Linocut printmaking and drawing – full course or one off sessions with Zara Saganic

In these sessions, participants will be able to experience a range of techniques, media and processes to build their own artistic tool kit of skills that will enable a variety of individual works of art to develop, enabling leaners to find their artistic voice.

The course is bespoke to the individuals attending and may include the following skills, techniques and processes; Lino printing, drawing and recording techniques, creating designs, mixed media, collage, colour theory, how artists can inspire (contextual understanding), compositional elements and critique*.  On this journey you will begin to discover who you are as an artist and as the course progresses you will begin to make guided critical decisions as to how to develop your own practice.

Students can attend all sessions or just attend one to learn the basic techniques of linocut and printmaking. There is flexibility for students to attend as many of the sessions as they would like to. Although the 6 week course involves progression, those attending one session will be offered an introduction to linocut and printing techniques.

Course dates:

5 March 18:45 – 21:15
12 March, 18:45 – 21:15
19 March, 18:45 – 21:15
26 March, 18:45 – 21:15

GAP OF ONE WEEK FOR EASTER

9 April  18:45 – 21:15
16 April  18:45 – 21:15

Week 1.

Lino cutting taster; Context

Introduction to the technique creating small lino cuts inspired by the work of a selection of artists (Rob Mckenzie, Van Gogh, Macintosh for example but I will find other stimulus too!). Basic techniques and printing will be used to create 10 x 10 cm lino pieces. Extension for the more able will include collage backgrounds and reduction printing.

Week 2.

Drawing techniques and processes 1; How to look

Students will warm up with line work that includes timed observations, blind drawing, wrong hand etc before moving onto ink and water. We will then explore a range of mark making exercises to extend the students drawing repertoire. NB I would like to end all sessions with a critique.

Week 3.

Drawing techniques and processes 2; Developing individual creative skills and the design process.

Students will revisit their earlier skills exercises to apply drawing techniques with ink to their own unique outcomes that would be mounted. In the last hour of this session students will create a larger design for a lino cut (this will be informed by a range of contextual sources and their earlier mark making experiments).

Weeks 4 & 5. 

Students be shown how to transfer their final design onto a piece of lino and create a range of prints in a variety of colours. After their first run of colours, they may like to create some collage backgrounds. We will finish with reduction printing and mounting.

Week 6. Mixed media 

In the final week it would be lovely to create some highly colourful mixed media piece from earlier designs, I will introduce the Fibonacci sequence, compositional elements and other contextual sources to help inspire ideas

This is just an outline of ideas for a short introductory course to give you a flavour of how I could develop this and I am very open to input form learners as to what they would like to try.

The course is £140 for 6 weeks or £25 per session

Suggested art kit for participants – please bring with you to each session

• graded pencils
• 2 black fine liners
• eraser
• A5 or A4 sketchbook
• pritt stick
• 2 brushes – 1 thin, 1 medium
• collage materials e.g. magazine cuttings, textiles
• apron, gloves

please note: we will be using water based block printing ink

About Zara Saganic

For the last 20 years I have worked in a variety of educational settings that include mainstream schools, through to bespoke workshops, further and higher education with experience as both a course leader and as head of art in schools. This has enabled me to teach a wide range of techniques and processes that include; drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, painting, photography, graphic design, textile art, critical and contextual studies.

I am bringing all this experience to Sandy Hills for a series of workshops that will explore techniques and processes of drawing, printmaking and mixed media to enable participants to commence a creative learning journey and build confidence with a variety of media. I love to facilitate creativity in others and as I studied Art as a mature student, I have personal experience of how transformative art can be to oneself.

My practice explores time, control and the relentless pursuit of perfection (Kodawari). As a trained Fine Artist (BA/AUB, MA/UAL Wimbledon), I explore the skill of the idea through a range of outcomes that have included; drawing, endurance activities, colour, printmaking, film, sculpture and performance. 

Outcomes occur as a result of idea led processes with time explored through recording data linked to activities. I am also interested in both the gestural mark and control; how the unexpected can occur through setting my own restrictions and rules. These disciplined processes lead to unexpected organic forms that can then become the precursor to a new activity; ideas and tasks are never ending and eternal. My work has featured in many exhibitions both nationally and in Athens, Georgia (US).