Joan Hodgkiss is a Suffolk-based printmaker and artist. Her etchings are largely derived from imagery of coastal landscapes, still life and natural history. Using traditional techniques Joan creates contemporary etchings. Subtle differences in the hand-colouring and hand-printing process make each print unique. These limited editions, signed prints give one a chance to own original art or make an ideal fine art gift. All of Joan’s current artwork is showcased in the gallery section. This website also contains details on etching techniques and background information on the artist herself.

Etching is an intaglio technique dating back to the sixteenth century in which acids are used to produce an incised art image on a metal printing plate. First a copper or zinc plate is covered in acid-resistant wax known as a ground. The artist draws through this ground, exposing the meal. The plate is then immersed in acid, which eats into the plate. Varying the exposure can create different intensities of line. Ink is then applied to the plate and the excess removed. Finally prints are made by passing the plate and paper through a press with great pressure to transfer the ink from the sunken lines. Artists such as Rembrandt, Renoir, Picasso, Degas, Toulouse Lautrec, and Whistler have all produced etchings.

All of Joan's prints are original in that each one is a hand-coloured and hand-printed impression of an original design. Joan generally produces 150 such impressions, called an edition, from each of her designs. Each is unique and each is signed and numbered. Thus the 13th print of an edition of 150 will be numbered 13/150 at the bottom left hand side of the image.

Prints produced in this way should not be confused with mass produced art prints or giclees, which, although often signed by the artist and sold as a limited edition are all identical copies and should never be sold as original prints. Genuine etchings will always have an indentation in the paper left by the edges of the plate.

Irving Amen, born 1918 in New York City is known as a master printmaker. He has produced thousands of woodcuts, etchings, lithographs and silk-screen prints. He also creates using oil and acrylic as well as some sculpture. Irving Amen had a studio in New York City for many years but moved to Boca Raton, Florida in the 1990s, where he is still producing his art. He is represented in many major art galleries and museums of the world including the Museum of Modern Art in NYC and the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of American History in Washington, DC.

Many of Amen's works have a Jewish theme. One masterpiece is his set of twelve windows at Congregation Agudas Achim in Columbus, Ohio depicting the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Much of Amen's work depicts women and children and music themes. Chess, Venice and Don Quixote are the subjects of other works. Amen also taught classes in sculpture and printmaking at such schools as the Pratt Institute (1961) and at University of Notre Dame (1962). In 1974, Amen illustrated the classic, Gilgamesh, for the Limited Editions Club with nine 3-color woodcuts and 7 part-page black and white woodcuts and linocuts. 

Printmaking is an art form in which ink or other materials are transferred from a matrix to a material like paper, fabric, wood, or stone. A wide variety of techniques can be used in printmaking, and this art is one of the oldest in the world. Some noted people in the field of printmaking throughout history include Hiroshige, Dürer, Hokusai, and Currier and Ives.

The matrix used for printmaking is classically a block of material such as wood, rubber, or metal. In relief printing, the matrix is carved away to create a raised image, which prints in reverse. Intaglio printing involves incision of the matrix, while planographic techniques like lithography use specially treated flat plates, with the ink adhering in some areas and not in others. The use of stencils and screen printing tools is also a form of printmaking.

Classically printmaking is used for visual art, not the reproduction of text. The matrix is the original artwork and the prints or impressions are copies in the technical sense, but they are often treated as original works of art. Rather than being copies of existing works in other mediums, like photographs of paintings, impressions are actually individual works of art created with the use of the tool. Printmakers may also customize each impression, as in the case of hand-colored engravings, which really are unique works of art because they cannot be produced through duplication.

Although many prints are produced in black and white, they can be made in any color, and multicolored printmaking techniques can also be seen, ranging from simple split fountains in which broad swathes of the matrix are inked with different colors to painstaking planographic techniques in which the plate is painted by hand and then used to make an impression. Historically, impressions were used to distribute works of art and information. In the modern day, this technique is primarily treated as an art form, with some people classifying it in the fine arts while others classify it in crafts. Even historically, prints were often objects of great beauty and value, with people distinguishing between works of art and practical prints utilized to convey basic information.

Although many prints are produced in black and white, they can be made in any color, and multicolored printmaking techniques can also be seen, ranging from simple split fountains in which broad swathes of the matrix are inked with different colors to painstaking planographic techniques in which the plate is painted by hand and then used to make an impression. These reproductions are often referred to simply as prints. Traditional printmaking processes such as lithography had drawbacks. Color reproduction was often imprecise, and prints had to be produced en masse, meaning artists had to buy them in bulk and find a way to safely store the unsold copies.

Many people study printmaking techniques in art school, and printmaking courses are also available as general community education classes at art centers and community colleges. Most art supply stores carry equipment used in printmaking along with printmaking supplies including blocks for carving, inks, rollers, and more advanced tools such as presses for use in screen printing.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taken with picplz.

Do you want to enroll yourself in painting classes Los Angeles? Have you been secretly harboring the idea of learning how to paint? If you enjoy the artistry of painting and wish that you could learn how to paint well, then you are well on your way. The first step of any venture starts with having the desire to do something. The next step is to act on that desire. If you really want to learn about painting, there are people who are ready and willing to help you fulfill your dream. All you have to do is a little research by using the internet as your guide.  Find an art school or college art class in your local area. Paint classes Los Angeles should be inexpensive.  Start shopping around for the best establishment that fits your budget.  In the meantime, listed below are different types of painting classes that you might be interested in.

Watercolor painting is a great way for amateur artists to get started in the world of painting. You don't need an excessive amount of equipment and watercolor paints are generally a lot less expensive than oils. The process of making a watercolor painting can also is relatively quick, which is part of the appeal for new artists who want to see results quickly. While painting with watercolors is relatively easy, there are some guidelines to keep in mind that will help your artwork come to life. Make a few test paintings before getting to work on something more substantial. Watercolor paint is very finicky and it takes a while to figure out how to get your desired color intensity. Practice holding the brush in different ways and manipulating it to get different brush strokes. When you think you have the hang of it you may want to try your first official painting.

Oil pastels are art tools that look like crayons, but they are oil-based instead of wax-based. They allow you to blend colors more freely, but they also don't dry or fix completely to paper; so they can be more difficult to protect. Even so, you can use pastels to make very colorful art. All you need to do is learn the techniques. Take an oil pastel drawing course through your art school or local community college. These courses can give you the most complete instruction on oil pastel technique. The courses should teach you blending and scraping techniques at least. Once you know how to work with oil pastels, you can practice each technique on your own.

Portrait painting is a difficult task for any artist, especially a beginning artist. When learning how to do portraits, an artist must train himself to paint exactly what he sees and to do that by looking at his subject objectively. The best way to learn to how to paint a portrait is by painting a portrait, then painting another and another until you become a skilled portrait artist.

Now, that you’ve been educated in three different types of painting classes Los Angeles.  It is up to decide, which type of painting classes you feel will interest you.  Remember, you are not limited to three classes stated above you can select other painting class.

Lisa Semler created mixed media in our painting class.  Painting classes in Studio City is capable of showing you various approaches to this type. You may use paint on canvas, ceramic, paper, lacquered or enameled metal-ware, wood and other surfaces wjere paint can be applied. As you will find diverse surfaces for painting, there too are very different equivalent paints and techniques useful for them.

One good case in point is Tole painting. In the first place simply what does the word "Tole" signify? The word Tole comes from the French, meaning lacquered or enameled metal-ware, frequently gilded. In addition , it signifies a table or board. From the Archival data in the Uk, it really is identified the Schools of Art of that time period of the 1700's, they took apprentices and trained them, in both the 'one-stroke' style necessary for designing furniture, or perhaps the 'one-stroke' style necessary for decorating ceramic. Most of the Schools of Art taught the 'one-stroke' painting approach, wherein a single stroke was applied to create the leaf, scroll, bird, fountain or flower in the design. The brushes (paint brushes are known as pencils within the Pottery business) were 'double' and 'triple' loaded, to create the highlight, body color and shadow, of the petal, leaf or element, brushed wet-on-wet with just one stroke of the brush. This quick method of painting was applied for business motives - to easily decorate the furnishings, pottery and trays ready for sale.

Another is silk painting; it's an exceptionally well-liked art variety however it is almost as old as the breakthrough discovery of silk itself. With modern-day dyes and paints the style possibilities are limitless. Using a medium-weight habutai silk, P-b-o Setasilk iron-fixed silk paints, clear water solvent gutta and in a few paintings batik wax as the resist. This kind of painting is incredibly beneficial to any household accessories and furnishings; it's also useful for designing clothes or fabric.

Painting with oils and parchment is yet another very popular art form. Exactly how do you color a sheet of parchment with paint such as zest-it? With the smoother part of the parchment paper uppermost, rub the oil paint or oil pastel of desired color diagonally across the paper. Try to keep your thickness of color uniform all over. Get a sheet of kitchen towel, flip into 4 and place several drops of Zest-it at the center. Use the Zest-it dampened piece of kitchen towel to rub on the paint/pastel in the same direction as you used it. That is to balance out the color. Use different quantities of Zest-it, as too much will remove the color, wiping the paper clean, and not enough is not going to distribute the color evenly. When you might be happy that the color is even, wipe over with a dry piece of kitchen towel to eliminate any unwanted Zest-it and oil paint/pastel that may be still left. Once you have your colored parchment paper then you're able to trace your pattern on to it. To get this done, put your pattern to the opposite side of the paper, not really the part you've just dyed. Trace your pattern on your paper and then emboss in the common way. The embossing will appear white around the right side. The overall effect of the white tracing and embossing on a colored background offers a completely different physical appearance.

Painting Classes Studio City can definitely teach you all these many forms and techniques in painting. It is actually different learning and practicing it having a real instructor as compared to simply reading it online or from a book. Not only will it benefit your painting skills, it will likewise help in your social life where you can communicate with other students.

Laura created mixed media art using dried flowers, texture paste and acrylic paint in our painting class!

Kurt Schwitters is one of the 20th Century’s best known collage artist!

The Nazi regime banned Schwitters's work as "degenerate art" in 1937.

Mixed media art created by Lidia Turner in our painting class.

Mixed Media Art Lessons In Los Angeles are available to residents and also tourists with various levels of experience and also typically contain many subjects by means of still life and also scenery to experimental styles. No matter if you are a novice or possibly a competent painter, the attraction of different colors is simply too engaging for almost any artist. Teachers help participants to drop preconceptions on the topic of art making and explore its individual and spontaneous concept.

Painters located in Los Angeles are usually as different and numerous as they seem, not only in experience or lack thereof, but also in their approach in addition to their personality. Yet many things are shared, from meditative time alone to the shared love for visuals and the cathartic feelings that come through purging their creativeness as well as fantasies on a page of paper or canvas.

The beauty of fine art may possibly be picked up at any age. If art seems enchanting to a novice then that is certainly because they hardly devoted any real time painting or even sketching since leaving school. The process of experiencing can certainly be perfected by all, and discovering is vital to painting. Drawing mostly sums up to measuring and coordinating the hand and wrist to read a description viewed through the eyesight. The more precise the measurements, the more likely the sketch will resemble the subject matter. The principle training learned the right way often leads you to your goals and objectives, be it striving for photorealism, expressionism, impressionism or anything in between.

Having determined that you would like to educate yourself how to color, you definitely will need to decide on what kind of paint you are going to use. Among the most popular paints are watercolors, pastels, oils and acrylics. These are generally not your only preferences, just the most common and the best place to start. Each one has its pluses and minuses. What you select depends on your character and, at some level, where you are going to paint. Must you plan a painting in thorough detail before starting, or should you allow it to evolve as you go along? Planning a painting can be quite a help as you know just what you are going to do, though it may also inhibit improvisation. Letting a painting evolve as you work is very free and lets you be natural, but also leaves you available to the possibility that the painting would not go anywhere and you will finish up with a mess. Eventually the amount to which you plan out a painting depends on your persona. Some people find it vital and others a hindrance. But regardless of how comprehensive you like to plan or not, there are many measures that must be made before you start to paint.

Mixed Media Art Lessons In Los Angeles provide training, introducing the novice painter to different approaches to painting as well as educate a slightly more skilled painter to fresh methods of seeing and experimenting with art. Learn to view the absolute wonder of Los Angeles to help share your feelings on canvas. With practice and experience the right exclusive technique can be developed for the specific painter.

Mixed media Art Classes in LA and its surrounding cities and towns can be really inspiring especially if you are an artist.  What with all the beautiful beaches, bay walks, great architecture, awesome sunsets and it’s beautiful people, LA can be a perfect place to get your mood on in making your mixed media  classes because of the motivation you can take from your environment and the different settings of LA. You can even arrange for several quick tours of the different parts of LA so as to get out of your ‘rut’ and be inspired once more to make art.

Downtown you can take photos of your favorite architectural design or the skyline of the city at night would also be lovely.   You can use different mediums of drawings or paints to differentiate the various layers of your photo and encapsulate it in your mixed media painting.   You can even visit MOCA, or the Museum of Contemporary Art in LA and get your own vision inspired by other mixed media artists as well.  Plan your trip there and look at their website for the schedules of their different exhibits.  MOCA has a permanent exhibit and in other rooms, feature different artists who are new in the industry or who are already known.

Outside of LA, you can go to the different theme parks and get inspired by the happy moments each person is sharing with their loved ones there.   You may either go to Disneyland, the happiest place on earth, to Knott’s berry farm, to Universal studios to get inspired with pop culture, and the list goes on and on.  Pick a theme park or a zoo; you will see a lot of happy faces there to inspire you.

You can even take a scenic route such as a 64-mile route from the city through the desert foothills and into the mountains.  This byway, also a designated state scenic route, gets you out of the smog and up into areas that have some elbow room. The two-lane highway is paved, with frequent scenic turnouts. Traffic is moderately busy through the week and busy on weekends. Special attractions: Wide-ranging vistas, downhill and cross-country skiing, hiking, camping, unique geology, historic sites.  These different sites can give you such a great platform for your mixed media painting.  There are even aerial tours of Hollywood and the homes of celebrities that you can do.  Although it can be a bit pricey, any aerial view of a wonderful town or city can give you great motivation for a painting.  Make sure to bring your sketch book or your camera so you can record your experience. 

Mixed Media Art Classes in LA can teach you not only theories and practical theories in this craft but can also give you motives on your art.  Allow the surroundings of LA shape your imagination and how the city and its neighbors shape your art.  You can structure your painting with image and myth, using different mediums of painting.