Ian Murphy's CPD Art Teacher Workshop
Drawing and Mixed Media

Introduction

The day begins with Ian Murphy’s introduction into his philosophy on drawing: the importance of the observation process; how he inspires students to improve their selection process; and, as a consequence, create better visual decisions in their sketchbook or journal. He illustrates these strategies with a shared scrutiny of his sketchbooks and the breadth of work (both finished and still in the process of being developed) that he brings to every course. This is very much a sharing experience: everyone is welcome to input into the introduction, allowing the focus of Ian Murphy’s opinions to have a relevance to you and your students. This will also be the beginning of your opportunities to photograph the artwork to ensure you leave with every viewpoint, opinion and idea fully illustrated to share with your colleagues.

Straight into practical development

Ian Murphy’s workshops are notoriously very fast-paced: designed to get the most out of the day(s), allowing you to discover, and experience, more of the techniques and ideas that he uses with students and everyday in his studio.

Part 1: The morning session
Creating a fantastic sketchbook

Focus: Small scale drawing embracing the layering process.

Ian Murphy sees the sketchbook as a constant companion, not only to hold his initial sketches but also as a place to start the experimental mark-making development. His sketchbooks are the ‘go to’ reference point for every creative decision Ian Murphy makes, whether it be layout and design, collage, colour or scale. The morning session is dedicated to sharing all the strategies he uses that can be housed in the sketchbook format, or folder/workbook system used in other schools and colleges.

Every drawing has a focus

The first practical session is dedicated to small scale decision making: the initial sketches and designs that are paramount to ensuring we all create good compositions, using the best viewpoints to come up with the best ideas.
How do students know what makes a good drawing?

How to make the most of the drawing surface

Throughout the morning session you will be challenged to make multiple textured surfaces which will be the foundations of the layering process and provide the initial starting points to the sketchbook techniques. Students often need the tactile layer as a stimulus to their drawing idea; the blank, white page in the sketchbook can actually inhibit many students. Each surface will then be the catalyst for the visual idea, allowing the compositional ideas to grow and flourish as a consequence of rhythms, movement and texture underneath.

Mixed Media and Surface texture

Applying extra layers of mixed media and developing more textures will happen as the afternoon progresses, with each new material giving you the opportunity to further push the boundaries of traditional drawing and painting.

With no set conclusion in mind Ian Murphy is keen for each individual teacher to extend their ideas to best suit their skill set and creative direction.

‘I always want teachers to take ownership of the course and push all the techniques into a format or image that challenges their understanding of mixed media. The aim is to hopefully inspire everyone to embrace my experimental approach to drawing and painting, and successfully create a large range of new work for everybody to take back and share with their students.

In fact, it can often be very difficult stopping teachers from using all the materials in one go, such is their thirst for knowledge and enthusiasm to try out new approaches’

Mixed Media materials including such things as