Color Fundamentals

 

This class will give you an overview of color principles and demonstrate how to apply them. Instructor Mary Jane Begin is an award-winning illustrator and author of children’s picture books, a Rhode Island School of Design graduate and professor in the Illustration Department. 


In this class she covers: 
  • The elements of color, including value, temperature, saturation, hierarchy, complements, light, harmony, and contrast 
  • The use of color complements in image making 
  • The relationship of color to the medium and expression 

Through a series of demonstrations, you’ll learn how to work with color and ultimately make better color decisions. This class covers color theory foundations that applies to all image making, in design, art, illustration, photography, and beyond.

Lessons

Class Introduction
Understanding the Basics of Color
Color Contrast and Hierarchy
Saturation or Vibrancy of Color
Ground or Surface Color
What is Color Harmony?
Color Palette
Set-up Chalk & Charcoal Demo
Demo: Sketch Simple Still Life
Demo: Establish Value Structure
Demo: Find Temperature Balance
Demo: Shadow & Highlight Placement
Demo: Establish Dimensional Form of Object
Set-up Watercolor Demo
Demo: Establish Color Ground
Demo: Establish Colors for Object
Demo: Sketch Object onto Watercolor
Demo: Color Subtraction & Value Range
Demo: Color Blocking for Composition
Demo: Establish the Shadow Tone
Demo: Utilization of Opaque Color
Desaturate Image in a Picture
 
 
 
 

Reviews

  • I really liked the informal demonstrations and I also liked the way she set out her pallet with warm and cold colors. This was not only an informative class but inspiring. The casual and relaxed working style, encourage playfulness. Thank you for an awesome class.
  • I had previously learned basic color theory, but this instructor took my knowledge beyond with layered instruction about value-contrast-complements-hierarchy, etc., and she does it in such a fun way with her own examples of work and great stories! I like her poise and confidence and think this series is a terrific value.
  • Excellent instruction! Most helpful to me in terms of establishing the focal point of an image through use of value, color harmony. Also helpful to understand transparency and opacity and how that relates to highlights and shadows. MJ is fun and likable.
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