Mixed Media for Beginners - Florals - LOCO Centre - Adult Learning

Would you like to explore mixed media in a fun and expressive way? On this relaxed and creative four-week course, you’ll learn how to use paints, pastels, crayons, and collage to build layered, floral-inspired artworks. Your experiments will come together in a vibrant sketchbook that you can keep as a source of inspiration, a personal journal, or a display piece.

You’ll be guided through each step of the process, from mark-making and layering to assembling your finished book. Along the way, you’ll learn how to combine textures, colours, and techniques to produce expressive and visually exciting mixed media pieces—no prior experience needed.

Whether you're developing your own style or trying something new, this course is designed to give you space to play, build confidence, and expand your creative toolkit.

Course summary - what will be covered on the course?

Over four creative and supportive sessions, you will:

• Explore mixed media materials and layering techniques

• Create painted, drawn, and collaged floral designs

• Build up texture and interest using found and recycled papers

• Learn how to make a simple concertina sketchbook

• Combine all your experiments into a cohesive final piece

• Reflect on your creative process and how it could be used in your own future projects

What will learners achieve by the end of the course?

• Identify and apply five key terms (e.g. layering, resist, texture) by the end of the course.

• Produce at least three artworks using paint, collage, and drawing in combination.

• Work with a mix of at least five tools or materials (e.g. acrylics, pastels, found paper) in your project.

• Assemble and decorate your own folded sketchbook, suitable for personal or professional display.

• Complete one coordinated and colourful piece to act as a reference for future creative work or display.

• Record two ideas for how to use your new techniques in personal or commercial craft projects.

What you will need to bring to the course:

• Apron, big shirt, or old clothes (you will be using paint)

• Basic acrylic paint set: yellow, red, blue, black, white

• A selection of paint brushes in different sizes

• A pack of baby wipes

• A notebook or sketchbook (lined or plain, for notes)

• Interesting paper scraps from around the home (e.g. magazines, book pages, tissue paper, paper bags, maps, sewing patterns)

• A small piece of sandpaper

• Glue sticks

• Pens, pencils, coloured pencils, felt tips, and soft pastels

• Optional: Matte medium and white gesso if you already have them

Books to inspire you:

• Painted Botanical Collage by Tracey English

• Funky Florals: Mixed Media Collage by Elizabeth J St Hilaire

If you receive certain benefits you will be offered the course for free, however if you have a financial barrier which may prevent you from enrolling on the course, please visit our funding page for further information.

Residency in England

To book and enrol on one of our courses, you must be living in England permanently and live outside of the devolved areas listed below or live within the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) devolved area (Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire).

• Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield 

• Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

• Greater London

• Greater Manchester

• Liverpool City Region

• Newcastle Upon Tyne, North Tyneside and Northumberland

• Tees Valley

• West of England

• West Midlands

• West Yorkshire

Residency Eligibility – other criteria

If you are living in the UK on a visa we will require evidence of this in order to be funded for the course, you can upload this evidence when you apply for the course. (completion of a questionnaire will be required).

Some exceptions may apply for example

• Your visa expiry date must be beyond the end of your course

• Asylum seekers must have lived in the UK for 6 months or longer while their claim is being considered by the Home Office

• You are receiving local authority support under section 23C or section 23CA of the Children Act 1989 or the Care Act 2014

Any learner who is not funded full cost fees would apply to these courses.