Color for Painters

This class is an in-depth and practical examination of the role of color in painting, from selecting and arranging palettes to the effects of paint layering. Explore color mixing strategies, color interactions, and perceptual influences, through instructor demonstrations. A broad overview of color theory will give you a foundation for mixing color and selecting your palette.

Special Notes

This is an in-person class which will take place in our building with strict social distancing protocols and reduced student capacity. Please see our COVID-19 community safety policies.

Tuition Assistance is Available

To make our classes and workshops accessible to everyone, Fleisher offers tuition assistance every term so that everyone can join our creative community. We have recently streamlined the application process, making it even quicker and easier. Tuition assistance applications can be completed once registration is open by clicking here. The deadline to apply for fall term assistance is Monday, August 29th. Tuition assistance notifications will be sent by Friday, September 2nd.

What you will learn:

  • Use complementary and split complementary colors to energize your pictures and alter viewers’ perceptions

  • Learn a variety of color mixing strategies – using value & temperature & chroma to manage mixtures; methodologies

  • Learn to exploit the visual interactions of color to enhance color perception

  • Use color as a tool to mimic the effects of light and space with realistic depiction

Required supplies:

  • Oil (Gamblin) or acrylic (Golden) paints. Colors: Ivory Black or Carbon Black; Transparent Red Oxide; Yellow Ochre; Ultramarine Blue; Napthol Scarlet, Pyrole Red light; Indian Yellow; Quinacridone Magenta or Magenta; Lemon Yellow; Cobalt Teal; Titanium White

  • Glass jar

  • Pallete knife

  • Fredrix canvas pad, 11×14” or 9×12”

  • A variety of brushes, synthetic, flat, round, and filbert

  • White paper disposable pallet, 11”x14”

  • Rags or paper towels

  • For oil colors only: gamsol or terpenoid; neomeglip and or alkyd light

  • For acrylic colors only: Golden retarder; Golden glazing medium