Carol Pairaudeau – Gel Print and Collage

Product Description

Gel Print and Collage is a workshop for those who want to learn to create beautiful finished collage artwork using their own unique printed papers.  This workshop is for you if:

• you’ve never used gel plates before and want to have a go
• you want to expand your current experience of printing without a press
• you want to create your own unique collage papers to incorporate into final artwork
• you want to go home at the end of the weekend well on the way to making two finished collage paintings.

Carol is a printmaker and painter whose work has been exhibited in galleries across the UK. She brings her painting and printmaking together in her work. Carol helps artists in her workshops to explore the depth of possible images and styles with gel plate printing. 

What you will get from the Gel Print and Collage workshop

Is there an area of gel printing or collage that you’ve always wanted to develop? This workshop is designed to give participants the opportunity to experience a range of gel printing processes.  Day 2 goes beyond print generation and explores how the gel prints from Day 1 can be used. There will be options to realise finished works of art. Alternatively, attendees can consider how to integrate gel plate printing into current practice. 

Day 1 – morning

During the morning session Carol will demonstrate how to make a series of prints that encompass a variety of skills. After each demonstration the group will be guided through the steps involved as you make your own prints. This will be followed by time for further individual practice.  You will be able to take part in a group discussion to get feedback from Carol and learn from fellow artists’ work at the end of each session. 

Anyone with some prior experience will have ample time to work at their own pace and be more experimental, with individual support and guidance.

Skills summary – foundations of gel printing, skills practice and troubleshooting. Rolling single and multiple colours, using masks and stencils, creating pattern/texture on the plate, layering prints, and working with botanicals.

Day 1 – afternoon

The skills learned in the morning will be embedded during an afternoon of printmaking. After selecting a limited and cohesive palette of colours, attendees will produce prints in a range of tonal values. Ideas, guidance, and support will be a mix of group demonstrations, discussions and 1:1 support.

Carol will give an introduction to colour and tonal value at the start of the afternoon session. There will be a round up discussion at the end of the day.

Skills summary – gaining confidence, self-directed printmaking, experimentation, developing ideas, understanding tonal value, choosing colours.

Day 2

Collage is just one way artists can use their gel printed papers, so this is the focus of Day 2.  The starting point will be either a landscape or still life image (provided). We will consider simplification of an image, tonal values, selection of papers and practical techniques for assembling and finishing a piece of work.

Round up with Q&A

Skills summary – introduction to design and composition, appreciation of tonal values, working with colour and pattern, use of materials for collage, optional use of drawing media, finishing and protecting the image.

Why attend Carol’s Gel Print and Collage workshop?

“Learning new techniques from the tutor and seeing how other people worked enabled me to learn very quickly. Tips and tricks from other people were really useful and showed me improved ways of achieving better prints. Even just trying out different types of paint and seeing the effect they had on the prints was enlightening. I lost myself in creativity during this course which was wonderful.” 

This workshop is suitable for artists of all levels. Find out more about Carol