BUMP UP THE COLOR (course description):
Do you enjoy the color and light effects in the paintings of Monet and other Impressionist painters? Have you wondered how to create such effects effectively in your own paintings? Are you looking for ways to use richer, more vibrant colors in your paintings? Would you like to know how to mix any color you see in nature, quickly and easily?
Award-winning artist Jeffrey Swaluk will be your guide on a journey through the fascinating and often surprising world of color. On day 1 of this course he will show you a simple, logical process for mixing a color match for any color you see. Once you have the ability to mix any color you want to, the door is open for creative, effective color strategies to be introduced. Ideas about color first championed by the Impressionists will be explained and demonstrated; students will immediately try out the concepts for themselves in simple, short exercises. An upbeat and encouraging teacher, Jeffrey enjoys helping students improve their work. He has developed a unique series of easy, practical exercises to help students master important artistic concepts as quickly as possible, one concept at a time. Therefore, the concepts will become real to you; they are something you will have experienced first hand. You will understand WHY they are important and HOW to use them in your own work.
On day 2 he will show you his own techniques for increasing the vibrancy of the color relationships seen in nature. Jeffrey will paint a demonstration still-life to show the color concepts in action. Students will paint their own still-lifes using their new color knowledge. There will be ample opportunity for receiving individual help and asking questions. Jeffrey’s experience in working in many artistic styles, from Photorealism to Impressionism, provides an ideal background from which to help students who paint in a variety of styles.
You will take home with you an understanding of how to mix any color quickly and easily and a practical, valuable “tool kit” of ideas about effective color use. An extra bonus is the handouts students will receive, detailing each color concept presented for easy reference in the future.
Here is a list of some of the topics that will be covered in this workshop:
- A simple process for mixing any color you see in nature
- The three aspects of color: hue, value and intensity and how to control each aspect
- Why relative color is more important than absolute color
- How to use color to create a focal point
- How to subdue the less important areas of a painting so that they don’t compete with the focal point
- How to darken a color while keeping it vivid
- How to use warm and cool colors to create effective light effects
- How to create color harmony in your paintings
- Why value is the most important aspect of color
- How having the correct values in your painting allows for freedom in your color choices
- How to use color to make forms look three-dimensional
- How to use color to create the illusion of depth in your paintings
- How to use color compression to create a greater feeling of expansiveness in your landscapes
- How to use color to increase the illusion of light in your paintings
- The two approaches to achieving light effects in painting: Tonalism and Colorism
- Why color temperature is important and how to adjust it
- How to use a value scale to ensure that the light effects in your paintings are convincing
Please read Jeffrey's teaching philosophy.
He welcomes any questions you may have about the course; feel free to email them to him at any time.
His email address is:
jeff@swaluk.com
Copyright 2005 Jeffrey Swaluk,
URL: http://www.swaluk.com