There can be a lot of mystery when you go to purchase paints, especially if it’s your first time buying a particular medium.

Just to start with, when you look at the wall of paint at your local art supply shop you’ll see many different brands. Then within each brand you’ll find different series numbers, and sometimes even different series numbers within what looks to be the same colour.

So what do these paint series numbers mean?

The short and simple answer is that the lower the series number (”Series 1″ for example) the cheaper the paint will be. As the number goes higher, so will the price.

The main thing to keep mind with paint, though (and it doesn’t matter whether you’re buying acrylic, oil, watercolour, or gouache) is that paint series numbers are primarily a pricing strategy. You cannot necessarily make assumptions on the quality of paint based purely on the paint series number.

Paint series numbers exist so that the company which manufactures that paint does not charge you too much for a colour that is inexpensive to produce, or lose their shirt on a colour that costs a lot to produce.

If you’re just starting to paint, you will probably need several specific colours to fill out your palette, but it’s up to you whether or not you buy all of your colours in the same brand of paint.

As you compare different brands, you will notice that certain colorus are in the same series number regardless of type or brand of paint. For example, yellow ochre paint tends to be “Series 1″ regardless of whether you buy a tube of Golden acrylic paint or Winsor & Newton watercolor. It’s simply NOT an expensive colour to produce.

On the other hand, you’ll find cobalt blue paint is always on the higher end, typically a “Series 4″ regardless of brand or style of paint. That’s because it’s a more expensive colour to produce.

If you need advice on what to have on your starter palette or where to buy paints in Bangkok please email me. elsievans@gmail.com

WE ARE CLOSED 14th & 15th FOR SONGKRAN

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

SEE YOU MONDAY FOR ART CAMP

We’ve had a great week with our Young Artists at Songkran Art Week!

We’re back on Mon 16th to Fri 20th for another funfilled art week, although the themes will be similar no two days are the same so feel free to come again next week, daily rates available but let us know in advance to avoid disapointment of a full class!

See the fun sessions we’ve had in the studio! The older members made full use the Garden Studio (The Secret Garden) in the mornings and the Fine Art Studio in the afternoons.

Who knows a Primary Colour...

Paint to Music

Inspiration

Bug Forest Animal Theme

Digging in...

Stand back and reflect!

Concentration!

All in the detail

His crushed dream… Tragic nightmare for the world… who painted these pictures, who’s eyes are we looking through when we look at them?

Whos eyes are we looking through?

The person that painted these pictures wanted to attend the Viennese academy of Fine arts, if he had been accepted by the academy World history would probably have been much different

The young man’s name – Adolph Hitler, hard to believe!

The results were amazing as you can see in the photos.

Jewelry created

Each week the participants will complete a piece of beautiful work… It is NOT too late to sign up.

Our Young Artist classes on Saturdays are busy and this week travelling Artist Simon Buck taught the older Students how to paint flourescent forests. The work was brilliant and all those that took part left with some magnificent paintings. Check out simons work by searching the word ‘ultramurals’ on youtube

Elsie is still rocking and rolling round the studio from Tuesday to Friday – everyone is terrified of adding something to their work in case she reads something into it with her new found skills – intrigued, come in and ask…

See you at Attic-Studios

Welcome back to Kid’s workshops at Attic Studios! 

We have been kicking off a great new year of art activities with our Saturday art classes, underway as normal, every Saturday morning @ 10:00-1:00 and afternoon @ 1:30-4:30.

For those of you who need another chance to get creative (and messy!) we have re-started our Tuesday after-school classes @ 3:30 to 5:00.

For older students we have opened special Saturday sessions in our upstairs “fine-art” studio space and will also be starting new specialized programs for IB prep- let us know if this is ‘You’ so we can keep you updated, keep checking the website for more info.

So whats been happening – We’ve already had fun with classes based on Children’s Day and the Chinese New Year, as well as working with the more experienced budding artists helping build their portfolios in the ‘fine-art’ studio upstairs as mentioned.

We also had a great week last week welcoming some new faces who attended the school holiday workshop.

It has been wonderful to see our little artists, Mini Monets, Petit Picasso’s and budding Rembrandts back at action at the studio and also getting to know our new members: “Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii” 

In the weeks and months that follow we have some exciting plans! - If YOU have an idea let us know while we get things organised so we can maximise the FUN

During our Saturday workshops we will be inspired by some of the Great Artists current and past as well as going back to our ‘art basics’ with observational drawing, imaginative abstracts, and lots of fun with colour! Just today we had some great work happening – experimenting with colours!!! Who can tell me whether Green is a Primary Secondary or Tertiary colour?

This year we also plan to revisit some of our best loved activities of the past – such as drawing upside-down with Michelangelo, splatter masterpieces with Pollock, Life Drawing (model figure drawing), and music inspired abstracts.

Lastly, expect to see a lot more student work on display in the Gallery as we look at making the place look great - you will be able to see your work on display in the Art Gallery, show off to friends and family AND practice your art appreciation skills!

If your new to Attic-Studios then pop in, say hi and see the work You could be involved with

Be prepared to have fun and get creative in 2012! – The Year of the Artist…

Attic on a Sunday afternoon is now bustling. All sorts of things go on……. I will leave it at that!!!

We have some lovely models coming in just now. Leyre and the two Lisas, thank you for having the patience to sit for us. The Thursday morning and evening classes will happen regardless of the numbers.  The importance of figure drawing cannot be overrated, it is the cornerstone of art training. The human figure offers every challenge one could require – line, tone, perspective, and composition.

No matter what kind of artwork you do, life drawing can and will  help you develop – so come and have a go! Make the most of this unique environment with great company and models. Well done to those who have attended, on your most recent work!

Art Jam for BASF:

On the 6th Feb saw the entire Attic Art team at the Plaza Athene hotel running an Art Jam event for BASF. It was very hard work but very worthwhile, thank you team for your great work.

What on earth could an art lesson do to help a large corporate company like BASF? AS one of the participants put it – the day was GREAT fun with key underlying messages of sustainability and action. Great to hear they took on board the key messages we had intended.

Ok now to the exciting bit….

What will be happening!

Our normal classes will continue. See the website for details but we also have a new Batik class with Tricia on the following  Sundays: 19^th feb, 26^th feb, and 4^th March.

I lived in Indonesia for 2 years…the batiks there were inspiring. And very creative. I myself will be signing up for this course. Cannot wait!

Jewelry making workshop with Anna van Dijk: 29/2, 7/3, 14/3, 21/3 and 28/3

The workshops is basically all about what you can do with beads and beading

components. You will learn different techniques: Beading, working with simple tools, connecting components, knotting, leather applications and design, and colors.

I would like to welcome our new studio members:

Janet from canada …..from a shaky start is now producing lovely oil paintings. Well done Janet. It is such a joy to see someone so obviously enjoying herself.

Brad and Crystal also hail from Canada but live here half of the year. If you are affecionados of Soi 11 you will know Brad. His charcoal faces are improving lesson by lesson!

Crystel has a lovely natural style. If she keeps coming I will get her to run a couple of classes. Yes, she is going to be that good.

Danny from Taiwan has returned. So good to see him again and I’m sorting your easel!!!

Hiro is also about and popping his way around the Bangkok nightclubs. Oh to be young. I cannot even touch my knees anymore!

To wrap it up:

The studio blog is our way to communicate with you and share ideas and insights.

Please if you discover any interesting art websites let us know. we will put it on our list.

And remember our vast art library is waiting for you. Come grab a coffee and while away a few hours in Japanese minge, Kmer mythology, or just plain old History of British Art.

As you all know I am Scottish. We have a new book in by F C cadell who was one of the Scottish Colourists. I went to see the exhibition in Edinburgh when I was back at the Modern Art gallery. I was so proud!!!!

The paintings are gorgeous. well done girls.

With it’s rustic charm and lush overgrown garden The Secret Garden is the perfect place to create. Everywhere you turn, there’s something to see. Banana trees, papaya trees, morning glory flowers, heliconias (crab claw flowers), and so much more (I just don’t know what they’re all called).

Come and join us for some fresh air and inspiration! We’ll be meeting at Attics Studios at 10am and taking it from there.