Developing Color Palettes  in Acrylic (Online Course) Summer 2024 w/ Denis Dalesio

June 10 to July 8 (Mondays), 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM, Eastern Time

**All sessions are live and will be recorded, students do not have to be present. All recordings will be available to students for 3 months after the final session, after 3 months the recording will be deleted.

Please check your email spam/junk folder for your Zoom invite.

DEMO: https://youtu.be/E5up13JeZoc

Course Description

This 5-week course is designed to help artists create unique color palettes using acrylic paint. Students will be introduced to the ideas of color theory, compositional principles, and technical devices to add to their toolbox as artists. Over five weeks, Students will learn how to collect color references, compose color studies, and develop a process for constructing color palettes for paintings. Classes will consist of demos, lectures, and in-class working sessions. Students are also encouraged to come to class with a list of goals and questions that will help better their learning experience.

Lesson examples: 

• How to find colors in media- A lecture that focuses on various media sources to pick colors from. Discussing color relationships to an image’s mood and feeling. A demo will then be given showing how to construct a palette using the collected references.

• Color and value mixing- This lesson starts with a lecture on color and value. Sharing images from paintings of the past and present as examples. Then a demo will be given that explains ideas of value and colors, students will be given a small in- class project that focuses on mixing paint and developing a sensitivity to value and color. 

Class Objectives:

• Grasping the fundamentals of acrylic, better understanding of materials, application, color relationships, and design principles  

• Developing a studio practice   

• Encourage students to develop a better sense of exploration, intuition, and critical thinking with their work. 

• Learn how to navigate color palettes and create their own artistic relationship to color.

Course Outline

Week 1: Course Introduction/ Color Theory

An overview of the course and basic color theory. A quick demo on thumbnailing color designs.  

Homework: Pick up any remaining supplies and have your thumbnails ready for next week.  

Week 2: Constructing Palette

There will be a demo on how to pick your colors and start your painting.

Homework: Get your paintings fully blocked in and ready for the next class  

Week 3: Color Choices Lecture/ Continuation of Demo

Another lecture on what choices color can give us. Resume demo from the prior week

Homework: Continue to work on paintings 

Week 4: Learning to Resolve.

A demo that focuses on resolving a painting.

Homework: Complete projects and have them ready for critique

Week 5: Final Critique  

The day will be spent looking at all the work you have completed throughout the course.

Course Materials List

Acrylic Painting Supply List

-Recommended Acrylic paint brands:

Golden Heavy body acrylic (these are what I normally use), Liquitex Heavy body, Lukas professional artist acrylics, Golden Open acrylics (These stay wet longer, they mimic oil to a degree)

Basic color palette:

-Ivory Black

Titanium white

-Pyrrole red

-Primary Yellow (Winsor) or Benzimidazolone Yellow Light

-Ultramarine Marine blue

- Yellow orche

-Burnt sienna

-cobalt blue

-Alizarin crimson or quinacridone magenta

Extra Colors, Not Mandatory

• Burnet Sienna

• Cerulean blue

• Burnt umber

• Cad red medium

• Cad orange

• Cobalt green

Surfaces: Whatever surface you are comfortable on.

Canvases (I would aim for 11”x14” or 16”x20” for the size, but you may use your own preference)

Canvas or linen boards

MDF boards or wood boards- birch is a great wood to work on, just make sure you have primed it with a coat of acrylic white gesso

Acrylic canvas paper or Arches Cold or hot press 9” 12” Blocks (if you prefer to paint on paper)

- Any other brands of Watercolor Blocks are fine as well. Just make sure they are 9”x 12”

Other Important Items:

-Drawing board

- Artist tape

• Plastic, Glass or Paper Palette - Any brand, *12” x 16” Make sure the ground is white, It is okay if you buy grey-2 water jar (plastic, glass or cups)

• Metal Palette knife

• Cotton Rags or paper towels (Cut up, old T-shirts work well)

Where to Buy?

Dick Blick Art Materials website: www.dickblick.com

Jerry’s Artarama website: https://www.jerrysartarama.com/

Other Items:

• Pencil

• Note Book

• Magic Rub Eraser OR Kneaded Eraser