Renowned Scottish visual artist hosts mural workshops at Gray’s School of Art

Craig Black specialises in bespoke artwork, murals and installations and has recently received global success and recognition for his ‘Acrylic Fusion’ techniques to create unique and mesmerising effects. He recently collaborated with UEFA on an installation ‘The Fusion Series – Footballs' which centred around matchday storytelling.

Craig initially hosted an instructional workshop remotely and then the students worked throughout the week to create the various sections of the mural which was inspired by Guinness’ iconic Surfer television advert.

Iain Morrison, Stage 4 coordinator at Gray's School of Art said: “It’s been a fantastic opportunity for our students to work with Craig who is an internationally acclaimed visual artist. The mural looks amazing and has really enhanced their design studio. I’m confident the experience will have helped the students develop a new set of skills and will inspire them pursue further opportunities in this field."

Stage 4 student, Eva Crawford-McKee said: “Having the opportunity to create this mural with Craig has been fantastic and has opened up a new way of working remotely while also giving us an insight into mural design. The mural brightens up our workspace and gave us the opportunity to gain new skills while working collaboratively with our peers. This has been a great experience during my final year of study and has sparked further ideas to include in my final year portfolio.”

Visual artist, Craig Black, said: “I really enjoyed working with the students from Grays to create this mural. It was a real team effort and whilst it was a shame that I didn’t get to see them in person, I’m really impressed with the end result and the enthusiasm of all involved at Gray's School of Art.”

The Communication Design course at Gray's School of Art, Robert Gordon University, regularly schedules talks by visiting guests as part of an ongoing program of online and studio-based workshops that provide insight into the variety of careers and opportunities with the creative economy.

Listening to experienced practitioners and alumni forms an integral aspect of the student learning experience within the design courses.

As part of the project, the student's created a time-lapse video to show the mural being made:

Find out more about the BA (Hons) Communication Design Course:

Find out more about Visual Design Artist, Craig Black: