Learn to enamel with enamel workshop
Because we believe that you you should be able to freely employ your skills and create work that is truly yours, Enamel Workshop offers knowledge-based classes.
You will not be technically or stylistically tied, but instead will be able to develop your own style. Our classes are downloadable (and streamable) videos and handouts, which you then own forever and have right to re-download if lost. This is the modern day’s equivalent of buying a DVD that you can peruse and consult at any time.
Students are also encouraged to join a private Facebook classroom group in which projects and techniques can be discussed with instructors and other students.
And because project-based videos are also fun, Mer offers a subscription service though Patreon, in which all questions are heard & learning content is created after listening to Patron’s requests. This Patronage also contributes to keep Enamel Workshop’s project up and running, and improving day per day.
“When you take a class with Mer, you feel like you are in the best hands you could have dreamed of to learn. She explains everything and makes the different techniques perfectly clear. She shares her huge knowledge and experience with generosity. No secret!
Emma
I especially appreciate that she goes down to the root of each gesture and explain to the why of each advice. As a student, you know why you should do things that way and I feel that having this intelligence makes all the difference.
Also, I love the fact that Mer gives the keys to learn the techniques themselves, so we can use them in our own projects. With that approach, we can focus on the technical aspects very deeply, without depending on the specificities of a project. I feel that it’s also easier for a student to train with interesting exercises rather than with an intimidating artistic project.
The filming technique is perfect and the quality of the videos is excellent ! We can see even better that if we were in the room.
And I like the fact that we can download the videos and keep them for life, to watch them whenever we want.
Mer’s Patreon channel is also like a gold mine! We learn a lot on a various topics. And I am really impressed that she shared the process of her own works. This is so very rare and very precious. I also like the conversational style of the Patreon videos. I feel like we share a moment together <3
Thank you for the time, energy and heart you put into your videos. I am really amazed!
CLASSES
In this class I show you how to complete 8 exercises that will bring your wet-packing and gradation abilities to the next level. This class is a must! Suitable for complete beginners, this 4 hour class is packed with information useful for all levels of proficiency
In this class I show you how to shape & clean metal bases in preparation for enamelling, & the technical aspects which make a domed base interesting in your work, including insights over thickness, shape & size. Suitable for complete beginners.
Grisalla òpal utilises beautiful, semi-translucent opalescent enamels, to build volume in a delicate low relief on the traditional dark blue background. The results are magical. For intermediate to experienced enamelers.
In this digital workshop we begin our exploration into the fascinating realm of painting on enamel. We will talk about which materials and mediums can be used to paint on enamel, how to use them, and how to fire them. Suitable for beginners.
I was a teacher for many years and before that a video editor and web content producer so I appreciate how hard you work to prepare your video lessons for us. My greatest satisfaction as a teacher was when a student had the “ah ha” experience or achieved a goal through something they gained while working with me. That is why I am writing to you about my recent experience.
[…] I have wanted to make something like this my entire metalworking life (20+ years).
Thank you SO very, very much for all your hard work and generosity. You are a very fine teacher. I cannot truly convey the amount of gratitude I feel towards you, but please know that you have, and do, greatly enrich my life and artistic endeavors.
What wonderful gifts you give to us!
In gratitude,
KhC
Mer, thank you again for another wonderful class. I learned so much just by watching and all the amazing information you have provided 🙏
I watch the videos I have with great joy. Each step is so clear, it’s as if I am watching over your shoulder in real time. Each time I watch one, I see something new as the information seeps into my brain. You are a magician, and an inspiration!
Thank you for creating your amazing online classes! It’s truly inspiring and well explained!
Dear Mer, I wanted to take this moment to write a note of personal thanks for such a wonderful class on-line on Opal Grisaille. Your skill with on-line teaching made this long-distance learning an informative and pleasurable experience.
In this class Mer explains in a very detailed and clear way how to wash the enamels, how to apply them with the use of the brush and the spatula with 8 different exercises. You will learn how to fire the pieces in the proper way and how to fix mistakes!
The part we found most interesting is where she shows you how to create gradual shades and get perfect transparency, to say the least incredible, on copper!
Hi Mer, I just purchased my first class — wet packing. OMG, you are an amazing enamelist and a terrific teacher. I am so glad I bought it so I can watch over and over — so much to learn from you.
Thank you so very much! It was a joy to learn from you. The course was phenomenal. You are an excellent teacher.
I especially appreciate your willingness to share your knowledge. Your videos have been tremendously helpful in my quest to understand how this works 🙏
I found your video on shading and gradients to be incredibly helpful. Your painstaking care in presenting the process from beginning to end has really helped me to understand what to look for when I work in layers. Thank you so much for taking the time to produce it, and for all the work that went into it. Although I have been enameling for a couple of years, I learned a great deal, especially about how important the wetness of your enamel is, and how it can be used to your advantage.
Mer generously shares her plethora of information about working in enamels with those who take her classes or subscribe to her Patreon channel. I have learned so much from watching her videos, and hope to continue to learn even more. In particular, I was able to do the plique-a-jour technique after watching her video once. She’s an amazing and talented teacher.
This class is very useful. It’s the kind of lesson that changes the way you work. It shows how a well prepared base makes the difference! And no more pieces stick on the trivets!!!
This technique is explained in detail: history, freehand design, choice of enamel and creation of three amazing works. During the lesson you forget that you are following an online class, you feel in the workshop of Mer in a calm and relaxed atmosphere. Thanks to the incredible macro shots you can really understand how to move every single grain of enamel to create delicate shades.
Mer you are a great instructor and talented enamelist. After enameling for 30 years you have taught me new techniques in this beautiful art form. The class on wet packing and gradations is excellent. Thank you for sharing!
Mer Almagro offers wonderful tools and supplies to aid you in your enameling endeavors, something that was so needed in Europe!. Her educational contribution to the enameling community is so valuable to all of us. She researches her material and has a great understanding of the technical difficulties facing enamelists. Thanks to her, we now have an English translation of the wonderful Andreu Vilasís book. Go to her classes on Patreon!
Just watched part 1 of the shading video. Thank you so much for taking the time to produce it, and for all the work that went into it. Although I have been enamelling for a couple of years on a very part time basis, I learned a great deal, especially about how important the wetness of your enamel is, and how it can be used to your advantage. I’m looking forward to watching part 2. It’s always been valuable watching how others work, to pick up little bits that you might otherwise miss.
I must say, this has been one of the best online workshops I have taken. Mer explains everything and shows you everything step by step. I am in love with the way she forms her shapes with such simple tools. Thank you so much Mer for all the time and effort you have put to make this workshop 🙏🙏🙏
Here Mer gives you a beautiful Grisaille Enamel tutorial. I have seen Grisaille used with white opaque enamels over black opaque but her application using opals is just beautiful. After 30 years of enameling, you would think you have seen all the techniques. This is differently a technique I will be using, I can see it helping me in my ocean scenes as well as in my animals. Her work is not only beautiful but also shows any enamelist a very delicate approach to shading your enamels.
Introduction to
Vitreous Enamel
Free video and article, if you’re new to enamel start here! You will learn about the material, the techniques & the history.
Also watch How I make colour palettes free video here.