Colour Confidence Workshop

Day 2

Watch the Day 2 Live Call Recording below:

 

It's time to be more COLOUR-CONFIDENT!

 

Make sure you've watched the LIVE CALL Recording (pink button 👆)

 

Then scroll down for today's Demo Video and the Guidelines. You'll also find the materials list below too. 👇

Watch today's DEMO video

 

Colour Mixing Video

The 3 Dials in Action!  Get your paints out and follow along this video mixing the colours yourself - it will help you understand the method.

Remember 3 questions:

1 What have I got?  Look at the colour you have already mixed and painted with - is it dark? or light?  warm or cool? muted or intense?

2. How different do I want the next colour to be?

3. How can I make it different by adjusting - Value, Temp and Saturation.

Have fun - practice and the penny WILL drop!!

 

Guidelines

Today we are going to build the surface and add layers.  The focus is to have fun, play, experiment and don’t worry about what your paintings look like.  What you want is a variety of marks, colours, shapes and line on the surface.  Use a variety of media and tools to achieve this.

  • So to begin with, as the last layer was paint, ask yourself: What’s different to this?  I chose to use paint pens and to draw on my paintings. You can use paint pens or any dry media.
  • When you apply paint on the surface try to distribute it over the whole composition but vary the size of shapes or marks.  Think about working right out to the edges, top, bottom, left and right.
  • When mixing the colours, ask yourself:
    • What colour will this sit next to?  Is it light or dark?  Warm or Cool?  Saturated or Desaturated?
    • Now how different do you want your next colour to be?  A strong contrast or a subtle difference?  If you want a strong contrast - make sure the new colour is different in Value, Temp and Saturation.  If you want a subtle contrast, then choose only 1 or 2 of those ‘dials’ to change.
    • When you mix up the new colour, add a little of the previous colour in to harmonize.
  • You can add pattern, use stencils to create shapes, paint wandering lines.  Think about the quality of your paint - thick or thin.  Make sure you have areas of both.
  • Alternate between wet and dry media. 
  • Do careful painting as well as loose, expressive painting.  Vary your brush widths and tools.
  • Work all your 6 paintings up by sharing your attention between them all.
  • When your 6 paintings have a variety of colours and overlapping shapes and textures and you feel they do demonstrate DIFFERENCES in media, colour, form etc.

YOU ARE DONE FOR THE DAY!!  Have a rest and I’ll see you tomorrow!

DOWNLOAD WORKBOOK

Materials List

PAPER SUBSTRATE:

You need six 36cm x 36cm (or 14" x 14") squares of good quality watercolour or mixed-media paper 300gsm weight.

We will be doing a series of 6 square format paintings. The size is a guide and allows for a taped edge – please do not go smaller than the suggested size above, however you may work larger. It is recommended, due to the time constraints of the workshop that you work no larger than 40cm square.

Heavy weight paper is important.

There is no need for you to gesso your paper squares, although some people like to do this to add texture and give more 'tooth' to the surface. It's your choice.

 

PAINT:

Acrylic paints: I'm sure you have a range of colours so there's no need to go out and buy new paint.  Just make sure you have black, white, a couple of reds, a couple of blues, and a couple of yellows.  I'm sure you'll have some other favourite colours you like to use.

 

ACRYLIC INK:

At least 4 different colours - you choose 

 

DRY MEDIA:

Pastels, oil sticks, pencils, anything you have to make lines.

Judy uses Staedtler Lumicolor Permanent colored pencils, which are very similar to China Markers.

 

PAINT BRUSHES:

A range of acrylic paint brushes in a variety of widths

 

ACRYLIC MEDIUM:

Gloss medium, Judy uses this to seal pencil, collage and other media, as it is thinner and dries with no brushmarks.  You'll also be using it to create texture.

 

COLLAGE PAPER:

This is where you can upcycle old paintings or experiments on paper (that didn't make the grade).  You'll probably have some of this lurking around - if it's got some of your favourite colours in it, even better.

 

TAPE:

Masking tape, low tack or suitable for delicate surfaces, available from household decorating shops. Something like these: Frog Tape Masking Tape: "Frogtape," No Bleed Tesa Precision Sensitive or Multi Surface Frog Tape.

 

OTHER:

Colour Shapers (optional) anything that will spread the paint

A tool for scratching paint (eg; knitting needle, cocktail stick, screw driver, comb)

Rags for blotting paint

Ruler or painters straight edge (available from hardware stores) - optional