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On 11-12 October 2025 and the 21st and 22nd of March 2026, Draw on Gillian Murray's vast experience of working in collagraph during our weekend course, which takes place on a Saturday and Sunday. A collagraph is a print taken from a collaged plate. This weekend course allows ample time and opportunity to explore this deceptively simple and versatile technique. The course will explore making plates using different types of materials such as wallpaper, feathers, leaves, and string, sticking them down onto a piece of card which is then varnished. When ready, the ‘plate’ is then inked up and printed onto paper, creating rich textures and an embossed Gillian Murray Gillian was born in Perth, Scotland and studied Fine Art (Printmaking) at Gray's School of Art in Aberdeen, graduating in 1993. After a move to Edinburgh, she was employed at Edinburgh Printmakers from 1996 until 2017 running the screenprinting department. This involved working on print projects with a host of local, national, and international artists as well as teaching courses in screenprinting and collagraphs. She now dedicates more time to creating her own artwork as well as freelance teaching and editioning. In her own work she is fascinated by the landscape from the textures and colours to its form and composition. She is a professional member of the SSA and has exhibited widely in the UK and beyond. Book over a month in advance to receive 15% off the course price with our Early Bird tickets! This course entitles you to a FREE 3-month Associate Membership to use the studio and consolidate your skills. Image: Gillian Murray
Print Studio
Etching Weekend Courses provide the perfect introduction to etching, introducing innovative techniques that encourage spontaneous and diverse methods of mark-making. They take place Saturday-Sunday on the following dates: 27&28 September 2025 22&23 November 2025 24 & 25 January 2026 21 & 22 March 23 & 24 May Work directly onto metal plates, developing images through various hand-applied techniques. Using new, safer acid resists makes etching a much healthier process, using neither dangerous acids nor solvents. During the course participants will work on two etching plates, one copper and one zinc, introducing them to both of the metals and the mordants most commonly used at Edinburgh Printmakers. Participants will produce two images over the course (one on each metal) making use of a combination of techniques in each plate. The size of the plates will be 152 x 203mm (6 X 8 inches) A 15% Early Bird discount is available for bookings made 1 month prior to the start date! This course also entitles you to a FREE 3-month Associate Membership to use the studio and consolidate your skills. Find out more about etching on our YouTube channel here.
Print Studio
During this Laser Cutting Weekend Course on 18-19 October, you will be introduced to the use of a laser cutter and how to prepare vector files from your drawing or photograph. You'll explore how to cut or engrave a variety of materials such as paper, plywood and acrylic. You can start from original drawings or sketches, or bring digital files on a USB stick. This course is suitable for anyone interested in the use of a laser-cutter, as well as experienced printmakers interested in combining laser-cutting with traditional printmaking methods. The course is suitable for those who have no experience of laser cutting, though experience with digital imaging is highly recommended. Image: Sonia Mehra Chawla
Print Studio
On the 29th and 30th of November - learn Mezzotint; a technique celebrated for producing the richest, most velvety blacks possible – with the flip side of this being that it allows the artist to draw with light! Before the invention of photography, the wide range of tones and delicate gradations that characterise mezzotint meant that the technique was frequently employed for portraiture and the reproduction of oil paintings. However artists such as John Martin, M.C. Escher, Yozo Hamaguchi, as well as Chuck Close among many others also found this tonal technique perfectly suited to expressing their visions. From a technical perspective, mezzotint sits within the intaglio family as a type of engraving. Metal plates are worked over with a tool called a ‘mezzotint rocker’ until they can hold enough ink to print deep, inky black. Then, through the use of scraping and burnishing tools, the artist can smooth and lighten parts of the plate, making an image by creating tones that range from deep greys to white highlights. On this course participants will learn how to prepare, draw and print a mezzotint on copper using an etching press. Because this is a labour-intensive technique, during the course we will also explore alternative ways to achieve a mezzotint effect and discuss how mezzotint can be combined with other intaglio techniques. Jodi Le Bigre is a Canadian-born artist based in Scotland, working broadly across a full spectrum of printmaking, painting, and installation practices. Her work grows out of an interest in the interaction and interrelation of people and their environments, as well as people’s imagining of wilderness and otherness, and how the concepts of natural and human resources play into these interactions. Jodi currently works at Peacock & Worm as an editioning collaborative printmaker (a.k.a. master printmaker) and technician. Previously she has worked in similar roles as etching technician at Edinburgh Printmakers and at the Glasgow School of Art as a lithography technician. Jodi is a graduate of the Masters of Fine Art Practice (MLitt) at Glasgow School of Art, where she focused on printmaking. She has been invited on artist residencies in Italy, Belgium, France, Germany, and the UK, and has been awarded such prizes as the Royal Scottish Academy’s John Kinross Award and the Society of Scottish Artists’ Eichstätt Lithography Award. She regularly exhibits work in Scotland and internationally and her work is held in private and public collections, including the Royal Scottish Academy, Dumfries House, Iraq National Library, Universitätsbibliothek Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, and Herron Art Library at Purdue University. Book over a month in advance to receive 15% off the course price with our Early Bird tickets! This course entitles you to a FREE 3-month Associate Membership to use the studio and consolidate your skills.
Print Studio
On 11-12 October, join us to develop beautiful contemporary prints using the Japanese traditional process of Mokuhanga. What is Mokuhanga, and what are Ukiyo-e prints? Both terms refer to Japanese woodblock prints: those images one associates with such a Hiroshige, Kuniyoshi, Utamaro and Hokusai, who produced beautiful prints of luminous colour around 150-200 years ago during the Japanese Edo (present-day Tokyo) period. This form of printmaking was know as 'Ukiyo-e', or 'prints from the floating world'. Birds and flowers were extremely populaar themes at that time, as were landscapes, women, actors and historical figures. The class will cover the use and maintenance of Japanese tools for carving, the kento registration system, asian papers, printing with a baren and the use of waterbased pigments. Unlike the original way of carving (whereby a hard end-grain wood, usually cherry or similiar fruit wood would be used to achieve the finest detail using tools which resemble wood engraving tools), we will be cutting sheets of plywood faced with bass wood using basic cutting tools. The basswood cuts very easily and is a good 'starter' for for learning the process. What makes this process so attractive and accessible? As well the beautiful stylistic features of Mokuhanga ( the diffused, watercolour effect) the materials required are not expensive and are readily available. Water based paint or inks are used to print the blocks, rendering the technique both safe and clean, and blocks are printed easily by hand means that the process can be done easily at home or in a classroom. Contemporary Japanese printmakers often produce prints of an impressive scale at home using this technique. Elspeth Lamb is a professional artist who has undertaken several residencies in Japan since 2000 to study Mokuhanga and oriental papermaking. She is a member and regular exhibitor at the Royal Scottish Academy.
Print Studio
On 25th & 26th October, learn how to print using the mokulito technique, also know as wood lithography - a unique form of printmaking. Developed in Japan in the 1970s, the process uses plywood as the printing surface and draws on the principles of lithography, specifically the antipathy between grease and water. Greasy materials, such as tusche, crayons, and autographic inks, are used to draw and paint imagery on the sanded plywood matrix and which is then processed. Mokulito has the benefit that additional reductive marks can be cut into the surface as with relief printing, so that when printed the drawn and cut marks sit together with the ghostly impressions of the wood grain to create a beautiful, contrasted image. This course is suitable for beginners as well as experienced practitioners. Susannah Emily Susannah graduated with a MFA (Illustration) from Edinburgh College of Art. Prior to her Masters she studied Pharmacology. This unique combination of art and science led to a keen interest in printmaking, where the alchemy of the process is a fundamental part of the final composition. Printmaking is now an integral part of her practice, with a particular focus on Mokulito, lithography, and monotype. She particularly enjoys Mokulito as because of the grain of the wood becomes a tangible component of the final prints, and is a unique way of combining woodgrain, drawn and painted marks, and reductive marks all in one image. Now based a little north of Dundee, she is a member at Dundee Contemporary Arts. Susannah is a freelance tutor, teaching in Dundee, Edinburgh, and up in the Highlands. Booking over a month in advance? Use our Early Bird discount for 15% off! This course entitles you to a FREE 3-month Associate Membership to use the studio and consolidate your skills. This course is part of Castle Mills: Then & Now, a heritage project supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, made possible by money raised by National Lottery players.
Print Studio
On 22-23 November 2025 & the 11-12 April 2026, accomplished artist and printmaker Gillian Murray will be focusing on the hand-drawn and painterly use of screenprinting during this weekend course. Create screenprint layers without computers, using brushes and paint, drawing materials, and with the aid of photo emulsion. Explore colour mixing, layering, and mark-making. This course is particularly suitable for those interested in approaching printmaking with an emphasis on drawing and painting, taking inspiration from Gillian through a hands-on approach to screenprinting. Gillian Murray Gillian was born in Perth, Scotland and studied Fine Art (Printmaking) at Gray's School of Art in Aberdeen, graduating in 1993. After a move to Edinburgh, she was employed at Edinburgh Printmakers from 1996 until 2017 running the screenprinting department. This involved working on print projects with a host of local, national, and international artists as well as teaching courses in screenprinting and collagraph. She now dedicates more time to creating her own artwork as well as freeland teaching and editioning. In her own work she is fascinated by the landscape from the textures and colours to its form and composition. She is a professional member of the SSA and has exhibited widely in the UK and beyond. Book over a month in advance to receive 15% off the course price with our Early Bird tickets! This course also entitles you to a FREE 3-month Associate Membership to use the studio and consolidate your skills.
Print Studio
Taking place on 8-9 November, this weekend course covers the use of Photec as an acid resist. Photec is a photopolymer film that can be adhered to a metal plate, exposed to a positive artwork on acetate, and developed in such a way that it can produce accurate photographic acid resist. This then allows a photographic image to be etched into a copper plate. The real advantage of this is that the photographic image, once bitten into the surface of the plate can be further worked into using other etching techniques. For this reason, previous etching experience is advised. During the course, participants will prepare their artwork digitally to be printed onto acetate and produce and print one photo etching plate on copper, they will also learn how to apply aquatint which can help to strengthen photo etching images. The size of the plates will be 152 x 203mm (6 X 8 inches). Book over a month in advance to receive 15% off the course price with our Early Bird tickets! This course also entitles you to a FREE 3-month Associate Membership to use the studio and consolidate your skills.
Print Studio
On 1&2 November, 7&8 March 2026 or 11&12 April 2026 experiment with all the freedom and subtlety of a lithograph without grinding stones and with minimal processing. Explore layering images in colour to create painterly prints with a delicacy of mark and tone, characteristic to this medium. This course concentrates on using light-sensitive aluminium photo plates. These plates can produce detailed marks such as painterly washes, linear drawings, photocopied images, photographs, digital images, and text. Participants will learn how to print their images in several coloured layers onto paper. Each layer of colour is printed individually, taking care to register each new layer of ink on top of previously printed colours. Find out more about photo plate lithography on our YouTube channel here. Alastair Clark Specialising in stone and plate lithography, Alastair has over 30 years' of teaching experience at Edinburgh Printmakers, and previously at Edinburgh College of Art. As Head of Editions at Edinburgh Printmakers, he works on print projects as a collaborative expert printmaker with invited artists, producing print editions for the organisation's publishing programme that are exhibited and sold all over the world. Alastair has exhibited widely in the UK and abroad, and was elected as a professional member of the SSA in 1997. Recent solo exhibitions include Dark Matters at Edinburgh Printmakers exploring themes inspired by astronomy, while Skylights drew inspiration from the Northern Lights. Recent series of prints include Eutopians which responded to Brexit, and the ongoing series An Island Time explored climate change. Book over a month in advance to receive 15% off the course price with our Early Bird tickets! This course entitles you to a FREE 3-month Associate Membership to use the studio and consolidate your skills.
Print Studio
Explore ways of creating striking images with this simple yet powerful print medium process. Relief Printing Weekends happen on a Saturday and a Sunday on the following dates: 13 & 14 September 2025 18 & 19 October 2025 6 & 7 December 2025 21 & 22 February 2026 18 & 19 April 2025 20 & 21 June 2025 Cutting images into wood or linoleum and inking up with colour can produce bold dramatic effects. This course will explore the diverse range of ways which artists use this direct process, looking at the practicalities of reduction printing (printing multiple layers from the same block, revealing colours through carving). Please note - from 27 July 2025, this course will slightly change to have an emphasis on working with wood. It will be titled Wood Cut Printing Weekend, and will cover the same techniques but will give you more insight into working with the subtlety of wood, its grain, and how to print multiple colours with it. The skills learned will also be applicable to lino printing. This course is very hands-on, practical, and fun. You will be trying out lino and/or Japanese ply to cut from and explore the benefits of using different types so paper for printing. Bring a sketch or a simple digital file we can print out. The image size will be up to a maximum of A4. Tools will be provided but if you have your own tools please feel free to bring them with you! You can find out more about relief printing on our YouTube channel, here. Book over a month in advance to receive 15% off the course price with our Early Bird tickets! This course also entitles you to a FREE 3-month Associate Membership to use the studio and consolidate your skills. Image: Anupa Gardner
Print Studio
From Sat 20-Sun 21 June 2026, students will explore a combination of mark-making, drawing, and found imagery to layer up in the screenprint process over a 2 day workshop by artist and printmaker Kelly Stewart. Benefit from Kelly's unique and wonderful style of creating by working closely with her to learn about screenprinting from a loose and painterly perspective. Bring along drawings, ideas, and source material to be developed into a print. Individual layers will be exposed onto screens and printed by hand, creating imagery with a view to exploration and experimentation. Participants will receive guidance and support to produce unique multi-layered prints while having a great time in the process. Booking over a month in advance? Use our Early Bird tickets for 15% off! This course also entitles you to 3-months FREE Associate Membership in our studio to use the studio and consolidate your skills. Kelly Stewart Kelly Stewart studied Design (Visual Communication) in Sydney, Australia before moving to Scotland and joining Edinburgh Printmakers in 2001. Since then, she has worked predominantly in the medium of screenprinting as she finds it combines drawings, textures, and handwritten text unlike any other medium. Kelly has tried many other print techniques, but has a passion for screenprinting which she brings into her classes and workshops. Image: Kelly Stewart
Print Studio
On the last weekend of the month, learn all about the dynamic and colorful process of screenprinting. This type of stencil can produce detailed marks such as painterly washes, linear drawings, photocopied images, and text. Participants will learn how to print their image in several coloured layers onto paper. To print, the screen is attached to a printing press, and acrylic based ink is pushed through the screen mesh onto paper using a squeegee blade. Each layer of colour is printed individually, taking care to register each new layer of ink on top of previously printed colours. During the course, each participant will work on their own print, creating 3-4 layers of colour onto paper. The process is explored through hands-on practice where participants learn the practical skills involved in making a screenprint. Paper size (& maximum image size) on the course is approximately 28 x 38cm. This course uses water-based inks on paper which are not suitable for printing on textiles. James Harrison Over the past 10 years, James has been honing his screenprint craft by working on both personal and commercial print project on a variety of mediums, but his specialty lies in creating high-end screenprints on paper. With over 6 years of teaching experience, James' enthusiasm for teaching the art of screenprinting provides him with a constant source of motivation and inspiration for his practice. In early 2015, James started a self-initiated project with his brother called Under the Skin with the mission to engage people of all ages through innovative design and interactive screenprints. In 2018 James was awarded a QEST scholarship where he trained under expert printmaker Scott Campbell to produce screenprint editions for world-renowned artists such as Alasdair Gray. In 2022 James joined the Edinburgh Printmakers team as a Screenprint Technician, where he runs the screenprint department, produces screenprint editions, and teaches a wide variety of screenprint workshops. Booking over a month in advance? Use our Early Bird tickets for 15% off! This course also entitles you to a FREE 3-month Associate Membership to use in the studio and consolidate your skills. Learn more about screen printing on our YouTube channel here.
Print Studio
On 15& 16 November or the 7&8 March 2026 explore the original type of lithography still favoured by many artists. Drawing directly onto a prepared limestone surface gives opportunity for a spontaneous approach to mark-making. Find out how artists with wide ranging styles from MC Escher, Picasso, Jasper Johns, and Kathe Kolwitz have delighted in the subtleties of the stone. This 2-day weekend course gives a comprehensive introduction to Stone Lithography and is suitable for people without previous lithography experience or for those wishing to refresh their skills. Emphasis is given to stone lithography as a drawing and painting medium, working directly on this wonderful, robust drawing surface. Focusing on learning the process and working mainly in monochrome, we will explore traditional approaches to mark-making as well as alternative drawing methods. Learn all about processing of images on stone and how to stabilise the image for printing before taking several prints to show the development of your drawing at different stages. During the course we will work to approximately A3 size: 28 x 38.5cm Find out more about stone lithography on our YouTube channel here. Book over a month in advance to receive 15% off the course price with our Early Bird tickets! This course entitles you to a FREE 3-month Associate Membership to use the studio and consolidate your skills. Image: James Harrison
Print Studio
Join us on Sat 7th & Sun 8th February and learn all about Toyobo (or photopolymer gravure) with Leena Nammari RSA. An innovative new printmaking process that uses remarkable water-washable photopolymer plates which are both fast and safe, Toyobo produces results similar to the 19th-century process of photogravure. Although the course will be of interest to all artists, it is particularly suitable for those working with photographic and digital imaging who wish to produce high-quality original prints. The course focuses on understanding the intricacies of the processes, exploring how to prepare images for the process, and how to identify works best for each technique. The course is very hands-on. During the course, each person will produce one A5 image. The process has a high digital imaging content, explaining how to manipulate the image before exposing it to the photopolymer. Experience of Photoshop is advisable to make the most of the course. Comprehensive step-by-step notes will be provided. If possible, bring your laptop with you, and it is preferable if you have Photoshop or Photoshop Express installed. If you do not have a laptop, please bring along photographic images either on a USB stick, CD, or as photographic prints to be scanned. There are limited communal computers in the studio. Leena Nammari is a Palestinian artist printmaker based in Scotland. She has exhibited within Scotland, Europe, Palestine, and Australia as part of group exhibitions and has had several solo exhibitions. She is an expert printmaker in all aspects of printmaking, though she has also worked in film, photography, bronze, and ceramics. She obtained her undergraduate degree in Fine Art Printmaking from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, University of Dundee, where she also compelted her MFA in Arts & Humanities. Book over a month in advance to receive 15% off the course price with our Early Bird tickets! This course also entitles you to a FREE 3-month Associate Membership to use the studio and consolidate your skills.
Print Studio
On 8th & 9th November, work with acclaimed printmaker and artist Angie Lewin to create your own beautiful and delicate wood engravings. Wood engraving is a relief printmaking process which, in contrast to woodcut, is generally smaller scale and involves engraving into the end-grain of a prepared woodblock. This method can reproduce fine detail and create a lively graphic image. During this course, you will produce a black and white print having learnt all stages of the process: transferring your initial drawing onto your woodblock, learning how to use the different engraving tools to create texture and line, and finally making prints from your woodblock. Wood engraving is a slow but satisfying process. Ideally you may have some drawing skills to benefit from this workshop, but this is not essential, and this course will suit all artists. Book over a month in advance to receive 15% off the course price with our Early Bird tickets! This course entitles you to a FREE 3-month Associate Membership to use the studio and consolidate your skills.
Print Studio
On 11-12 October 2025 and the 21st and 22nd of March 2026, Draw on Gillian Murray's vast experience of working in collagraph during our weekend course, which takes place on a Saturday and Sunday. A collagraph is a print taken from a collaged plate. This weekend course allows ample time and opportunity to explore this deceptively simple and versatile technique. The course will explore making plates using different types of materials such as wallpaper, feathers, leaves, and string, sticking them down onto a piece of card which is then varnished. When ready, the ‘plate’ is then inked up and printed onto paper, creating rich textures and an embossed Gillian Murray Gillian was born in Perth, Scotland and studied Fine Art (Printmaking) at Gray's School of Art in Aberdeen, graduating in 1993. After a move to Edinburgh, she was employed at Edinburgh Printmakers from 1996 until 2017 running the screenprinting department. This involved working on print projects with a host of local, national, and international artists as well as teaching courses in screenprinting and collagraphs. She now dedicates more time to creating her own artwork as well as freelance teaching and editioning. In her own work she is fascinated by the landscape from the textures and colours to its form and composition. She is a professional member of the SSA and has exhibited widely in the UK and beyond. Book over a month in advance to receive 15% off the course price with our Early Bird tickets! This course entitles you to a FREE 3-month Associate Membership to use the studio and consolidate your skills. Image: Gillian Murray
Print Studio
Etching Weekend Courses provide the perfect introduction to etching, introducing innovative techniques that encourage spontaneous and diverse methods of mark-making. They take place Saturday-Sunday on the following dates: 27&28 September 2025 22&23 November 2025 24 & 25 January 2026 21 & 22 March 23 & 24 May Work directly onto metal plates, developing images through various hand-applied techniques. Using new, safer acid resists makes etching a much healthier process, using neither dangerous acids nor solvents. During the course participants will work on two etching plates, one copper and one zinc, introducing them to both of the metals and the mordants most commonly used at Edinburgh Printmakers. Participants will produce two images over the course (one on each metal) making use of a combination of techniques in each plate. The size of the plates will be 152 x 203mm (6 X 8 inches) A 15% Early Bird discount is available for bookings made 1 month prior to the start date! This course also entitles you to a FREE 3-month Associate Membership to use the studio and consolidate your skills. Find out more about etching on our YouTube channel here.
Print Studio
During this Laser Cutting Weekend Course on 18-19 October, you will be introduced to the use of a laser cutter and how to prepare vector files from your drawing or photograph. You'll explore how to cut or engrave a variety of materials such as paper, plywood and acrylic. You can start from original drawings or sketches, or bring digital files on a USB stick. This course is suitable for anyone interested in the use of a laser-cutter, as well as experienced printmakers interested in combining laser-cutting with traditional printmaking methods. The course is suitable for those who have no experience of laser cutting, though experience with digital imaging is highly recommended. Image: Sonia Mehra Chawla
Print Studio
On the 29th and 30th of November - learn Mezzotint; a technique celebrated for producing the richest, most velvety blacks possible – with the flip side of this being that it allows the artist to draw with light! Before the invention of photography, the wide range of tones and delicate gradations that characterise mezzotint meant that the technique was frequently employed for portraiture and the reproduction of oil paintings. However artists such as John Martin, M.C. Escher, Yozo Hamaguchi, as well as Chuck Close among many others also found this tonal technique perfectly suited to expressing their visions. From a technical perspective, mezzotint sits within the intaglio family as a type of engraving. Metal plates are worked over with a tool called a ‘mezzotint rocker’ until they can hold enough ink to print deep, inky black. Then, through the use of scraping and burnishing tools, the artist can smooth and lighten parts of the plate, making an image by creating tones that range from deep greys to white highlights. On this course participants will learn how to prepare, draw and print a mezzotint on copper using an etching press. Because this is a labour-intensive technique, during the course we will also explore alternative ways to achieve a mezzotint effect and discuss how mezzotint can be combined with other intaglio techniques. Jodi Le Bigre is a Canadian-born artist based in Scotland, working broadly across a full spectrum of printmaking, painting, and installation practices. Her work grows out of an interest in the interaction and interrelation of people and their environments, as well as people’s imagining of wilderness and otherness, and how the concepts of natural and human resources play into these interactions. Jodi currently works at Peacock & Worm as an editioning collaborative printmaker (a.k.a. master printmaker) and technician. Previously she has worked in similar roles as etching technician at Edinburgh Printmakers and at the Glasgow School of Art as a lithography technician. Jodi is a graduate of the Masters of Fine Art Practice (MLitt) at Glasgow School of Art, where she focused on printmaking. She has been invited on artist residencies in Italy, Belgium, France, Germany, and the UK, and has been awarded such prizes as the Royal Scottish Academy’s John Kinross Award and the Society of Scottish Artists’ Eichstätt Lithography Award. She regularly exhibits work in Scotland and internationally and her work is held in private and public collections, including the Royal Scottish Academy, Dumfries House, Iraq National Library, Universitätsbibliothek Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, and Herron Art Library at Purdue University. Book over a month in advance to receive 15% off the course price with our Early Bird tickets! This course entitles you to a FREE 3-month Associate Membership to use the studio and consolidate your skills.
Print Studio
On 11-12 October, join us to develop beautiful contemporary prints using the Japanese traditional process of Mokuhanga. What is Mokuhanga, and what are Ukiyo-e prints? Both terms refer to Japanese woodblock prints: those images one associates with such a Hiroshige, Kuniyoshi, Utamaro and Hokusai, who produced beautiful prints of luminous colour around 150-200 years ago during the Japanese Edo (present-day Tokyo) period. This form of printmaking was know as 'Ukiyo-e', or 'prints from the floating world'. Birds and flowers were extremely populaar themes at that time, as were landscapes, women, actors and historical figures. The class will cover the use and maintenance of Japanese tools for carving, the kento registration system, asian papers, printing with a baren and the use of waterbased pigments. Unlike the original way of carving (whereby a hard end-grain wood, usually cherry or similiar fruit wood would be used to achieve the finest detail using tools which resemble wood engraving tools), we will be cutting sheets of plywood faced with bass wood using basic cutting tools. The basswood cuts very easily and is a good 'starter' for for learning the process. What makes this process so attractive and accessible? As well the beautiful stylistic features of Mokuhanga ( the diffused, watercolour effect) the materials required are not expensive and are readily available. Water based paint or inks are used to print the blocks, rendering the technique both safe and clean, and blocks are printed easily by hand means that the process can be done easily at home or in a classroom. Contemporary Japanese printmakers often produce prints of an impressive scale at home using this technique. Elspeth Lamb is a professional artist who has undertaken several residencies in Japan since 2000 to study Mokuhanga and oriental papermaking. She is a member and regular exhibitor at the Royal Scottish Academy.
Print Studio
On 25th & 26th October, learn how to print using the mokulito technique, also know as wood lithography - a unique form of printmaking. Developed in Japan in the 1970s, the process uses plywood as the printing surface and draws on the principles of lithography, specifically the antipathy between grease and water. Greasy materials, such as tusche, crayons, and autographic inks, are used to draw and paint imagery on the sanded plywood matrix and which is then processed. Mokulito has the benefit that additional reductive marks can be cut into the surface as with relief printing, so that when printed the drawn and cut marks sit together with the ghostly impressions of the wood grain to create a beautiful, contrasted image. This course is suitable for beginners as well as experienced practitioners. Susannah Emily Susannah graduated with a MFA (Illustration) from Edinburgh College of Art. Prior to her Masters she studied Pharmacology. This unique combination of art and science led to a keen interest in printmaking, where the alchemy of the process is a fundamental part of the final composition. Printmaking is now an integral part of her practice, with a particular focus on Mokulito, lithography, and monotype. She particularly enjoys Mokulito as because of the grain of the wood becomes a tangible component of the final prints, and is a unique way of combining woodgrain, drawn and painted marks, and reductive marks all in one image. Now based a little north of Dundee, she is a member at Dundee Contemporary Arts. Susannah is a freelance tutor, teaching in Dundee, Edinburgh, and up in the Highlands. Booking over a month in advance? Use our Early Bird discount for 15% off! This course entitles you to a FREE 3-month Associate Membership to use the studio and consolidate your skills. This course is part of Castle Mills: Then & Now, a heritage project supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, made possible by money raised by National Lottery players.
Print Studio
On 22-23 November 2025 & the 11-12 April 2026, accomplished artist and printmaker Gillian Murray will be focusing on the hand-drawn and painterly use of screenprinting during this weekend course. Create screenprint layers without computers, using brushes and paint, drawing materials, and with the aid of photo emulsion. Explore colour mixing, layering, and mark-making. This course is particularly suitable for those interested in approaching printmaking with an emphasis on drawing and painting, taking inspiration from Gillian through a hands-on approach to screenprinting. Gillian Murray Gillian was born in Perth, Scotland and studied Fine Art (Printmaking) at Gray's School of Art in Aberdeen, graduating in 1993. After a move to Edinburgh, she was employed at Edinburgh Printmakers from 1996 until 2017 running the screenprinting department. This involved working on print projects with a host of local, national, and international artists as well as teaching courses in screenprinting and collagraph. She now dedicates more time to creating her own artwork as well as freeland teaching and editioning. In her own work she is fascinated by the landscape from the textures and colours to its form and composition. She is a professional member of the SSA and has exhibited widely in the UK and beyond. Book over a month in advance to receive 15% off the course price with our Early Bird tickets! This course also entitles you to a FREE 3-month Associate Membership to use the studio and consolidate your skills.
Print Studio
Taking place on 8-9 November, this weekend course covers the use of Photec as an acid resist. Photec is a photopolymer film that can be adhered to a metal plate, exposed to a positive artwork on acetate, and developed in such a way that it can produce accurate photographic acid resist. This then allows a photographic image to be etched into a copper plate. The real advantage of this is that the photographic image, once bitten into the surface of the plate can be further worked into using other etching techniques. For this reason, previous etching experience is advised. During the course, participants will prepare their artwork digitally to be printed onto acetate and produce and print one photo etching plate on copper, they will also learn how to apply aquatint which can help to strengthen photo etching images. The size of the plates will be 152 x 203mm (6 X 8 inches). Book over a month in advance to receive 15% off the course price with our Early Bird tickets! This course also entitles you to a FREE 3-month Associate Membership to use the studio and consolidate your skills.
Print Studio
On 1&2 November, 7&8 March 2026 or 11&12 April 2026 experiment with all the freedom and subtlety of a lithograph without grinding stones and with minimal processing. Explore layering images in colour to create painterly prints with a delicacy of mark and tone, characteristic to this medium. This course concentrates on using light-sensitive aluminium photo plates. These plates can produce detailed marks such as painterly washes, linear drawings, photocopied images, photographs, digital images, and text. Participants will learn how to print their images in several coloured layers onto paper. Each layer of colour is printed individually, taking care to register each new layer of ink on top of previously printed colours. Find out more about photo plate lithography on our YouTube channel here. Alastair Clark Specialising in stone and plate lithography, Alastair has over 30 years' of teaching experience at Edinburgh Printmakers, and previously at Edinburgh College of Art. As Head of Editions at Edinburgh Printmakers, he works on print projects as a collaborative expert printmaker with invited artists, producing print editions for the organisation's publishing programme that are exhibited and sold all over the world. Alastair has exhibited widely in the UK and abroad, and was elected as a professional member of the SSA in 1997. Recent solo exhibitions include Dark Matters at Edinburgh Printmakers exploring themes inspired by astronomy, while Skylights drew inspiration from the Northern Lights. Recent series of prints include Eutopians which responded to Brexit, and the ongoing series An Island Time explored climate change. Book over a month in advance to receive 15% off the course price with our Early Bird tickets! This course entitles you to a FREE 3-month Associate Membership to use the studio and consolidate your skills.
Print Studio
Explore ways of creating striking images with this simple yet powerful print medium process. Relief Printing Weekends happen on a Saturday and a Sunday on the following dates: 13 & 14 September 2025 18 & 19 October 2025 6 & 7 December 2025 21 & 22 February 2026 18 & 19 April 2025 20 & 21 June 2025 Cutting images into wood or linoleum and inking up with colour can produce bold dramatic effects. This course will explore the diverse range of ways which artists use this direct process, looking at the practicalities of reduction printing (printing multiple layers from the same block, revealing colours through carving). Please note - from 27 July 2025, this course will slightly change to have an emphasis on working with wood. It will be titled Wood Cut Printing Weekend, and will cover the same techniques but will give you more insight into working with the subtlety of wood, its grain, and how to print multiple colours with it. The skills learned will also be applicable to lino printing. This course is very hands-on, practical, and fun. You will be trying out lino and/or Japanese ply to cut from and explore the benefits of using different types so paper for printing. Bring a sketch or a simple digital file we can print out. The image size will be up to a maximum of A4. Tools will be provided but if you have your own tools please feel free to bring them with you! You can find out more about relief printing on our YouTube channel, here. Book over a month in advance to receive 15% off the course price with our Early Bird tickets! This course also entitles you to a FREE 3-month Associate Membership to use the studio and consolidate your skills. Image: Anupa Gardner
Print Studio
From Sat 20-Sun 21 June 2026, students will explore a combination of mark-making, drawing, and found imagery to layer up in the screenprint process over a 2 day workshop by artist and printmaker Kelly Stewart. Benefit from Kelly's unique and wonderful style of creating by working closely with her to learn about screenprinting from a loose and painterly perspective. Bring along drawings, ideas, and source material to be developed into a print. Individual layers will be exposed onto screens and printed by hand, creating imagery with a view to exploration and experimentation. Participants will receive guidance and support to produce unique multi-layered prints while having a great time in the process. Booking over a month in advance? Use our Early Bird tickets for 15% off! This course also entitles you to 3-months FREE Associate Membership in our studio to use the studio and consolidate your skills. Kelly Stewart Kelly Stewart studied Design (Visual Communication) in Sydney, Australia before moving to Scotland and joining Edinburgh Printmakers in 2001. Since then, she has worked predominantly in the medium of screenprinting as she finds it combines drawings, textures, and handwritten text unlike any other medium. Kelly has tried many other print techniques, but has a passion for screenprinting which she brings into her classes and workshops. Image: Kelly Stewart
Print Studio
On the last weekend of the month, learn all about the dynamic and colorful process of screenprinting. This type of stencil can produce detailed marks such as painterly washes, linear drawings, photocopied images, and text. Participants will learn how to print their image in several coloured layers onto paper. To print, the screen is attached to a printing press, and acrylic based ink is pushed through the screen mesh onto paper using a squeegee blade. Each layer of colour is printed individually, taking care to register each new layer of ink on top of previously printed colours. During the course, each participant will work on their own print, creating 3-4 layers of colour onto paper. The process is explored through hands-on practice where participants learn the practical skills involved in making a screenprint. Paper size (& maximum image size) on the course is approximately 28 x 38cm. This course uses water-based inks on paper which are not suitable for printing on textiles. James Harrison Over the past 10 years, James has been honing his screenprint craft by working on both personal and commercial print project on a variety of mediums, but his specialty lies in creating high-end screenprints on paper. With over 6 years of teaching experience, James' enthusiasm for teaching the art of screenprinting provides him with a constant source of motivation and inspiration for his practice. In early 2015, James started a self-initiated project with his brother called Under the Skin with the mission to engage people of all ages through innovative design and interactive screenprints. In 2018 James was awarded a QEST scholarship where he trained under expert printmaker Scott Campbell to produce screenprint editions for world-renowned artists such as Alasdair Gray. In 2022 James joined the Edinburgh Printmakers team as a Screenprint Technician, where he runs the screenprint department, produces screenprint editions, and teaches a wide variety of screenprint workshops. Booking over a month in advance? Use our Early Bird tickets for 15% off! This course also entitles you to a FREE 3-month Associate Membership to use in the studio and consolidate your skills. Learn more about screen printing on our YouTube channel here.
Print Studio
On 15& 16 November or the 7&8 March 2026 explore the original type of lithography still favoured by many artists. Drawing directly onto a prepared limestone surface gives opportunity for a spontaneous approach to mark-making. Find out how artists with wide ranging styles from MC Escher, Picasso, Jasper Johns, and Kathe Kolwitz have delighted in the subtleties of the stone. This 2-day weekend course gives a comprehensive introduction to Stone Lithography and is suitable for people without previous lithography experience or for those wishing to refresh their skills. Emphasis is given to stone lithography as a drawing and painting medium, working directly on this wonderful, robust drawing surface. Focusing on learning the process and working mainly in monochrome, we will explore traditional approaches to mark-making as well as alternative drawing methods. Learn all about processing of images on stone and how to stabilise the image for printing before taking several prints to show the development of your drawing at different stages. During the course we will work to approximately A3 size: 28 x 38.5cm Find out more about stone lithography on our YouTube channel here. Book over a month in advance to receive 15% off the course price with our Early Bird tickets! This course entitles you to a FREE 3-month Associate Membership to use the studio and consolidate your skills. Image: James Harrison
Print Studio
Join us on Sat 7th & Sun 8th February and learn all about Toyobo (or photopolymer gravure) with Leena Nammari RSA. An innovative new printmaking process that uses remarkable water-washable photopolymer plates which are both fast and safe, Toyobo produces results similar to the 19th-century process of photogravure. Although the course will be of interest to all artists, it is particularly suitable for those working with photographic and digital imaging who wish to produce high-quality original prints. The course focuses on understanding the intricacies of the processes, exploring how to prepare images for the process, and how to identify works best for each technique. The course is very hands-on. During the course, each person will produce one A5 image. The process has a high digital imaging content, explaining how to manipulate the image before exposing it to the photopolymer. Experience of Photoshop is advisable to make the most of the course. Comprehensive step-by-step notes will be provided. If possible, bring your laptop with you, and it is preferable if you have Photoshop or Photoshop Express installed. If you do not have a laptop, please bring along photographic images either on a USB stick, CD, or as photographic prints to be scanned. There are limited communal computers in the studio. Leena Nammari is a Palestinian artist printmaker based in Scotland. She has exhibited within Scotland, Europe, Palestine, and Australia as part of group exhibitions and has had several solo exhibitions. She is an expert printmaker in all aspects of printmaking, though she has also worked in film, photography, bronze, and ceramics. She obtained her undergraduate degree in Fine Art Printmaking from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, University of Dundee, where she also compelted her MFA in Arts & Humanities. Book over a month in advance to receive 15% off the course price with our Early Bird tickets! This course also entitles you to a FREE 3-month Associate Membership to use the studio and consolidate your skills.
Print Studio
On 8th & 9th November, work with acclaimed printmaker and artist Angie Lewin to create your own beautiful and delicate wood engravings. Wood engraving is a relief printmaking process which, in contrast to woodcut, is generally smaller scale and involves engraving into the end-grain of a prepared woodblock. This method can reproduce fine detail and create a lively graphic image. During this course, you will produce a black and white print having learnt all stages of the process: transferring your initial drawing onto your woodblock, learning how to use the different engraving tools to create texture and line, and finally making prints from your woodblock. Wood engraving is a slow but satisfying process. Ideally you may have some drawing skills to benefit from this workshop, but this is not essential, and this course will suit all artists. Book over a month in advance to receive 15% off the course price with our Early Bird tickets! This course entitles you to a FREE 3-month Associate Membership to use the studio and consolidate your skills.
Print Studio