Illustration of the camera obscura principle from James Ayscough's A short account of the eye and nature of vision (1755 fourth edition)

We are artists, visual people attuned to light, colour, and composition. We photograph beautiful things all the time, and many of us are even influenced by the images we take. So why, when it comes to photographing our own work, is it so hard?

Image: Leonid Pasternak, The Passion of Creation

Are you afraid of sentences?

Do you break into a cold sweat at the words “artist statement”?

Have you ever opened a blank document, stared into it, and thought, absolutely not?

If you answered “Yes!” Congratulations. You are an artist.

Often overlooked, the surface is fundamental to how a work is seen and understood. This guide outlines how to choose, prepare, and describe your support so your work is both visually effective and ready for display.

We wanted to test our knowledge of mediums with this A-Z guide.

Not sure what to write in the “medium” box? The medium line is often overlooked, but it’s one of the first things we read. This guide outlines how to describe your materials with clarity, precision, and confidence.

Printmaking is one of the most exciting and varied areas of contemporary art and it takes many different forms.

For our Summer Exhibition, we’re focusing on original printmaking: works created through a hands-on process, where the image is transferred from a surface the artist has physically worked into.