Happy Betwixtmas!

I hope this reaches you all, if not exactly well, then with plentiful Heroes/Celebrations/Quality Street to hand, and with lots to watch on the box!

I know this is a funny old time of year - you feel like you should be doing something, but at the same time, you feel you should rest... So I thought it would be the perfect time for me to share this Mark-Making workshop with you.

I made it as a live workshop back in the summer of 2021, and it was such fun to make. This video is a recording of the live session, with a small introduction from me first. I shared it on my website for free over the Christmas period last year, as I know it can be a tough time for people. This year I am sharing it exclusively here on my Substack for my paid subscribers, as a gift to say thank you so much for your support by being a paid Substack subscriber. Your support really does mean a lot to me and I am so grateful for the opportunity to share my creative life with you in exchange for your monthly subscription. It enriches my life so much, and I am super happy to be doing it.

I have loads of exciting plans for my Substack this year. I want to start doing regular live art sessions - all about messy play and having fun, so keep your eyes peeled for that. I have some very exciting collaborations coming up in January, which I am super excited to share with you, plus I want to make January all about stepping into the new year with your best foot forward. You know I love a bit of reflection, dreaming, planning, and planting creative seeds, and this year, as I won't have time to run a Creative Re-Set course, I will sprinkle a few tasty bits from the Course into my posts during January!

Ella xx

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Exploring mark-making with Ella Beech

Do you want to expand your range of mark-making in your drawings? Loosen up and play a bit more? This is a workshop to push you gently out of your comfort zone, and help you discover new and exciting possibilities in your artmaking.

Mark-making in my work

I always enjoy playing with ways of playing with mark-making in my artwork. I love creating rich textures, yummy accidental marks and playful marks to add interest and depth to my artwork. It has helped me develop my narrative voice as an illustrator as well as helping keep my observational work fresh and playful.

Who is this aimed at?

All levels of artist will benefit from this workshop. Beginner artists can learn to add a wider range of marks to their art, and more advanced artists can dive deeper into their practice, and spend an hour pushing themselves out of their comfort zone.

SCHEDULE:

• The humble pencil - an exploration of the humble pencil, and gaining a deeper understanding of the many marks available to you with this most basic of tools!

• playtime. Some fun play experiments that might take you back to school!

• playing with soft textures and marks

• playing with rough and bold textures

• putting these together. Loose play!

MATERIALS NEEDED

This is about playing, so any/all of the following is useful. Please don't feel you need ALL. I have put things that are most useful to bring in bold.
Paper - a range of textured and smooth papers, in varying weights. Ideally bring some along that you regularly use, and some you don't, to help push you out of your comfort zone!
A range of miscellaneous items to help make marks with: Feathers and quills, twigs, old bones, string, sponges, net, old fabric, plastic wrappers, cling film, grease-proof paper, sponges, leaves, stones... the world is your oyster!
pot of water (keep a few clean pots nearby, or work near a sink).
extra things for mixing and painting with - grease or oil, acids (lemon juice, vinegar), berry juice, mud
Baking soda (I will be doing a demo with this, so do bring some if you can!)
ordinary household candle
drinking straws
washing up liquid
Range of brushes - from soft bristles, such as sable (or synthetic alternative), hard, course bristles, such as hogshair (or synthetic alternative), and smooth synthetic brushes designed for use with acrylic.
erasers - normal and if you can, a putty rubber is great to have
Graphite/charcoal powder or dust
Range of paints and inks: acrylic ink, gouache, acrylic, watercolour. Take your pick.
oil based pastels and/or crayons
Chalk based pastels and/or crayns
Range of pencils, from H to 9B
Charcoal - willow, and synthetic
Ink - black, sepia, quink...
Marker pens - alcohol based and water based. Try to bring ones with different tips.
Carbon pencils
Fixative or hairspray
Coloured pencils
Pastel pencils
Anything else you might want to bring!

If you would like to watch the video, and get access to my other videos (like this), you will need to become a paid subscriber. Or if you prefer to stay on my free subscription you get access to my monthly newsletter, blog and Studio updates with my free subscription...

gather • filter • make

Your exclusive Betwixtmas Mark-Making…

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