Instructor: Kai Liu

Title: Painted Collagraph: Exploring Mixed Media Painting Techniques

Medium: Mixed media/print and acrylic

Level: All levels

Dates: August 5 -8, 2024 (4 days: Monday-Thursday, 9am to 4pm)

Fees:  Early Bird—$550; $600 after February 29

About the workshop

Embark on an exciting journey into the world of collagraph printmaking and painting with this unique workshop. Designed for students of all experience levels, this workshop guides them through collagraph printmaking techniques using affordable and easily accessible materials. Students will create haptic collagraph prints and then explore acrylic painting techniques using their prints as underpainting. They will delve into compositional and textural concepts to enhance their artistic expression. Students choose their own image references which adds a personal touch to their artwork. Final works will be showcased in a class exhibition on the last afternoon and students will engage in a constructive peer critique.

Course Outline

Day One

• Talk – Collagraph vs. Painting
• Introduction to collagraph printmaking
• Materials and tools
• Drafting a design
• Working on composition and textures
• Building the collagraph plate

Day Two

• Introduction to intaglio/relief printing process
• Working on the collagraph plate
• Printing, laminating, and drying

Day Three

• Painting over the collagraph

Day Four

• Finishing the work in the morning
• Show and critique in the afternoon

Workshop setup

• While each student will independently compose & construct their collagraph plate, stations will be set up for resource sharing and using mediums to adhere or seal.
• Inking stations are designed to be used by student pairs.
• Tech help will be available at the printing press.

Supplies list

Download the supplies list for the workshop.

Download a pdf showing images illustrating the steps of collagraph painting.

About the artist

Kai Liu is a Chinese-Canadian painter and printmaker renowned for his semi-abstract portrayals of urban landscapes and everyday subjects. He grew up in China and developed his artistic skills through academic drawing, painting, and traditional Chinese art. Later, he moved to Canada to pursue his art career and worked as a graphic designer in Ontario before settling in Vancouver, BC, where he received professional printmaking training from Langara College. He earned his BFA and MFA from Emily Carr University.

Liu’s creative process involves capturing the visible world around him, discovering hidden excitement through observation, and abstracting the interwoven layers of natural and built environments. He mainly works in painting, mixed-media, and printmaking. Liu’s art reveals the often-overlooked beauty in mundane subjects, exploring the inherent aesthetic qualities of the world around us.

Liu’s artwork has been exhibited nationally, including a feature in the Vancouver Art Gallery’s 2023 Art Rental and Sales Program. Additionally, he serves as a Teaching Fellow at Emily Carr University.

On the web

Visit the artist’s website at: kailiu.site

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