Block printing with kids

Sharing some pretty pictures about the block printing process.

Currently my private sessions are full. I'll update the classes page as they become available in the fall.

The finished print along side the printing tools and ink slab.

The big reveal!

Positioning the paper carefully.

Ink, Ink, Ink!!!!

Carving the block.

Private Art Classes Seattle Self portrait with Portuguese Tile

Here's what has been going on in the studio during this 2023 winter session. 

I am currently only offering private sessions and it has been a pleasure to be able to spend  more focused time on each project. I combined 2 of my favorite projects into one and they turned out beautifully! 

This student is 11 years old. The finished piece is 17"x15." The background is an original design block print by the student. We drafted quick sketches of a few designs, carved a sample and did a printers proof before printing on the finished piece.

 The design phase.

Work in progress. We did not complete the printing in one session, so I decided to keep the staggered edges to help match the ink color when we finish printing. The drawing is very delicate, the pale blue background compliments the drawing nicely.

 Testing the block.

When printing a block with radial symmetry the design is drawn with the block positioned like a diamond. With the center line down the middle from point to point. As the block is turned to print a complete square, each corner then begins to create another design.

A few of my small test carvings to demonstrate how the designs grows when printing a block with radial symmetry.

A design does not have to be complicated to be effective. Think about having a 50/50 ratio of positive to negative space. Pay attention to the corners, carve away some and leave others behind. Experiment with borders.

 

Oil Painting in the New Year

 Happy New Year! Wishing you all time for creative pursuits in 2023!

Winter and Spring private sessions are currently full. At this time I will not be offering group classes. Sometime in May I will know what the summer schedule looks like. Stay tuned or send me a message in May.

This fall I started to explore oils! I have been wanting to get involved with a local group for a few years and this September it was meant to be.

The lesson was supposed to be painting glass! I skipped the glass and decided to simplify the composition. As a beginner to oil painting there were many things to choose from in the still life.

 

This is a week by week view, to finally the finished painting. I still have to pick it up in the New Year. After a break of over 3 weeks, I am excited to see it with fresh eyes.

Color theory, Still life, Rainbow painting project

 My 2 year sabbatical is coming to an end. For the upcoming year I'll be offering limited private sessions only. The fall session is full and I do not keep a waiting list. Please just email me later in the fall if you are interested in sessions for winter 2023. 

This summer I offered limited 1-1 sessions, an intensive short summer session in August.  Here's a look at one of our projects.

Acrylic on 12x16 canvas. This project covers so much!!!

Using only primary colors, black and white we mixed secondary colors and tints. We then reviewed complimentary colors, analogous colors, warm colors and cool colors, tints, shades and the color wheel. 

Step 1. We did a few quick sketches using the rule of thirds to establish our composition, or placement of of the objects in the still life before beginning work on the actual canvas.

Step 2. Using colored pencils and the quick sketch as a reference for the placement of the vases, draw the back row first, noticing that all the object are in a line with just a little space in between each vase. Pay attention to the sizes of the vases in relationship to each other, height and width.

Step 3.  Draw the front row, overlapping the back row.  Once again paying attention to their heights and widths in relationship to the other vases. The overlapping sections are where the secondary colors will be painted.

Step 4. Paint the back row with the primary colors. Secondary colors are used to paint the front row. The overlapping sections are where we mix the secondary colors with more of the primary color to create variations. Make sure the violet vase is between the blue and magenta vase. The green vase is between the blue and yellow vase and the orange vases are on the ends because yellow and magenta make orange! Acrylic paints require 2-3 layers. Let each layer dry before adding the second coat. Don't smooth out your brush strokes let them show, thats why its called a painting!

After our first day of painting I realized I didn't allow for ORANGE!!!! so we added a smaller object to either side of our still life! Problem solved thanks to our allowance of negative space.

Step 5. Mix tints to paint the openings of the vases. Always add a small amount of your color to the white paint to create a tint. This will give you much more control over the color as well as the amount of paint you mix. For this project just a small amount of each tint is needed. Notice that the overlapping areas have also changed their tint color to correspond with overlapping complimentary color. The outlines were painted with red mixed with just a bit of black. The background colors are complimentary colors, yellow and violet. We ran out of time but the next step would be shadows. 

I use plastic lids for painting pallets. When mixing colors, keep your piles small, the idea is to paint your canvas not paint your pallet. To clean up spray the dried up paint with water and scrape, peel it off after 10 minutes.

To store acrylic paint for the next day, mist it with water. I place a raised cooling rack with a damp towel on it over the paint and then plastic, covering the whole thing, tucked in on all sides. Or place the actual container on top. This keeps my paint moist for the next day. 

To store acrylic paint for the next day, mist it with water. I place a raised cooling rack with a damp towel on it over the paint and then plastic, covering the whole thing, tucked in on all sides. Or place the actual container on top. This keeps my paint moist for the next day. 

Pay attention to the negative space on the top, bottom and sides of the canvas. The space are similar, giving the objects some room on the canvas but at the same time filling the canvas. We drew with colored pencils so that any lines would become a part of the painting and not show up as pencil lines and distract from the colors.

There is lot of planning and time we required for this project. Allow 5 hours, we did it over the course of 2 days and ran out of time for shadows. I would recommend this project for ages 10 and up.

Don't waste that lovely paint! Grab a little canvas and play. After all those rules, have some fun and use up all the paint with something abstract. It is harder than you think and will be a fun work in progress.

Check out my website ameendhillon and follow me on Instagram @ameendhillonart for whats happening with my own work and exhibitions.

Coffee Art and Relief Printmaking

 One of my favorite still life subjects with students is this little red Bialetti Moka Pot. Not just because it makes the most delicious coffee but it is just so darn cute. This beautiful linocut is by a 5th grade artist!

 

8"x8" edition size of only 20 original prints. 

A little more carving after the image was proofed.

Ready to print!

Ready to carve!

The finalized drawing. The first step was a series of thumbnail sketches to quickly determine a composition. Then the drawing was developed keeping in mind which areas would be carved away.

This original Linocut Print is an edition size of 20, prints are available for sale $75. with the total amount going directly to the artist, my 5th grade student. Please reach out me at ameen@studio-kids.com for details if you are interesting in purchasing and supporting this very talented young artist.

Private Art classes in Seattle, Watercolor

The last 18 months i have done a deep dive into over 30 years of my own travel photos. Exploring these images as small scale watercolors. Its only natural that this would carry over into my teaching practice once I opened the studio for limited classes. Currently I am full, but feel free to send me an email if you are interested.

Now I just need to remember to take more photos and document the progress.

 Student work! 8x10 watercolor on cold press watercolor paper. We were both thrilled with the finished painting. My student is a high school senior with no previous formal art classes. The project took 5 hours to complete. Patience....

Work in progress, after about 3, 1 hour sessions. Painting takes patience, close observation and learning about the properties of the materials.

The source photo from Leicester, UK.  A lovely passage way to a fabulous tucked away bookshop.

Private Art Classes for Kids in Seattle

 Tiptoeing my way back into classes!

That was fast!!! Private sessions are full for now!!!

One on one classes start with the basics. Drawing with pencil, charcoal and inks students look closely at still life arrangements in the studio. Comparing daily use objects with each other, students are looking closely at size, curves and angles to accurately re-create the arrangement.

We then progress to more detailed studies and look at shadows and high lights.

Quick studies with bamboo in pens and a focus on line quality.

The same subject but with water soluble pencils.

 

Please contact Ameen for more details and scheduling. Private sessions are offered to fully vaccinated students. All materials are provided. $50 per hour.