Understanding Color: A Comprehensive Course for Artists from Udemy

"Great information presented in a clear manner, great visuals to support it, and an extremely chill and non-intimidating style by the instructor." - Kim R.

Imagine the world without color and you’ll soon realize the importance of this topic. In art, color is often what attracts people to a painting to begin with, and it’s part of what gives the artwork a sense of emotion. In order to know how to use color, you first have to truly understand it. Using a thorough, well-rounded approach, professional artist and arts educator, Jill Poyerd, takes students through the science and history of color and then guides them through a close-up look at color strategies used by the Masters.

Once a foundation is established, students learn how to build a painting palette and select paints. The instructor then demonstrates color mixing methods, including discussions on color matching and color value. The course ends with several hands-on activities meant to solidify the concepts learned. All of this is explored through over 3 hours of lectures and multiple student activities. Topics include: What color is, how we see color, pigments versus light color modes, the experience of color, emotion and color, color strategies, strategies used by the Masters, the painter's palette, paint colors, color mixing, color matching, color value, hands-on practice, and a final painting activity. This is one of the most comprehensive color theory courses available.

What's inside

Learning objectives

Gain a well-rounded understanding of what color is.
Learn the difference between color from light versus pigment.
Understand how and why people see color differently.
Study how painting masters through history used color.
Learn nine strategies for color success.

Learn the pros and cons of limited versus brand color palettes.
Understand the three ways to apply color to a painting.
Study the emotions that are typically attached to standard colors.
Learn how to mix and match colors successfully.

Gain a well-rounded understanding of what color is.
Learn the difference between color from light versus pigment.
Understand how and why people see color differently.
Study how painting masters through history used color.
Learn nine strategies for color success.
Learn the pros and cons of limited versus brand color palettes.
Understand the three ways to apply color to a painting.
Study the emotions that are typically attached to standard colors.
Learn how to mix and match colors successfully.

Syllabus

How to Use the Course Tools

How to Use the Course Tools (Optional)

What is Color?

How We See Color

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Explores color strategies used by the Masters, providing valuable insights for artists looking to learn from historical techniques and apply them to their own work

Offers hands-on activities designed to solidify the concepts learned, allowing artists to immediately apply their knowledge and develop practical skills in color theory

Covers color mixing methods, including discussions on color matching and color value, which are essential skills for artists seeking to achieve specific hues and tones in their paintings

Examines the emotion of color, which can help artists to evoke specific feelings and moods in their artwork through the strategic use of color palettes

Requires students to select paints, which may require additional expenses for art supplies that are not readily available in a typical household or library

Reviews summary

Comprehensive color theory for artists

According to learners, this course offers comprehensive coverage of color theory, ranging from scientific and historical context to practical application in painting. Students frequently highlight the instructor's engaging and clear teaching style, which makes potentially complex topics accessible and enjoyable. Many found it provides a strong foundation for working with color. While the hands-on activities are praised for helping solidify concepts, particularly for those newer to painting, some more experienced artists note they are better suited for beginners. Reviewers generally feel well-equipped with fundamental and practical color knowledge after completing this course.

Hands-on tasks are good for building initial skills.

"The final painting activity was a great way to put everything I learned into practice, especially as a beginner in color theory."

"Activities were simple but effective for reinforcing the concepts. Good starting point if you're new."

"If you are an experienced artist, you might find the hands-on exercises a bit basic, but they are perfect for foundational learning."

"Helped me solidify the principles taught in the lectures through simple, clear practice."

Offers useful tips for working with paint.

"The sections on building a palette, mixing colors, and understanding value were incredibly practical and immediately applicable to my painting."

"I found the demonstrations on mixing and matching colors very helpful. I feel much more confident mixing my own colors now."

"Learning about color temperature and how different pigments interact was a game-changer for my work."

"Gave me concrete strategies to use in my own art-making process right away."

Covers theory, history, and practical application.

"This course is truly comprehensive. It covers the science, history, and practical application of color in a way I haven't seen before in other resources."

"I loved learning about the history of color and how masters used different strategies. It added so much depth to my understanding."

"Covers all the bases - from the physics of light to mixing pigments on the palette. Excellent foundation for any artist."

"It gave me a solid understanding of not just 'how' to use color, but 'why' certain approaches work in art."

Instructor is clear, knowledgeable, and inspiring.

"Jill Poyerd is an incredible teacher, she is so clear and knowledgeable! I love her teaching style and her voice is very calming. She made the science parts easy to understand."

"I appreciate the instructor's deep knowledge and clear delivery. She explains complex concepts in a way that is easy to grasp and apply to painting."

"Her presentations were clear and organized, and she has a very pleasant teaching style that kept me engaged throughout."

"The instructor's passion for color is infectious and makes learning enjoyable and inspiring."

Some topics could be expanded for advanced learners.

"I was hoping for a little more depth on advanced color mixing techniques or working with specific challenging pigments."

"While comprehensive, some areas felt like they could be expanded upon for those past the beginner stage looking for more advanced insights."

"A bit more detail on digital color vs. pigment would have been nice, though it's primarily geared towards traditional painting."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Understanding Color: A Comprehensive Course for Artists with these activities:

Review Basic Color Theory Concepts

Show steps

Reinforce your understanding of fundamental color concepts before diving into the course. This will help you grasp the more advanced topics more easily.

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Review definitions of hue, saturation, and value.
Practice identifying primary, secondary, and tertiary colors.
Familiarize yourself with the color wheel.

Review 'Interaction of Color' by Josef Albers

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Study a seminal text on color theory to gain a deeper understanding of color relationships and perception. This will enhance your ability to apply color strategies effectively.

View Albers and Morandi: Never Finished on Amazon

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Read the introduction and first few chapters.
Attempt some of the color interaction exercises.
Reflect on how Albers' concepts relate to the course material.

Color Matching Exercises

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Improve your color matching skills through repetitive exercises. This will help you accurately reproduce colors and create harmonious palettes.

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Select a reference color from a magazine or online.
Mix paints to match the reference color as closely as possible.
Repeat with different colors and lighting conditions.

Four other activities

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Show all seven activities

Create a Color Mood Board

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Explore the emotional impact of color by creating a mood board. This will help you understand how color can be used to evoke specific feelings and communicate ideas.

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Choose a specific emotion or theme.
Gather images and color swatches that represent that emotion.
Arrange the images and swatches on a board to create a cohesive visual representation.

Analyze Master Paintings for Color Strategies

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Deepen your understanding of master color strategies by analyzing specific paintings. This will help you identify and apply these strategies in your own work.

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Select several master paintings from different periods.
Identify the color strategies used in each painting.
Write a short analysis of how the color strategies contribute to the overall effect of the painting.

Review 'Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter' by James Gurney

Show steps

Study a comprehensive guide on color and light to enhance your understanding of realist painting techniques. This will help you create more realistic and visually compelling artwork.

View Dinotopia: Journey To Chandara (Calla Editions) on Amazon

Show steps

Read chapters on color temperature and light direction.
Study the examples of paintings and illustrations.
Experiment with applying the concepts in your own paintings.

Create a Personal Color Palette Guide

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Solidify your understanding of color palettes by creating a guide tailored to your own artistic style. This will help you make informed decisions about color selection and create cohesive artwork.

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Experiment with different color combinations and palettes.
Document your favorite palettes and their characteristics.
Create a guide that includes color swatches, descriptions, and examples of how to use each palette.

Career center

Learners who complete Understanding Color: A Comprehensive Course for Artists will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Fine Artist

A fine artist creates original artwork, often focusing on aesthetics and personal expression. For the fine artist, understanding color is paramount. This course, with its exploration of color science, history, and strategies employed by masters, builds a strong foundation for creating compelling and emotionally resonant art. The hands-on activities focused on color mixing, matching, and value prepare the fine artist to confidently translate their vision onto canvas. Additionally, this course helps the fine artist better understand how color attracts people to a painting to begin with, and it explores the emotions that are typically attached to standard colors.

See salaries and explore the career path for Fine Artist

Illustrator

An illustrator creates images for books, magazines, and other media. Color choices are crucial for conveying a story's mood and capturing the viewer's attention. This course provides a comprehensive exploration of color, from its scientific basis to its emotional impact, and helps the illustrator to make informed decisions about color palettes and mixing. It covers color strategies and strategies used by the Masters. The course's focus on color matching and value is directly applicable to creating visually appealing and effective illustrations. The 'Painting Activity' will be of enormous help to the illustrator.

See salaries and explore the career path for Illustrator

Photographer

A photographer captures images using cameras, often manipulating light and composition to create artistic or documentary representations of subjects. The photographer will gain a well-rounded understanding of what color is. They will study how painting masters through history used color. The course also goes over how we see color and color models. The course may even help a photographer to sell their work.

See salaries and explore the career path for Photographer

Graphic Designer

A graphic designer creates visual concepts to communicate information. Color theory is a fundamental aspect of graphic design, influencing brand recognition, user experience, and overall effectiveness. This course helps the graphic designer to understand color models, mixing, value, and matching. By understanding the science and emotion of color, as taught in this course, the graphic designer can create impactful designs that resonate with target audiences. The course helps the graphic designer select paints and build a painting palette.

See salaries and explore the career path for Graphic Designer

Art Director

An art director oversees the visual style and images for various projects, such as magazines, advertising campaigns, or film sets. A strong understanding of color is essential for creating cohesive and impactful visual experiences. This course can help the art director to learn the difference between color from light versus pigment. This also allows the art director to make informed decisions about color palettes and strategies across diverse media.

See salaries and explore the career path for Art Director

Production Designer

A production designer is the head of the art department, also known as a set designer. They are responsible for the visual concept of a film, television, or theater production. This course will help the production designer learn the difference between color from light versus pigment. They will study how painting masters through history used color. A good grasp of color can impact what a viewer thinks about the production.

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Muralist

A muralist creates large-scale paintings on walls or other surfaces. The impact of their art relies heavily on color. This course, with its in-depth exploration of color theory, history, and application, may provide the muralist with a foundation for creating visually stunning and meaningful murals. Learning how painting masters through history used color can provide inspiration and guide the muralist's creative process. The hands-on activities focused on color mixing, matching, and value help the muralist to work with confidence on a large scale.

See salaries and explore the career path for Muralist

Interior designer

An interior designer plans and supervises the design and decoration of the interior of buildings. This course helps build a foundation by studying the emotions that are typically attached to standard colors. They can understand how and why people see color differently. The interior designer can learn how to mix and match colors successfully. This can dramatically improve their work.

See salaries and explore the career path for Interior designer

Makeup Artist

A makeup artist enhances or transforms a person's appearance using cosmetics. This course helps the makeup artist study the emotions that are typically attached to standard colors. They can understand how and why people see color differently. The makeup artist can learn how to mix and match colors successfully. A makeup artist's work relies on color matching.

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Animator

An animator creates moving images for film, television, or video games. Color is a fundamental element of animation, influencing mood, character design, and visual storytelling. This course may be useful to animators by helping them understand how and why people see color differently. The course focuses on the science of color, which provides a strong foundation for creating visually engaging and effective animations. This course can help the animator deliver strong work in the field.

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Exhibition Designer

An exhibition designer creates engaging and informative displays for museums, galleries, and other venues. They are deeply involved in the visitor experience. Color is a critical component of exhibition design, influencing the atmosphere and guiding the viewer's eye. This course may be useful to the exhibition designer by providing a well-rounded understanding of what color is, and its potential psychological impact. The course's exploration of how master painters used color can inform the designer's approach to creating compelling and memorable exhibitions.

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Web Designer

A web designer plans, creates, and codes internet sites and pages, many of which combine text with sounds, pictures, graphics and video clips. This course will help the web designer learn the difference between color from light versus pigment. They will study how painting masters through history used color. Because web design is often about user experience, they may learn about the emotions that are typically attached to standard colors.

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Textile Designer

A textile designer creates patterns and designs for fabrics. Color plays a vital role in textile design, influencing trends and appealing to consumers. This course may be useful to the textile designer in learning how to successfully mix and match colors. The course's insight into pigment versus light color modes can inform the selection of dyes and printing techniques. The discussions of color strategies as used by master painters throughout history can translate into textile designs that are aesthetically pleasing and current.

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Surface Pattern Designer

A surface pattern designer creates repeating patterns for various applications, such as wallpaper, fabric, and packaging. Color is a primary element in pattern design, influencing its appeal and versatility. This course may be useful to surface pattern designers by helping them develop paint palettes and select paints. The course's focus on color strategies and mixing is directly applicable to creating visually appealing and marketable patterns.

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Fashion Designer

A fashion designer creates clothing and accessories. Color trends often drive fashion, making a deep understanding of color essential for success. This course may be useful to the fashion designer in learning the emotions that are typically attached to standard colors. The course may provide critical inspiration for creating collections that are both visually appealing and emotionally resonant. The course will help give a well rounded understanding of what color is.

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Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Understanding Color: A Comprehensive Course for Artists.

Albers and Morandi: Never Finished

Save

Classic exploration of color perception and its effects. It provides a hands-on approach to understanding color relationships through exercises and visual examples. It valuable resource for artists seeking to deepen their understanding of color interaction and create more visually compelling work. This book is commonly used as a textbook at academic institutions.

Albers and Morandi: Never Finished

Hardcover

Dinotopia: Journey To Chandara

Save

Provides a comprehensive guide to understanding color and light in realist painting. It covers topics such as color theory, light and shadow, and atmospheric perspective. It valuable resource for artists seeking to create realistic and believable paintings. This book is commonly used by industry professionals.

Dinotopia: Journey To Chandara (Calla Editions)

Hardcover

Understanding Color

A Comprehensive Course for Artists

What's inside

Learning objectives

Syllabus

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Reviews summary

Comprehensive color theory for artists

Activities

Career center

Reading list

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