Course Topics

Lesson 1: 

Color Harmony & Unifying Neutrals

  • Overview - Color and Expression
  •  It’s about the Painting - Not the Subject
  • The Color Wheel
  • Color Temperatures & Complementaries
  • The 3 Characteristics of Color 
  • Neutrals vs. Saturated Colors 
  • Color and Value 
  • Colorful Greys 
  • Limited Palette for Harmony 
  • Mixing the Primaries Together 
  • Color Scheme Diagrams 
  • Muddy Color and Defined Edges 
  • Temperature Color Dominance 
  • Warm and Cool Primaries 
  • Mixing Vibrant Secondaries 
  • Colorful Grey Chart 
  • Mother Colors 

Lesson 2:

Working in Color Schemes

  • The teachings of Andrew Loomis
  •  Endless mixtures result from CMYK
  •  Cups Example: how to get more colorful
  •  The color of light and and shadows
  • How to shift colors but match values 
  • Rules of light direction and shadow 
  • Establish harmony first - then add spice colors 
  • Other harmonizing techniques: -Toning the canvas
  • Glazing 
  • Pigment properties: translucency and opacity 
  • Using other color schemes 
  • Digital Color Experiments 
  • Take a scene and translate to color schemes 
  • Dominant Mood/Temperature 
  • Proportion formula for balance 
  • Choosing your own colors 
  • Acrylic paint drying time Q/A

Lesson 3:

The Value of Values

  • Definition of Values - Difficulty translating values to unrealistic colors
  • See value first, color second
  •  Value study as a stepping stone to color interpretation 
  • Value study as a tool for simplification 
  • Using 3 values as a a tool for composition 
  • Techniques for Identifying and simplifying values 
  • Squinting 
  • Work from a B/W Image 
  • Work from a very small size
  • Digital Phone Apps - pros and cons 
  • Approaching the value study
  • Stick with a specified number of values
  •  Painting Demonstration - 5 Value step-by-step painting of dog- Rough block in  - to final 

Lesson 4:

Color Harmony & Unifying Neutrals

  • Organize, simplify and translate values 
  • Slideshow - translation from photo to painting  
  • From B/W photo to color schemes 
  • Choosing colors before starting a series 
  • Infuse paintings with any color  
  • Learn to design - not copy 
  • Student Examples  
  • Every color is a value  
  • Value Checker Card explained 
  • Make a Checker Card 
  • Mix, dab and squint! 
  • Painting on your value study?  Take a photo!
  • How to stay “on track” with value checking
  •  Saturated colors can be deceiving  
  • Examples of the “mosaic paintings” 
  • Break out of your color rut 
  • Mix many different colors - any colors! 
  • Own the colors in your painting 
  • Unique variations for each artist 
  • Color temperature shifts are interesting  
  • Demo: Video Instruction on Checker Card 

Lesson 5:

Using Colors of Your Choice

  • Value sketch: hard edged like puzzle pieces
  • Don’t translate verbatim, interpret
  • Add value transitions to soften forms
  • Mix colors to create interesting variations 
  • Mix 2 adjacent colors/values for harmony 
  • Harmonization - mix any two colors
  • A little dab of saturation goes a long way
  • From dull to colorful - exercise control 
  • Bringing your artistic vision to a drab image 
  • See more color by painting from life 
  • Let yourself emphasize the color you see 
  • Make lemonade - explore, play, use colors you love 
  • Pick still life objects for their color 
  • Find ways to make the color sing 
  • Work from B/W for more freedom 
  • How it looks vs. how it feels 
  • Proportion and shapes + visual appeal 
  • Examples: good, better, best "Rules" 
  • Know the rules so you can analyze painting issues
  • How to create an automatic focal point 
  • Value sketches and master artists 
  • Busy area to calm area balance
  •  Leading the viewer’s eye with color 
  • Making color pop: surround it with certain colors 
  • Toning your canvas
  • Red Cosmo Painting Demonstration



Lesson 6:  (Bonus Lesson)

Defining Shapes and Edges

  • 3 Digital Painting Demonstrations

    Colors can appear muddy and unresolved when the painting requires additional shape and edge definition.

    What is the correlation between color and shape definition?  This is a little known issue that can be a cause for confusion amongst many artists.  In this video demonstration, Patti shows how a bit of decisive alteration to shapes and edges - without any changes made to existing colors, can creates the perception of cleaner, brighter color.

     3 Video Demos are included in this lesson