Whenever painting a figure, there are three elements that need to be accounted for - hue, value,
and chroma. The difficulty lies in being able to observe how these elements shift over the course
of a figure's topography in relation to the light, and then being able to mix what you see in paint.
This class will teach students how to observe and paint these shifts, as well as the recurring
patterns one sees on a figure, through the use of a color study.
Color studies allow a student to focus on color, and value without the burden of proportion. It
also allows a student to edit what they see through the use of planes; A way of conceptualizing
the figure into a series of simple, manageable shapes that illustrate color and value shifts.
To make this process more accommodating, we will be using a limited palette of red, yellow, and
blue. Since most skin tones can be mixed with a combination of these three colors, it allows for
manageability, and versatility. Our painting surface will be a thick paper that allows quick drying
times, and multiple passes of paint in one session, removing the pressure of making permanent
mistakes.
Each session will consist of a new painting and a new model, with some longer two-week
sessions near the end of the term. The class will include lectures and demos where necessary.