What to wear - If you have an apron or any old clothes (perhaps an oversized shirt) that you don't mind getting paint on, this is the time to use them. Although you may make it through the activity without spilling any paint at all, it's always good to be cautious! 
 
Protecting your workspace - Before starting your activity we suggest putting down an old sheet, newspaper or anything you have that you're happy to get paint on to protect your work surface. This should cover the whole area you're working in (the whole table or floor area), including where your palette and tools will be. It's also good to bear in mind that your surface needs to be flat and secure so don't choose anything with an uneven surface or anything that is slippery.

Anything else you need - Although the kit contains all the tools and materials you need, you will also need to gather a couple of things that you will already have in your home. 
- A water container to wash your brushes and add dilute the paints (if you choose), we suggest you use an old jam jar or any unused glass or plastic container. It needs to be large enough for your brushes to be submerged in
- Tissues or kitchen roll clean brushes in between colours and also used to dab any excess water or paint while you're working

Stage One: Canvas Building (15 minutes)
Stage Two: Studies Book Exercises ( 30 minutes to an hour, depending on complexity and detail)
Stage Three: Painting Your Canvas (30 minutes to 3 hours depending on complexity, detail and dry time)

Timings will vary depending on a number of different factors. You can spend as long as you’d like on each exercise, and these are also optional if you’d like to get going on your final canvas!

A big white canvas can be intimidating to anyone - even professional artists. Our guidance has been created in mind of this, with exercises we’ve developed to teach a fundamental understanding of the elements used to build an abstract piece. Ranging from colour, composition, layering, and even just loosening up, these quick fun exercises are designed to be completed in your A5 studies book and include top tips from artists along the way.

Absolutely! Our Abstract Painting guide is packed full of contemporary and iconic artworks, with invaluable artist tips to help you along the way. We have also created digital content exclusive to the purchase of the kit which includes artist interviews, in-studio footage, painting demos and tutorials. 

No tool box, no problem! We’ve designed our canvas frame so it can be built with just your hands. Simply layout your frame pieces by looking for the handy letter stamps. Then push together the wood joints one-by-one.

Follow along with our step-by-step tutorial - Scan your QR code on the front of your guide to head over to the Digital Content Hub.

We supply you with two adhesive hooks which are perfect for any home - rented or owned!

Making sure to put space between each hook, placement of the hooks will be where the top edge of the canvas will sit, peel off the protective film and stick them in-line with each other. Now hang your masterpiece!

There are 3 main considerations when hanging your masterpiece: location, space and colour.

Location - Choose a well lit space with no direct sunlight. Avoid placing in rooms with lots of humidity or close to a radiator.

Space - Consider the surrounding wall and if the painting has enough breathing space. However, if there is too much it can look lost. Also allow plenty of room in front of it to stand back and admire.

Colour - Choose an area of your home that has complimentary colours - look for common hues in furniture, wall paint or decor. 

- Dust your piece regularly and never use chemicals to clean it
- Avoid touching the finished piece with your fingers
- Hang your painting in a well aired room with a consistant temperature and no excessive heat, damp or sunlight
- If you are stacking multiple paintings, always insure to place a layer of paper between each one to avoid sticking or damage

Equipment
- Wash your paintbrush and palette knife before the paint dries. This will be easier to wash and hardened paint will affect paint finish when used again in future
- Store paint brushes bristles upright
- Never leave brushes with dried paint on or sitting in water
- Store paint in a well aired room
- Ensure paint pouch lids are securely fastened to avoid the paint drying out

Packaging 
- All the paper/card elements of our kit are recyclable however we encourage you to reuse all elements of our packaging as much as possible
- The decorative outer box makes the perfect storage for your art materials!
- The paint pouches are resealable to keep any unused paint from drying out
- Our palette is home compostable: we recommend wiping all wet paint off after use to either reuse or dispose

Paintbrushes, Palette Knife & Sponge

Once you’ve got the abstract buzz, our tools are designed for you to use again and again. You just need to make sure you take care of them using our guidance provided.

Paint Palette

Our palette can be reused for your future masterpieces! Just rinse and wipe off excessive wet paint after use.

Acrylic Paint

Any remaining paint left in your pouches need to be sealed tightly and kept in a cool, dry location for later use

Outer Box

The perfect solution for storing art materials in your home!

All the card/cardboard elements of our kit are widely recyclable and the protective tissue paper covering the canvas is home compostable.

For any other elements, make sure to check your local recycling rules.

Considered Materials

- We have developed low VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints. This means that you are not exposed to high levels of compounds that easily turn into gases and vapours at room temperature

- Our wood is made from FSC wood, this means it is sourced from responsibly managed forests that are environmentally conscious and socially beneficial - certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

- The artist paper in the A5 studies book is acid-free

- Our artist canvas is weaved from 100% cotton - no more synthetic fibres!

Low Plastic

Where possible we have developed natural alternatives to plastic packaging that can be re-used, recycled or composted.Only one element of the packaging in this kit is made of plastic: the paint pouches. These have a much lower plastic content than standard paint packaging. We are currently working towards a more environmentally friendly material for this element of the kit.

Recyclable

95% of the packaging in this kit is widely recyclable

- please ensure you are recycling these properly once you no longer need them.

Compostable

Our unique paint palette is made from 90% sugarcane and 10% bamboo, meaning it is fully home compostable - we've tried it in our compost bin!Re-usableWe hope you keep the art you create for a long time.All tools in this set are re-usable and should last you a long time painting lots of different unique artwork! We hope you enjoy them :).We also encourage you to use your outer box as storage for your tools and any other art bits.