Monotype printmaking for adults with David Begley
Butler Gallery, Kilkenny
Saturday 07 February 2026, 10am - 4pm
Tickets on sale soon, email David for updates!
David Begley has taught visual art to all ages for over 25 years. He is an enthusiastic, energetic, and generous teacher who loves to share his knowledge and experience in many mediums including drawing, painting, monotype, charcoal animation, ink making, and video.
David has facilitated workshops for adults at Chester Beatty, Dublin, Butler Gallery, Kilkenny, Mermaid Arts Centre, Wicklow, The Irish National Heritage Park, Wexford, Garter Lane Arts Centre, Waterford, Mother Tongues, Dublin, and online with Plants and colour UK. He mentors professional visual artists in person and online, and contributed to Making Charcoal for Artists by Kate Boucher, published by The Crowood Press (2024). He is a visiting lecturer at universities in Ireland and Wales.
David teaches art and gardening to children with artist Hanneke van Ryswyk at Curracloe NS, Wexford, where they have established an organic vegetable garden. David and Hanneke facilitate Biodiversity walk and draw activities in Wexford schools.
Previous school projects include The Living Arts Project, Drawing is a universal language, From the ground up: art and gardening for children, Art at Enniscorthy Allotments, Film in a day, Ancient Connections Animating Schools, The Monk’s Garden, visual art, heritage and gardening project, The Wexford Whale animation, Attack on the Bay animation, Plough lines, and Digital Storytelling.
Making, drawing, and painting with oak gall ink
Garter Lane arts centre, Waterford
Saturday 28 February 2026
10am - 4pm
Oak gall ink and iron oak gall ink have been used by illuminators, artists, writers, and composers for thousands of years. Artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Victor Hugo, Goya, and Van Gogh drew with oak gall ink. It is a permanent ink, is light fast, and was the main ink used in medieval illuminated manuscripts including The Book of Kells.
In this workshop participants will learn how to gather, prepare, cook and bind their own oak gall ink and explore ancient and contemporary drawing and painting techniques with this versatile medium.
Materials supplied.
Please bring a notebook, pestle and mortar, and apron.
This workshop is suitable for all levels, adults only, and will be of interest to artists, illustrators, writers, teachers, and calligraphers.
Limited to 10 places.
Tickets from Garter Lane, available soon
Please email David for further information
Mentoring
David has worked as a visiting lecturer in Ireland and Wales and has taught drawing, painting, and monotype print to adults for over 20 years.
David offers mentoring to professional and emerging artists including recent graduates. These in-depth sessions run for 90 minutes and include feedback on 6 - 8 images.
Mentoring €150 per session, paid in advance.
If you are interested in one-to-one tutoring or mentoring write to davidbegleyartist@gmail.com for more information.
Drawing with charcoal for adults
Mermaid arts centre, Bray, Wicklow
Saturday 28 March 2026
Workshop suitable for adults, all levels.
Limited to 10 places. Tickets €65 pp.
Tickets from Mermaid Arts Centre, available 2026
Please email David for further information
Workshops 2026
Monotype printmaking for adults
Butler gallery, Kilkenny
Saturday February 07
Multilingual drawing workshop
Mother tongues
Tallaght, Dublin
Saturday February 21
Oak gall ink making, drawing, painting
Garter lane studios, Waterford
Saturday February 28
Charcoal drawing for adults
Mermaid arts centre, Wicklow
Saturday March 28
PREVIOUS WORKSHOPS
Charcoal and botanical ink
making, drawing, and painting
with artist David Begley
Killruddery House and Gardens
Bray, County Wicklow
Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 October 2025
10am - 4pm
Join artist David Begley for a two day workshop in making, drawing, and painting with charcoal and botanical ink. David will demonstrate how to gather and prepare materials, and how to grind, bind, cook and transform them into your own unique charcoals and inks using ancient and contemporary recipes
Fully booked
Monotype printmaking for adults
Garter Lane Arts Centre, Waterford
Saturday 04 October 2025, 10am - 4pm
Tickets €60 via Garter Lane Arts Centre
A monotype is a unique, one of a kind, handmade print, created by drawing or painting an image onto a plate and transferring this to paper. In this workshop participants will develop their own approach to this spontaneous, painterly medium, creating several monotype prints using a printing press.
Participants will explore monochrome mark-making exercises, work with wipe-out, direct painting, and Tonking to create prints.
This workshop is suitable for professional artists as well as beginners. David works with water based, non toxic inks.
This workshop will be held at
Project Space, Garter Lane Studios - X91 ER27.
Fully booked
Monotype printmaking for adults
Killruddery House and Gardens, Bray, Wicklow
Saturday 06 September 2025, 10am - 4pm
A monotype is a unique, one of a kind, handmade print, created by drawing or painting an image onto a plate and transferring this to paper. In this workshop participants will develop their own approach to this spontaneous, painterly medium, creating several monotype prints.
Participants will explore monochrome mark-making exercises, work with wipe-out, direct painting, and Tonking to create several prints.
This workshop is suitable for professional artists as well as beginners. David works with water based, non toxic inks.
David Begley is an artist, filmmaker, and arts educator. He has exhibited his animations, drawings, paintings, monotype prints, and films, nationally and internationally since 1996.
All materials supplied. Please bring an apron!
Tickets €140 via Killruddery
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Ticket price includes food and drink
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Well Water station.
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Long Table Lunch in the Grain Store
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Afternoon coffee / tea
Monotype printmaking
with David Begley
Mermaid Arts Centre,
Bray, Wicklow
Saturday 19 July 2025, 11.30am - 4pm
Fully booked
Monotype printmaking
with David Begley
Mermaid Arts Centre,
Bray, Wicklow
Saturday 31 May 2025, 11.30am - 4pm
Materials supplied. Please bring an apron!
10 places. €65 per person
Tickets via Mermaid Arts Centre
Fully booked
David Begley works with water based non-toxic printmaking ink. His monotypes have been selected for the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair, London, RHA, Dublin, Aberystwyth Printmakers, and Oriel Mostyn, Wales.
Charcoal drawing masterclass for adults
Artform's Art in the Garden
Mount Congreve, Waterford
Sunday 15 June 2025, 10am - 4:30pm
Tickets via Eventbrite
Join artist David Begley for a day of drawing with charcoal at Mount Congreve. Participants will learn how to harvest and prepare wood for baking charcoal at home, and will explore tools and techniques for drawing in charcoal. David’s charcoals include ivy, cramp ball, cork, hazel, willow, teasel, and driftwood. Through experimenting with each of these, participants will learn of the wide range of marks, tones, textures and colours home-baked charcoal can produce.
The ticket price is inclusive of a standard ticket to access the gardens and an artist picnic. This will be catered by the The Stables Café from 1pm - 2.30pm. Masterclass participants may attend the opening of Eamon Colman's exhibition installation 'In the Gardens' during the lunch break.
Materials supplied. All levels welcome.
10 places. €105 per person
Charcoal making and drawing
with David Begley
Garter Lane Arts Centre, Waterford
Saturday 10 May 2025, 10am - 4pm
Join artist David Begley for a day of drawing with charcoal. Participants will learn how to harvest and prepare wood for baking charcoal at home. Charcoals include ivy, vine, ash, cramp ball, cork, oak, willow, pine, and driftwood.
Participants explore mark making exercises, and learn about tone, line, pattern, form, and volume, through drawing from imagination and from observation.
Materials supplied. Limited to 10 places.
Tickets via Garter Lane Arts Centre
This workshop is subsidised by Garter Lane Arts Centre.
Garter Lane Studios - X91 ER27
Monotype printmaking activities for Children with David Begley
Online demonstrations
Tuesdays 29 April & 06 May 4-6pm GMT
Join live or watch the recording
In these sessions, David will share monotype printing activities that are accessible for children. Monotype printing is a process that creates one-of-a-kind prints by applying ink to a plate and transferring it onto paper. Participants will learn how to prepare paper for printmaking and explore various techniques using non-toxic inks, making this an engaging and safe activity to create monotypes with children.
David will provide a comprehensive introduction to monotype printing, starting with an explanation of what a monotype is and its unique characteristics. He will cover the steps of preparing paper, including cutting, soaking, and blotting, to ensure it is ready for printmaking. Participants will learn how to mix ink effectively to achieve the desired texture and colour. He will also explore various types of plates that can be used, such as foam, acetate, metal, and innovative options like recycled Tetra Pak. Practical demonstrations will include inking up the plate and exploring different printing methods, whether using a press or printing by hand at home. Lastly, David will cover health and safety, focusing on best practices for working with non-toxic materials to ensure a safe and enjoyable printmaking experience.
Techniques will include mark making exercises, using recycled materials, including:
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Tonking: a technique where excess ink is lifted from an inked surface using paper or cloth to create tonal variations and texture in printmaking.
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Wipe out: where ink is selectively removed from a plate to create highlights, textures, and details before transferring the image to paper.
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Direct Painting: where ink or paint is applied directly onto a plate using brushes or other tools, without the use of traditional printing methods.
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Collograph: where textured materials are glued onto a plate, inked, and then pressed onto paper to create prints with rich textures and depth.
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Sandyundum David’s child-friendly carborundum technique using beach sand to create textured prints,
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Trash or Treasure: activities like sifting sand to find “treasures” (microplastics, coins, etc.) for printmaking.
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Print collage: printed elements are cut and glued onto a surface to create a layered, mixed-media composition.
David will give exercises for working from imagination and from observation utilising line, tone, texture, and pattern.
This workshop is ideal for artists, facilitators, parents, and teachers looking to explore creative, child-friendly printmaking techniques. An instructional PDF will be provided for participants.
Charcoal making and drawing
with David Begley
Butler Gallery, Kilkenny
Saturday 26 April 2025, 10:30am - 4:30pm
Join artist David Begley for a day of drawing with charcoal. Participants will learn how to harvest and prepare wood for baking charcoal at home. Charcoals include ivy, vine, ash, cramp ball, cork, oak, willow, pine, and driftwood.
Participants explore mark making exercises, and learn about tone, line, pattern, form, and volume, through drawing from imagination and from observation.
Materials supplied. Limited to 12 places.
Tickets €75 per person via Butler Gallery
Monotype printmaking
with artist David Begley
Drawing Room, Ardgillan Castle
Balbriggan, Co. Dublin
Saturday 29 March 2025, 10am - 4pm
Join artist David Begley for an exciting day of monotype printmaking. A monotype is a unique, one of a kind, handmade print, created by drawing or painting an image onto a plate and transferring this to paper.
In this workshop participants will develop their own approach to this spontaneous, painterly medium, creating several monotype prints. We will explore monochrome mark-making exercises, work with wipe-out, direct painting, and tonking to make prints.
This workshop is suitable for professional artists as well as beginners.
Materials supplied, 10 places only.
Fully booked
Join David's mail list to keep up to date.
Monotype printmaking
with artist David Begley
Drawing Room, Ardgillan Castle
Balbriggan, Co. Dublin
Saturday 15 February 2025, 10am - 4pm
Fully booked
Join David's mail list to keep up to date.
Advanced monotype printmaking
with artist David Begley
Drawing Room, Ardgillan Castle
Balbriggan, Co. Dublin
Saturday 08 February 2025, 10am - 4pm
Participants will develop their own unique approach to this spontaneous, painterly medium, creating monotype prints.
We will explore monochrome mark-making exercises, work with wipe-out, direct painting, tonking, and collage techniques in order to make our prints.
David Begley works with water based non-toxic printmaking ink. His monotype prints have been selected for exhibitions at the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair, London, RHA, Dublin, Contemporary Masters of Printmaking, Schull, Cork, Aberystwyth Printmakers, and Oriel Mostyn, Wales.
Materials supplied, 10 places only.
Fully booked
Join David's mail list to keep up to date.
Charcoal and botanical ink
making, drawing, and painting
with artist David Begley
Killruddery House and Gardens
Bray, County Wicklow
Saturday 08 and Sunday 09 March 2025
10am - 4pm
Join artist David Begley for a two day workshop in making, drawing, and painting with charcoal and botanical ink. David will demonstrate how to gather and prepare materials, and how to grind, bind, cook and transform them into your own unique charcoals and inks using ancient and contemporary recipes.
10 places only.
Book your place via Killruddery.com
ADDITIONAL INFO:
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Tickets: €250pp for both days. *includes food and drink
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Hot drink and light bite on arrival
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Well Water station.
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Sour Dough Pizza and Salads Lunch in Pizza Shed on Saturday
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Long Table Lunch in the Grain Store on Sunday
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Afternoon coffee / tea and baked goods
Please bring a mortar and pestle, apron and a notebook.
Making Tannin Inks
Online demonstration with David Begley
Plants and Colours UK
Tuesday 25th March 4-6pm GMT
Join live or watch the recording
Join David Begley for a demonstration and talk on creating natural inks from tannin-rich plants. Focusing on eucalyptus and New Zealand flax—two widely accessible species in urban environments— exploring the process of preparing and cooking these versatile inks.
Sharing painting techniques that bring these natural inks to life and demonstrating how to use iron water to deepen and expand your colour palette.
David will also demonstrate how these natural inks can be used in practice, sharing techniques to bring their unique qualities to life. The session will conclude with a Q&A, offering the opportunity to delve deeper into the process and ask questions. PDF handout included.
Booking via Plants and colour UK
This demonstration will cover:
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An introduction to tannins and their role in ink making.
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Harvesting New Zealand flax and eucalyptus for optimal results.
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Making ink and combining these inks with iron water to deepen and expand the colour palette.
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Preparing gum arabic as a binder for ink.
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Choosing and working with paper for ink painting.
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Exploring painting techniques and the creative effects of salting.
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A discussion of David's artworks created using Eucalyptus and New Zealand flax ink.
This workshop is suitable for artists as well as beginners.
Materials supplied, 10 places only.
€60 per person
Fully booked
Workshops 2024
Monotype printmaking
with artist David Begley
Ardgillan Gallery, Ardgillan Castle
Balbriggan, Co. Dublin
Saturday 14 December 2024, 10am - 4pm
Drawing and painting with burnt cork
A guide to preparing, drawing and painting with burnt cork
with David Begley
Live online session 4-5pm via Zoom
Tuesday 05th November 2024
Burnt cork is a wonderful, versatile medium. For drawing it gives a warm dark grey and its ink is a transparent colour full of character.
I use burnt cork to draw form, to create volume and weight. It is excellent for life drawing as its broad marks build forms quickly – with a few marks you achieve a sense of the figure. Cork is suitable for drawing flesh as it’s such a soft medium. For drawing backgrounds and space, it is ideal. It erases easily with a putty rubber. Burnt cork is also fantastic for working outdoors, drawing clouds, trees, mountains etc. Its warm tone is compatible with charcoal.
In this demonstration I’ll discuss how to select corks for burning, how to burn or bake them, what papers to use, what additional tools can be used with cork and how to make and paint with your unique burnt cork ink. I’ll share examples of my work in this medium, followed by Q and A.
Includes illustrated PDF with instructions and examples of David's work.
If you can't attend the live event, this session will be recorded and available for one week via private link.
Fully booked
From The Ground Up
A guide to creating and running gardens for art with children in a school or community setting - with David Begley
Live Online Sessions 4-6pm Plants and Colour UK
17th September, 24th September, & 1st October 2024
In this series of talks, David Begley will share his experiences growing and nurturing gardens with children in schools, on a home school project, and in a community allotment. The talks will include a screening of David’s film The Keepers, created to highlight the importance of art and gardening for children and using the garden as a source for art workshops.
David will demonstrate art activities for children and share his lesson plans. This series will be of interest to artists, parents, facilitators, teachers, and community groups. David will discuss practical aspects such as working with schools, equipment and material lists, child appraisal, risk assessments and safety, insurance, working with weather, and how challenges create opportunities to learn.
Further information and bookings here
Botanical ink making and painting
with artist David Begley
Mermaid Arts Centre
Main street, Bray, County Wicklow
Saturday 19 October 2024, 11:30am - 4:00pm
In this fun and intensive workshop we will begin with a brief history of ink and medieval manuscript making, and will learn about pigment sources including plant, insect, mineral, and earth. We will explore oak gall and other tannic inks and learn about acidity and permanent colour. We will grind earth pigments to make ink, and to explore botanical inks, will enjoy painting and drawing exercises.
David will demonstrate how to grind, bind, cook, and transform organic materials into inks using ancient and contemporary recipes.
This workshop is suitable for artists as well as beginners.
Materials supplied, please bring a pestle and mortar!
Fully booked
Botanical Inks with Artist David Begley
at Chester Beatty, Dublin
Saturday 27 July, 10am – 4pm
To celebrate the Heavenly Flowers: The Hamilton Field Book of Hours exhibition, join artist David Begley at Chester Beatty, Dublin, for a day of making and painting with botanical ink. David will demonstrate how to gather and prepare materials, how to grind, bind, cook, and transform them into inks using ancient and contemporary recipes. This workshop also includes a short tour of Heavenly Flowers and an opportunity to respond to these illuminated works.
€75 per person, materials provided but please bring your own pestle and mortar.
Fully booked
Medieval ink making demonstration
with David Begley - Sunday June 09th 2024
Irish National Heritage Park, Wexford
12pm - 3pm
David will be giving medieval ink making demonstrations on Sunday 9th June from 12pm - 3pm at Irish National Heritage Park, Wexford, as part of Monastery Day. Visitors can try their hand at writing or drawing with a quill and oak gall ink. David will share his knowledge of medieval pigments and manuscript making.
Also on the day: Bee keeping in Medieval Ireland with Murt Laffan, Volunteer Gardeners’ Herb garden tour, and
St.Columba / Columcille talks with costumed tour guide.
Entrance ticket to the park includes these events: https://irishheritage.ie/events/monastery-day/
Online charcoal animation demonstration
with David Begley - 14th May
Plants and Colour UK (online)
Tuesday 14 May 2024, 4pm - 5.30pm
Making a charcoal animation is fun, immersive and exciting – seeing your image begin to move and come to life is wonderful. With basic tools and a little knowledge you can create surprising results.
For my drawings and animations, I make driftwood charcoal. Driftwood charcoal gives a deep, soft black and is ideal for animation as it erases easily. In this demonstration I will explain how to bake charcoal and set up your drawing for stop motion animation recording. I'll discuss how to storyboard and plan an animation, using a digital camera to record your drawings, lighting, frame rates, editing, software, and sound design.
I'll share and discuss examples of my animations,
followed by Q and A.
£35 pp. Bookings via Plants and colours
Exploring drawing in charcoal
Friday 22 March 2024, 11am - 2pm
Culture Connects, Richmond Barracks, Dublin
David has made charcoal for drawing and animation for many years. In this workshop participants will learn how to select timbers and bake their own charcoal, explore mark making, draw from observation and with intuition, as well as using additional drawing tools – sandpaper, erasers, a selection of drawing papers, chamois and burnt cork.
Fully booked
Burnt Cork For drawing and painting
Plants and Colour UK (online)
Saturday 02 March 2024, 4pm - 5.30pm
Burnt cork is a wonderful, versatile medium. For drawing it gives a warm dark grey and its ink is a transparent colour full of character.
I use burnt cork to draw form, to create volume and weight. It is excellent for life drawing as its broad marks build forms quickly – with a few marks you achieve a sense of the figure. Cork is suitable for drawing flesh as it’s such a soft medium. For drawing backgrounds and space, it is ideal. It erases easily with a putty rubber. Burnt cork is also fantastic for working outdoors, drawing clouds, trees, mountains etc. Its warm tone is compatible with charcoal.
In this demonstration I’ll discuss how to select corks for burning, how to burn or bake them, what papers to use, what additional tools can be used with cork and how to make and paint with your unique burnt cork ink. I’ll share examples of my work in this medium, followed by Q and A.
Fully booked
Alder Ink with David Begley
Plants and Colour UK (online)
Saturday 4th November 4pm - 5.30pm
Alder cone yields a rich, transparent, amber colour. When oxidised and combined with metals and modifiers, it is possible to deepen and darken the colour, and increase its opacity. Like oak gall, its tannic acid reacts with iron water to produce a permanent black.
For this workshop David will discuss the versatility of alder cone ink compared to oak gall ink and its ease of preparation. David will demonstrate how to cook alder cones to make a variety of different colour inks; working with different modifiers and equipment to alter the ink and demonstrate painting techniques he’s developed. David will discuss a selection of his works in ink and this will be followed by 20 minutes of Q&As.
£30.00 per person, booking via Plants and Colour
Fully booked
Botanical Inks with Artist David Begley
at Chester Beatty, Dublin
Saturday 09 December, 10am – 4pm
& Sunday 10 December, 12noon – 4pm
Due to popular demand, the Chester Beatty welcomes back artist David Begley for 2 days of making and painting with natural inks. David will demonstrate how to prepare materials, and how to grind, bind, cook and transform them into your own unique inks using ancient and contemporary recipes.
Participants will enjoy painting and experimenting with botanical inks and learn of their use in illuminated manuscripts in the Chester Beatty collection. Materials provided but please bring your own mortar and pestle.
Fully booked
Ink making and painting with David Begley at
Chester Beatty, Dublin
Saturday 12 August, 10am-4pm
To celebrate National Heritage Week, join artist David Begley at Chester Beatty, Dublin, for a day of making and painting with natural ink. David will demonstrate how to gather and prepare materials, how to grind and bind, cook and transform them into unique inks using ancient and contemporary recipes.
€50 per person, materials provided but please bring your own pestle and mortar. Limited to 10 participants, booking required.
Fully booked
Email David for future workshop details:
davidbegleyartist@gmail.com
Medieval ink making workshop
Sunday June 04 2023
Join David for an afternoon of making and painting with natural ink and learn how medieval illuminated manuscripts were made. David will demonstrate how to prepare materials and transform them into your own unique inks.
12pm - 3pm, Ferns Community Centre, County Wexford
Fully booked
Ink making workshop
Saturday April 29 2023
Join David for an intensive and fun day of making and painting with natural ink. David will demonstrate how to gather and prepare materials, and how to grind, bind, cook and transform them into your own unique inks.
10am - 4.30pm, Blackwater, County Wexford
€150 per person including materials
The Magic of Trees and Charcoal
Blackbird Cultur-Lab, Foulksmills, Co WexfordA free event for Cruinniú na nÓg
For ages 6 -12 yearsSaturday June 11 2022
Join artist David Begley on an exploration of the magic of trees and charcoal at the Blackbird Cultur-Lab. This family workshop, suitable for young people ages 6-12 years and their parents, is designed to make connections with the biodiversity around us. After going on a short walk to look at trees (weather dependent), participants will learn about how charcoal is made, and make their own charcoal drawings of trees.
Fully booked
Drawing the Tale of The Wexford Whale
Artist’s talk and film screening with David Begley
and musician Ruah Pearson
A free event for National Drawing Day 2022
Saturday 21st May via Zoom, 5pm - 6.15pm
For this year’s National Drawing Day, David Begley will discussed his work in creating The Wexford Whale animation. Featuring drawings and animations by David and pupils of Scoil Mhuire National School, Rosslare, County Wexford, this 12 minute film is inspired by the true story of the 25 metre blue whale captured by Ned Wickham in Wexford in 1891.
David discussed the fun and challenges involved in making the film, the children's fantastic drawings, the joy of recording foleys with Scoil Mhuire pupils and Richard Sabin’s (Principal Curator of Mammals, The Natural History Museum), contribution to the film. Ruah Pearson discussed her cello score and this event also included a screening of The Wexford Whale.
Animation Demonstrations
Saturday April 2nd 2022, 3pm via zoom
Animation demonstration (fully booked)
Monday March 14th 2022, 10.30am via zoom
Animation demonstration (fully booked)
Saturday March 12th 2022, 10.30am via zoom
Animation demonstration (fully booked)
Monday March 7th 2022
Animation demonstration (fully booked)
David will discuss how he creates his charcoal animations including materials, equipment, filming, lighting, editing, and sound.