Every year, PIGMENT TOKYO holds special workshops for children during summer breaks.

We have prepared four workshops for the year 2023, featuring art materials, colors, and traditional techniques that all have been receiving great responses from our customers.

Children and parents can learn together through lectures and practice, while these workshops are designed not only for children who love painting and coloring but also for art education that nurtures children’s creativity and identity through art and color materials.

Our art materials experts who are also professional artists in traditional arts and crafts will gently explain the materials, tools and processes, so it will be fun and comfortable even if you are new to the art materials.

This is a great opportunity to have an authentic experience to understand the processes in an enjoyable time.

We are starting this summer with one of the most popular workshops where children and their parents can make color materials together.

［Summer Workshop for Family］Creating Original Crayons

Dates: July 23 (Sun.) and August 17 (Thu.), 2023

Time: 10:00 - 11:30

Instructor: Kei Saito (PIGMENT TOKYO art materials expert)

Fee: ¥9,900 per parent & child pair (2 persons) (tax and materials included)

Age group: 5 years old and above

Reservation:

 　July 23 (Sun)【Creating Original Crayons】23/07/23 - PIGMENT TOKYO

　 August 17 (Thu)【Creating Original Crayons】23/08/17 - PIGMENT TOKYO

*Adult assistance is required for children under elementary school age due to the detailed work involved, such as scraping with a measuring spoon.

*An additional child or parent/guardian may be added per pair.

*This event has ended.

Find the latest information about our workshops through the following link.

https://pigment.tokyo/en/collections/workshop

This is a workshop where you can make crayons that children love all the time.

Our instructor will explain the process of making crayons step-by-step while talking about stories of colors and materials.

Participants will be able to take the crayons they made home with them in a special box.

In addition to the three primary colors, participants can also enjoy mixing them to create their original colors.

You may use the images and instructions in this article for you and your children to get an idea of what kind of crayons can be made.

◾️How to Make

The first step is to mix the wax and oil used as the base of the crayons, then add the color powder called "pigment" according to the quantity, while warming the mixture.

  
 

Once the materials are melted and well mixed, pour them into the molds and let them solidify.

And this is how crayons are made! 

This would be a special experience to create your own art materials.

You can make your own crayons at your own pace while visualizing your favorite colors, your mood at the time and the picture you want to draw.

Just like conventional crayons, you can use them as they are or in combination with the color materials you already have.

It would also be fun to use the crayons you made to draw memories of your family with your children after going home.

Next, we have the annual workshop for parents and children to learn colors through creative experience.

［Summer Workshop for Family］ Creating Original Color Wheel  

Date: July 30 (Sun.), 2023

Time: 10:00 - 12:00

Instructor: Kei Saito (PIGMENT TOKYO art materials expert)

Venue: PIGMENT TOKYO

Fee: ¥9,900 per parent & child pair (2 persons) (tax and materials included)

Age group: 5 years old and above

Reservation: 

July 30 (Sun)【Creating Original Color Wheel】23/07/30 - PIGMENT TOKYO

**Adult assistance is required for children under elementary school age due to the detailed work involved, such as handling tweezers.

*Preschool children are  welcome, however, please be aware of the above work precautions.

*Although aprons will be provided during the workshops, wearing clothes that you do not mind getting dirty is highly suggested.

*An additional child or parent/guardian may be added per pair.

*This event has ended.

Find the latest information about our workshops through the following link.

https://pigment.tokyo/en/collections/workshop

The three primary colors are the three basic colors that can turn into many different colors by combining and mixing them.

This workshop is designed to deepen participants' knowledge of color through a lecture and hands-on practice of collaging colors by following their intuition.

Therefore, our participants can immerse themselves and learn the colors through interesting stories and with their senses.

 

First, spread the liquid paint as you want and enjoy looking at how the colors blend and mix.

The three primary colors of paint are cyan (blue-green), magenta (red-purple), and yellow.

Even by mixing the colors with the same combination such as cyan and yellow or magenta and yellow, you can produce infinite colors by slightly changing the mixing ratio of them.

YUPO Paper is a type of synthetic paper that is water-resistant, tear-resistant, and has a smooth surface. During the workshop, you can observe how the paints flow around on the surface and the primary colors meld together in a marble-like pattern.

Next, transfer the paint onto a piece of bamboo washi paper cut in a circular shape.

You can place the paper anywhere by simply relying on your senses and intuitions to find the perfect spot to pick up from the pool of color.

While you are drying the circular pieces, it is fun to watch how the bamboo fibers of the paper absorb moisture and change color. As you observe them, you will notice that the color patterns may change unexpectedly or stay as you imagined. 

A beautiful color wheel is created by arranging the large and small parts in color gradations, creating a rhythm and composing a big circle.

The backsides of the circular parts have double-sided tape so you can apply these to the paper board at the end.

You can take your artwork home so that you can display it in your room to enjoy the beautiful colors.

Moreover, we know that Japanese schools always assign research homework during the summer break.

Since the following workshop is only held in summer, participants can finish their homework on the theme of art materials.

Parents and children can attend this workshop together, as well as open for children only.

［Summer Workshop for Family］ Creating Original Color Wheel  

Date: July 29 (Sat.) and August 20 (Sun.), 2023

Time: 10:00 - 12:00

Instructor: Natsumi Yamasato (PIGMENT TOKYO art materials expert)

Venue: PIGMENT TOKYO

Fee: ¥7,700 per parent & child pair (2 persons) (tax and materials included)

Age group:  Elementary to junior high school students

Reservation: 

July 29 (Sat)【Learning Japanese Traditional Art Materials】23/07/29 - PIGMENT TOKYO

August 20 (Sun)【Learning Japanese Traditional Art Materials】23/08/20 - PIGMENT TOKYO

*Pre-school children are welcome, however, must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

*Please select the option applicable to your child's age (free of charge). We will prepare a worksheet according to your child’s age.

*Please apply for the option (free of charge) if a child is accompanied by a parent or guardian.

*This event has ended.

Find the latest information about our workshops through the following link.

https://pigment.tokyo/en/collections/workshop

In this workshop, children can experience creating an art piece and doing a research paper about painting materials that have been handed down in Japan for a long time.

Explanations about traditional painting materials such as Iwa-enogu (mineral pigments) will be given along with working on an assignment sheet created by PIGMENT TOKYO's art materials experts. The students may use these assignment sheets for their summer homework.

For practical skills, children can learn how to make paints and how to paint with the paints they made by using an image of a famous art piece called "Morning Glories" by Kiitsu Suzuki, a painter of the Edo period.

Our instructor, who is an artist and researcher of the reproduction of historical art pieces will give a lecture with slides based on her own experiences.

This workshop is made to be easy to understand for children who are new to art materials, so do not worry and feel free to ask any questions during the workshops.

The image on the left is a worksheet for senior elementary school students and above. We have handouts available according to children's age groups.

Children can learn about the paints and pigments, along with the art materials used in the workshop.

When returning home, they can review the worksheets or play a quiz with their families.

After listening to the lecture, it is time to practice how to create a painting.

 

The process begins with kneading pigments on a plate and making paint.

The pigments used here are natural mineral Gunjo (azurite), Rokusho (malachite) and Gofun (oyster shell), following the colors used in Suzuki Kiitsu’s "Morning Glories".

Natural mineral pigments are made by crushing ore and they turn into paints by kneading with a binder. Through hands-on practice, participants will learn the traditional painting materials and techniques of kneading mineral pigments and animal glue.

Even though they used the same art materials and the same image, their paintings may look different due to the ways colors are applied with different brushstrokes, and being able to observe these young artists' personalities through drawing is one of the most interesting parts of the workshop. 

They can play with the shades, brushstrokes, use of margins and exploration of materials according to their own idea of the image and research. 

Next, color the morning glories and leaves, and you are done!

The airy and elegant colors of natural mineral pigments may become one of the most memorable colors of the summer.

Moreover, we always want to keep and hang our children's drawings in good condition as they grow up. The following workshop is where parents and children can learn the traditional artwork storage techniques.

［Summer Workshop for Family］ Let’s Play with Traditional Techniques!

Date: August 13 (Sun.), 2023

Time: 13:00 - 16:00

Instructor: Yasunori Monobe (From Monobe Gasendo)

Venue: PIGMENT TOKYO

Fee: ¥14,300 per parent & child pair (2 persons) (tax and materials included)

Age group:   4 years old and above

Reservation: 

August 13 (Sun)【Let’s Play with Traditional Techniques!】23/07/29 - PIGMENT TOKYO

*Please select an additional fee from the options if you have more than 2 children participating.

*During the workshop, wearing clothes that you do not mind getting dirty is highly suggested.

[ Things to Bring ]

Please bring your child's artwork or your favorite poster to the workshop.

You are welcome to bring your own or your favorite artists' artworks. Two pieces or more is suggested.

If you are unable to bring any artwork, you can paint at PIGMENT TOKYO on the day of the workshop.

If you are unsure whether Urauchi backing technique can be applied to your artworks, feel free to contact us by email.

　<Examples of Artwork>

　・ Portraits made by Origami 

    ・Paintings on paper or fabric.

    ・Your favorite posters, etc.

*This event has ended.

Find the latest information about our workshops through the following link.

https://pigment.tokyo/en/collections/workshop

In this workshop, you can remove wrinkles and creases from your artwork on a piece of paper and make them into an original Hyougu.

The term "Hyougu" or "Hyousou" refers to the process of making calligraphy or painting on paper or silk into hanging scrolls, scrolls, frames, sliding doors or folding screens. The process of attaching Washi paper to the back of an artwork (paper or silk) to make it thicker and stronger is called "Urauchi" and is one of the techniques used in Hyousou.

In this workshop, parents and children will have the opportunity to experience the process from the Urauchi backing technique to Hyousou. Moreover, participants can deepen their knowledge of the relationship between the tools and techniques by actually using the tools in person. 

The instructor will be Mr. Yasunori Monobe, a traditional craftsman from Monobe Gasendo, whose family has been carrying on the traditional Kyoto-style Hyousou techniques for four generations in Kyoto, the hive of the Hyousou culture.

This is a rare opportunity to learn directly from a Kyoto craftsman whose skills are not normally taught.

For more details on Urauchi, please refer to the following interviews with Mr. Monobe. 

An Introductory Guide to Urauchi Backing －Overview－

An Introductory Guide to Urauchi Backing –Method–

Now you may wonder how your artworks will transform with traditional Urauchi backing and Hyousou.

Here are the details of the workshop.

Paper and silk stretch out when moist and shrink when dry, and these characteristics are used to stretch wrinkles. This is one of the techniques developed by craftsmen who know their materials and tools well and have cultivated them through experience.

The back side of the artwork is wet with a special brush. This brush is also used to prepare the surface of the artwork so as not to damage it, and a thin layer of Washi paper is applied with glue to give support.

Once the artwork is dry and crisp after mounting on a board, it is ready for Hyousou.

Example work of Hyousou
Size of folding screen: 8cm x 8cm (one square)

A small folding screen or hanging scroll is made according to the size of the work.

Please take a closer look at this folding screen. It does not have the metal hinges used in modern interior partitions. This is a technique unique to Japan called paper hinges (Kamichoutsugai). There is no gap between the first and second screens, and the hinges do not distract from the images on the artwork.

We believe that learning this kind of traditional mounting technique will be a valuable experience not only for children but also for their parents and guardians.

The experience and the memories of art-making with your child will make the art piece even more special.

There are also workshops available for adults only.
Please check the details and schedule on the reservation page of each workshop before signing up.

We hope that the discovery of art and color materials, which is different from the usual school lessons, will open the door to your child's inquisitiveness and curiosity.

Most importantly, you can enjoy the finished artwork as a memory piece of your family spending the summer together.

Translated by Atsumi Okano and Nelson Hor Ee Herng
PIGMENT TOKYO Art Materials Experts