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Resources for Workshop Facilitators

Are you an occupational therapist, ward manager or art facilitator looking to run a Digital Art School workshop? Here you’ll find our archive of instructional videos and downloadable resources to help guide you to facilitate art workshops for service users.

Welcome to Hospital Rooms Digital Art School

Hear directly from our Co-Founder, Tim A Shaw, about the art supplies included in the 2024 programme. We can’t wait to see your creations!

Resources & Guides

Exploring Your Hospital Rooms Art Materials Pack

In your Hospital Rooms art materials pack, you’ll find a variety of watercolour and acrylic paints. Each pack includes:

– Primary Colours: Red, yellow, and blue.
– White: For tinting and lightening colours.
– Additional Colours: A selection of other hues to expand your palette.

Mixing Colours

With these paints, you can mix a wide range of new colours, so you don’t need a large collection of paints. Here’s how to get started:

1. Primary Colours: Use red, yellow, and blue as the base for mixing.
2. Tinting: Add white to lighten any colour.
3. Experiment: Try mixing different amounts to create new shades and tones.

Creating a Colour Wheel

If you haven’t made a colour wheel before, it’s a helpful exercise to understand colour mixing. In a moment, we’ll demonstrate how to combine primary colours to create secondary colours, and then how to mix secondary colours for even more options.

Tips for Mixing Colours

– Keep Water Handy: Always have water ready to clean your brushes between mixing different colours to avoid muddy results.
– Experiment: Don’t be afraid to play around and discover new colours by mixing.

Enjoy experimenting with your paints and exploring the endless possibilities of colour!

Here you can find a poster to print out with space for you to add in the date and time you’ll be hosting your workshop. Print this out and display it in and around your ward or hospital site to engage more service users.

Download PDF

Download our risk assessment template to complete and share with colleagues on your ward or in your mental health service.

Download PDF

Caring for Your Hospital Rooms Art Materials

If you’ve received a Hospital Rooms art materials box, you’ll find a selection of different brushes. These are clearly labelled and categorised into:

– Watercolour Brushes: Softer brushes, ideal for watercolours and inks.
– Acrylic Brushes: Firmer brushes, perfect for acrylic paints and applying glues.

Proper care is essential to ensure your art materials, especially the brushes, last for years. Here are some tips to help you maintain them:

After Painting

1. Remove Excess Paint:
– Use tissue paper to gently wipe off any excess paint from the brushes before it starts to dry.

2. Wash the Brushes:
– Rinse the brushes in cool or cold water. Avoid using hot water, as it can cause the bristles to fall out.
– Since the paints provided (both watercolours and acrylics) are water-based, water is usually sufficient for cleaning.

3. Check for Cleanliness:
– The brushes may still appear stained, but they are clean when no paint color comes out while rinsing them under water.

4. Drying the Brushes:
– After washing, give the brushes a quick flick to remove excess water.
– Lay them flat to dry or place them bristle-end up in a jar.

Remember, a brush is for life, not just for Hospital Rooms Digital Art School. Taking good care of your brushes will ensure they remain in excellent condition for your future artistic endeavors.

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Instructional videos

Getting Started

Introducing the Digital Art School Materials Box

Tim describes what you can expect to receive in your Digital Art School materials box.

Watch

How to Set up the Space to Host your Workshop

Top tips from Tim on how to prepare the space you’ll be working in.

Watch

Create a Poster to Promote your Workshop

Nafeesa presents the workshop poster template which you can use to promote your workshop.

Watch

Introducing the Digital Art School Materials Box

Tim describes what you can expect to receive in your Digital Art School materials box.

Watch

How to Set up the Space to Host your Workshop

Top tips from Tim on how to prepare the space you’ll be working in.

Watch

Create a Poster to Promote your Workshop

Nafeesa presents the workshop poster template which you can use to promote your workshop.

Watch

Technical Skills

How to Tear Paper without Scissors

No scissors? No problem! Check out these top tips for tearing paper neatly by simply using a ruler and a dash of water!

Watch

Pencil Exercises (Draw and Shade a Sphere)

Richard demonstrates how to draw and shade a sphere, sharing tips on keeping your hands and wrists flexible for drawing.

Watch

Pencil Exercises (Draw and Shade a Cube)

Richard shows how to draw and shade a cube, offering tips on warming up and keeping your wrists and hands relaxed.

Watch

How to Tear Paper without Scissors

No scissors? No problem! Check out these top tips for tearing paper neatly by simply using a ruler and a dash of water!

Watch

Pencil Exercises (Draw and Shade a Sphere)

Richard demonstrates how to draw and shade a sphere, sharing tips on keeping your hands and wrists flexible for drawing.

Watch

Pencil Exercises (Draw and Shade a Cube)

Richard shows how to draw and shade a cube, offering tips on warming up and keeping your wrists and hands relaxed.

Watch

Accessible Videos (British Sign Language)

How to Tear Paper without Scissors

No scissors? No problem! Check out these top tips for tearing paper neatly by simply using a ruler and a dash of water!

Watch

Pencil Exercises (Draw and Shade a Sphere)

Richard demonstrates how to draw and shade a sphere, sharing tips on keeping your hands and wrists flexible for drawing.

Watch

Pencil Exercises (Draw and Shade a Cube)

Richard shows how to draw and shade a cube, offering tips on warming up and keeping your wrists and hands relaxed.

Watch

Create a Poster to Promote your Workshop

Nafeesa presents the workshop poster template which you can use to promote your workshop.

Watch

Introducing the Digital Art School Materials Box

Tim describes what you can expect to receive in your Digital Art School materials box.

Watch

How to Set up the Space to Host your Workshop

Top tips from Tim on how to prepare the space you’ll be working in.

Watch

We all know that art is not everyone’s forte, but the videos have enabled staff that would not describe themselves as artistic to confidently lead sessions. Seeing the process has enabled us to engage service users in art that may not previously have engaged with it.

—Oliver Soriano, Chief Nursing Officer, Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust

The sessions available are wonderful and support the running of our art groups in the inpatient setting. We grade these to suit the service users due to their abilities, it gives us the scope to trial new art projects with our client group.

—Aimee Greene, Senior Occupational Therapist, Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

I have been working with patients using the workshops to bring some creativity and colour to the ward. These workshops have been successful when patients are feeling low. They do make a difference.

—Alison Ingham, Recovery Worker, Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust

Patients come and go but the first thing I introduce them to is Digital Art School. They all find the group calming and relaxing and always look forward to the next class.

—Yvonne Ellis, Occupational Therapist, Woodleigh Community Independent Unit, Croydon

Explore the Archive

We want to hear from you!

As a workshop facilitator or as a receiver of the box of arts materials, we ask that you share your feedback with us as you commence your journey with us through the Digital Art School. Your feedback will help us to continue to host our public programme for years to come, keeping all of the free workshop content and boxes of arts materials meaningful, accessible, and enjoyable for all.

Submit feedback
A person with a beard, wearing a black beanie, pink hoodie, and brown overalls, is seated at a cluttered desk, engrossed in drawing or painting. The background features shelves filled with books, art supplies, and colourful decorations.
John Booth, Digital Art School. Photo © Hospital Rooms.