Last Updated on July 1, 2024
PIGMENT TOKYO will be offering special workshops for children during the summer break. For 2024, we are planning several educational events that can cultivate creativity through learning art materials, colors and traditional art techniques.
Our art materials experts who are also professional artists will explain the materials, tools and processes, so it will be fun and easy even if you are new to the art materials.
This is a great opportunity to have a unique experience to understand the art-making process during this upcoming holiday!
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
Date & Time: July 21, 2024 (Sun.) 10:00 — 11:30
August 4, 2024 (Sun.)10:00 — 11:30
August 11, 2024 (Sun.) 14:00 — 15:30
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
Reservations:
July 21 (Sun.) Creating Original Crayons July 21.2024
August 4 (Sun.) Creating Original Crayons August 4.2024
August 11.2024 (Sun.) Creating Original Crayons August 11.2024
**Adult assistance is required for children under elementary school age due to the detailed work involved, such as scraping with a measuring spoon.
*Preschool children are welcome, however, please be aware of the above work precautions.
*Although aprons and rubber gloves will be provided during the workshops, wearing clothes that you do not mind getting dirty is highly suggested.
(Aprons: one size fits all for adults/ adjustable string length for children)
*An additional child or parent/guardian may be added per pair.
◾️ Additional child/adult: ¥4,950 (tax and materials included)
*Either a child or an adult can be added to the reservation.
*A limited number of seats are available and the reservation will be closed once all the seats are fully booked.
◾️ Lecture/Demonstration 10:00 —10:20 (approx. 20 min.)
The instructor will explain the materials for making crayons in a way that is easy for children to understand.
Once children get used to the idea, the instructor will demonstrate how to make crayons.
◾️ Crayon Making 10:20 － 11:30 (approx. 70 min.)
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 heating the mixture.
Once the materials are melted and well mixed, pour them into the molds so they can chill down and 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 imagining your favorite colors or 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 special workshop for parents and children to learn colors through hands-on experience.
［Summer Workshop for Family］ Creating Original Color Wheel
Date & Time: August 3, 2024 (Sat.) 10:00 — 12:00
August 12 (Mon., holiday) 14:00 — 15:30
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
Reservations:
August 3 (Sat.) Creating Original Color Wheel August 3.2024
August 12 (Mon.) Creating Original Color Wheel August 12.2024
**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 and rubber gloves will be provided during the workshops, wearing clothes that you do not mind getting dirty is highly suggested.
(Aprons: one size fits all for adults/ adjustable string length for children)
*An additional child or parent/guardian may be added per pair.
<Ticket Options (Please select one)>
◾️ Additional child/adult (tax and materials included):
Add 1 child: 4,950 yen
Add 1 adult: 4,950 yen
*A limited number of seats are available, and the reservation will be closed when all the seats are reserved.
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.
◾️ Lecture/Demonstration 10:00 — 10:20 (approx. 20 minutes)
After an explanation of the pigments and glue used in this workshop, a demonstration will be given to explain the process.
◾️ Making Artwork 10:20 — 11:30 (approx. 70 minutes)
First, spread the liquid paint as you want and enjoy observing 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 the surface and how 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 preference and feeling to find the perfect spot to pick up from the pool of color.
A beautiful color wheel is created by arranging the large and small parts in color gradations, creating a rhythm and turning them into 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 to hang it on the wall or decorate your room.
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 Break Research Project] Learn Japanese Traditional Art Materials
Date & Time: July 28, 2024 (Sun.) 10:00 — 12:00
August 18 (Sun.) 10:00 — 12:00
Instructor: Natsumi Yamasato (PIGMENT TOKYO art materials expert)
Venue: PIGMENT TOKYO
Fee: 7,700 yen per person (tax and materials included)
Applicable School Grades：Preschoolers / Elementary to junior high school students
Reservations:
July 28 (Sun.) Learn Japanese Traditional Art Materials July 28.2024
August 18 (Sun.) Learn Japanese Traditional Art Materials August 18.2024
**Preschool children are welcome, however, an adult or guardian is required.
*Please select the guardian option (free of charge) when accompanied by a parent or guardian.
*For children or students, please select the option (free of charge) according to the participant’s age. A worksheet will be provided according to the school grades.
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 the basic paint-making technique and how to color with the paints they made by using an image of a famous art piece called "Morning Glories" by Kiitsu Suzuki, a painter from the Edo period.
◾️ Making Artwork / Lecture 10:00 — 10:40 (approx. 40 minutes)
The first step is to knead the paint and apply the base color.
It begins with the kneading pigments in a ceramic plate to make the paint.
The instructor will demonstrate and carefully explain how to knead the pigments and the steps.
Always feel free to ask for help if you have any questions.
Image left: a worksheet for senior elementary school students and above.
The lecture will cover the materials that are used to make paints.
Worksheets will be provided according to your child's school grade so that they can learn about paints, pigments and other art materials. After returning home, they can also review the worksheets or play a quiz with the family.
◾️ Making Artwork 10:40 — 11:30 (approx. 50 mins)
Apply color to morning glories.
The lines of the underpainting will still be visible after the background is painted, so that the participants can color the petals and leaves without any problem.
The pigments used in this workshop are natural mineral pigments, Gunjo, Rokusho and Gofun (white shell pigment powder), the same technique used in a Japanese screen painting, “Morning Glories”.
Children will have a deeper understanding of these traditional Japanese paints by feeling the texture of the pigment particles and animal glue with their fingertips.
It is interesting how artwork is unique because of the use of colors and brushwork, even painting the same images with the same art materials.
Children can experiment with color tones, brushstrokes, space and art materials that meet their imagination and concepts. Other than that, paints and tools are essential to the art-making process.
In this workshop, they can use authentic painting materials like those used by famous artists.
Once the morning glories and leaves are colored, it is done!
With the airy and elegant shades, natural mineral pigments may become one of the most memorable colors of this summer.
In addition to the courses introduced in this article, there are special summer workshops for adults only.
Feel free to check the reservation page for more information or sign up.
【ARTICLES】 Summer Special Workshop at PIGMENT TOKYO “Understanding and Making Brushes with Kyoto Nakasato”
If you have any questions or concerns with any of the workshops, feel free to contact us through email.
<Contact Us> pigment@terrada.co.jp
*Please note that it is not allowed to assist or linger for long periods around the workshop space without a reservation or option ticket.
We hope these workshops will be an opportunity for you to discover some insight through experiencing art and materials that open your children’s doors to art and creativity.
Translated by Atsumi Okano, Nelson Hor Ee Herng
PIGMENT TOKYO Art Materials Experts
Art Materials Expert at PIGMENT TOKYO
Natsuko Shiraishi
Graduated from the Textile Design at Tama Art University. She is an artist who mainly works with original Washi paper and calligraphy.
Graduated from the Textile Design at Tama Art University. She is an artist who mainly works with original Washi paper and calligraphy.