Robert Hersey

Rob Hersey is a Senior Lecturer in Fine Art Painting at the University of Brighton and has particular research interests in the methods and materials of painting as a vital underpinning of studio practice. Rob’s current research interest is how the craft and the various techniques of painting are taught and how students learn both the basics and the specifics of the practice of painting relevant to their particular painting ambitions. His research encompasses both traditional and contemporary approaches to the discipline. He is interested how this knowledge is communicated and increasingly more readily available through online resources.

The initial challenge is to identify and establish a core of online references, augmented with additional material. There are vast amounts of painting craft information on the internet but only a fraction of these contributions are appropriate to students seeking to develop a professional practice. There are also surprising omissions of essential topics and it is intended to fill such gaps with videos produced within the Painting Department. 

Once identified sites and ‘in house’ videos have been collated into an index, it is intended to provide the Fine Art Department with online access. This limited launch, planned for October 2019, will be a first step before expanding availability across the university, then local feeder colleges and schools, followed by wider educational participation and, ultimately, open web access.