Whether you are looking for support to develop your artistic practice, or wanting to have fun with a group of friends, Swansea Print Workshop can create a workshop to suit you.
We offer workshops for people at all levels: from the complete beginner to the professional artist or practised printmaker. We also offer other workshops such as bookmaking and paper making to enrich your creative skills. You don’t have to be able to draw – some of the processes use a collage or photographic approach to image-making.
If there isn’t a course or workshop scheduled which fits your needs, we can arrange a one-to-one session with an experienced printmaker to get you started or to upgrade your skills. We can also design a course for you or your group for an event or celebration or consider repeating a workshop in our programme if there is demand.
You can see the variety of workshops and printmaking techniques that we are offering in our current programme here. And below you can find a profile of all the workshops and printmaking techniques we offer.
We have a wide range of expertise amongst our membership so please get in touch. We are always happy to discuss other options and ideas and create the workshop or training to suit you.
ETCHING / Intaglio printing
Andrew Baldwin | Introduction to BIG Safe Etching
2 Day Workshop | Max 6 places
This is an introductory course to etching using BIG (Baldwins Ink Ground) which is a vegetable-based ground used as a safer alternative to traditional intaglio materials. For the beginner, BIG provides an accessible process for spontaneous and diverse mark-making. For the experienced printmaker, BIG provides a medium for consistent, excellent results.
This is a great opportunity to work with this master printmaker and inspiring teacher. No previous experience of etching necessary.
Andrew Baldwin | Advanced BIG Safe Etching and Printing techniques
2 Day Workshop | Max 6 places
Full / Keyholder members £130 | Ordinary members £140| Non-member £160
Two day workshop for those who have already done the introductory course with Andrew Baldwin. This is a chance to work on more advanced techniques and consolidate your expertise in any of the wide ranging approaches to using this versatile BIG ground – aquatint/ coffee lift/ a quick route to a mezzotint-like effect and soft ground. It is also an opportunity to bring along plates you have already made and concentrate on getting the best prints using the range of inking up possibilities that Andrew offers. Six people only on this course with an opportunity to cover just the specific expertise you need.
David La Grange | Introduction to etching
1 Day workshop | Maximum 6 places
This is a basic introduction to using a pioneering etching ground invented by Andrew Baldwin. It is an opportunity to really come to terms with the application and processing of both hard and soft grounds before progressing onto larger formats and more advanced techniques.
COLLAGRAPHS
Peter Spriggs | Introduction to collography
2 Day Workshop | Max 6 places
The workshop offers exciting and practical insights and experimenting with some of the techniques of this inventive printmaking technique. Collagraph printing involves collaging materials and textures directly on to a plate and fixing these in position before inking up for printing through a press.
Nina Morgan | Childrens’ collagraph Workshop
Discover collagraph printmaking in this fun one day children’s workshop.
One day workshop | all materials provided | £55
Suitable for age 7 and upward
A collagraph is a print that is made by making a collage of different textures. Discover how you can make an amazing print from throw away materials
Create your own collagraph plate using different materials and textures provided.
Learn how to varnish, seal and dry your collagraph plates ready for printing.
Using different coloured inks provided, apply ink to your collagraph and print from your collagraph plate using an etching press.
DRYPOINT
Judith Stroud & Anne Gullick | Introduction to the Drypoint technique
2 Day Workshop | Max 6 places
In this workshop you will be introduced to some of the creative and interesting ways of using paper plates for the dry point process, working with two experienced artist printmakers.
These plastic coated card plates offer a very versatile medium that allows for all sorts of development not possible with metal plates. Being easily cut, paper plates are excellent for line and also enable flat areas of tone to be printed.
SCREENPRINTING
Sarah Hopkins | Multi-layer screenprinting with paper stencils
2 Day Workshop | Max 6 places
Those of you who are familiar with her work will know that she has her own unique approach to designing for print, capitalising on cut and torn paper stencils to build up the design through coloured layers. No coating of screens, no exposures – just cutting and a lot of thought! This is a very open, non-technical approach enabling great flexibility as you go through the design process
Kelly Stewart | Screenprinting with hand-generated layers, colour separations and registration
Advanced screenprinting course | 2 Day Workshop | Max 6 places
Screen printing is a very versatile printmaking technique, creating simple or complex imagery by producing a series of colour separations which are then individually screen printed onto paper. Edinburgh based illustrator and printmaker Kelly Stewart creates her original screenprints by drawing and preparing every layer by hand, resulting in endless possibilities for combining drawings, painterly marks, collage material, pattern, handwritten text and found graphic patterns together in the one image. The water based tusche washes and acrylic brushstrokes create lithographic-like line qualities which are then translated directly into the screen print process.
Printmaking knowledge is not necessary. If you are an artist working in a different medium or would like to get back into some hand generated work then this is a great opportunity for you.
Kelly Stewart | Drawing for Screenprint
1 Day Workshop | Max 6 place
This is a workshop that will make direct connections between drawing and designing for print. After a day of drawing Kelly will go through the process of converting these into layers for print.
The individual layers will be exposed onto screens and printed by hand, creating imagery with a view to exploration and experimentation in the following two day workshop
Nina Morgan | Creative screenprinting | drawing with apps
2 Day Workshop | Max 6 places
Interested in exploring drawing with apps?
Looking for ways to create screenprints from your Tablet drawings?
Screenprinting With Apps Workshop will help you explore the potential of printmaking with apps and develop techniques which suit your drawing style
Nina Morgan | Introduction to Screenprinting on textiles
1 Day Workshop | Max 6 places
Using simple paper stencils this is a very low-tech approach but with strong designer possibilities. This fabric printing workshop will teach you how to screen print on to fabric, T-shirts and tote bags.This is an exciting introductory course to screen printing onto textiles for fashion, interiors or just for fun.
The printed fabric can be used for further embellishments/machine embroidery/ embellishments
Aimed at all levels and abilities.
Nina Morgan | Introduction to Photographic Screen Printing
2 Day Workshop | Max 6 places
Designed for complete beginners and those wanting a refresher.
During this 2 day workshop you will have the opportunity to create your own, individual, screenprint. As well as being part of a group you will also receive lots of one to one tuition to help you achieve the best outcome.
PLEASE NOTE |This workshop specifically explores how to get your drawings and designs onto screen. It does not include any processing on the computer or work with Photoshop
Designed for complete beginners and those wanting a refresher.
Screenprinting for children and Young People
Nina Morgan | Workshop screenprinting with paper stencils for young people
1 Day Workshop | Max 6 places
Designed for complete beginners and those wanting a refresher | Ages 12-18
Explore and learn the basics of screen printing using paper cut stencils.
Using your own drawing, discover and learn how to transform your design into a 1-2 colour print. Print a small edition of original screen prints
RELIEF PRINTING
Peter Spriggs | Introduction to lino-cutting
1 Day Workshop | Max 6 places
Lino cutting and printing is a traditional relief printmaking method. ln this one day course you will cut a drawing or design into a block of lino using a range of cutting tools. ink the remaining surface and print onto paper and or fabric. Additional techniques like chine-colle (collaging) may be introduced to enrich the print produced.
Sarah Hopkins | Experimental Relief Printing
1 Day Workshop | Max 6 places
This course is suitable for beginners, and no previous printmaking experience is necessary.
This workshop marries the process of drawing with a range of monoprinting techniques. You will experiment with direct offset positive and negative techniques as well as creating ‘ghost’ prints.This is a great introduction to some of the basic ways of controlling and transferring images in an enjoyable and expressive way that can be full of surprises and interesting effects.
CYANOTYPE
Sarah Tierney | Introduction to cyanotype or Blue prints
1 day workshop | 6 places only
This one day workshop will introduce the process of Cyanotype or blueprints and cover the extraordinary range of source material that can be used.
This very versatile process will allow you to develop imagery through a wide range of sources
Drawn / painted imagery on tracing paper or specialist drawing film
A wide range of ‘found’ objects can be used exploiting texture and shape with great subtlety. Semi-transparent objects will also work but they do need to be flat and non sharp. Fabrics work well especially nets and guazes or lacy work.
Cut paper shapes/ ‘found ‘ paper shapes.
Textile artists may be interested to use it as a basis for further machine work/ appliqué and embroidery
BOOKBINDING
Carole King | Bookbinding
Carole King is an experienced bookbinder and teacher who has worked with us on several successful projects. She has a great range of binding techniques and we can only sample a couple in the two day workshop.
You will explore the creative potential of the book form, examine book structure and their purposes. Carole will share her ideas for constructing books that tell a story. You will learn how to create sections that fold out, have moving parts and removable sections that involve the reader and engage your audience.