knives, toothbrushes, trowels and rollers. Everyone simply applied paint in various thicknesses, layering and cutting back patterns just to get used to the feel of acrylics and their versatility. Before lunch break I asked each one to produce a background with mixed colours or tones that could be used for images to be added in a thicker application. Here are some examples of their ideas.

For the afternoon I had set up a collection of images based on the blue ceramic wizard my son had created for me, together with stars and moon ceramic pyramid, bronze cat, black soft cat, copper kettle, angel booklet, Aladdin's lamp, a wand, all set up at various heights produced by piling up books and boxes and covering with dark cloth with silver stars. After lunch it was great to see each member creating their chosen background from a creamy pink with a 3 inch soft decorator's brush, to blues applied with a soft sponge roller.
Here are some images of the works in progress.

I was able to share my tubes of silver acrylic and pots of sprinkly silver glitter to help create the 'magic' effect for the subject.

With our usual supply of naughty biscuits and cake with copious cups of tea or coffee, we had time to natter and relax in between our efforts and the results show what fun we all had.