Indigo & Gold

WHAT IS STUDIOWORKS CREATIVE ACADEMY?

Hello creative friends! I’m delighted to bring you this wonderful mixed media portrait project…

Want to learn more about color, design, and creating beautiful mixed-media portraits? Join me for an in-depth lesson where we'll explore blues and yellows as our color palette. I'll guide you through my process of building the face and understanding how to convey form through value. Plus, I'll share tips and tricks for adding those special details that make a painting unique and finished. Sign up now and learn mixed media watercolor techniques, composition, and more!

I hope you’ll join me.

Color Exploration

To begin this lesson we will explore color and get our materials out! I’m a big believer in swatching color and really understanding the color range you have in your collection of products.

Our color combo for this lesson is blues and yellows as the name suggests. This combination is a personal favorite because the blue is soothing and has such beautiful depth but is then activated by the warmth and glow of the yellow hues! I also find that working monochromatically in blue is a really fun and useful way to explore your values.

You will learn more about why I love the combination and how best to use it in your art. However, if you have another combo that you just adore you are free to explore that too and just follow along in my mixed media process.

Building the painting

After we explore our chosen color palette and materials, I will guide you through my process of building the face and understanding how to convey form through value. The lights and darks of the face truly give the illusion of form so this is a vital part of improving your portrait painting skills. I provide a copyright-free photo reference to work from but you are free to choose your own if you would like.

I explain that you can transfer or trace the face onto your paper if needed so you can focus on the painting aspect and not worry too much about proportion if you are newer to drawing the face. I promise you will still be learning so much from the experience! Those who would rather free-hand the drawing should go for it!

Bringing it all together…

We bring the piece to completion by adding splashes of color, texture and expressive mark-making! I share my favorite tips and tricks to really add those special details that make the painting unique and finished. This is my favorite part of the process and I know you will have fun with it too!

You will learn mixed media watercolor techniques, composition, design and so much more!

So, come join me for the adventure....

• Cold Pressed Watercolor Paper 140lbs

• Soft Pastels (in white and naples yellow)

• Posca Uni Paint Pen in White

• Sakura Gellyroll 08 Pen in White

• ‍Watercolors/Gouache used -

• Shinhan watercolors in 409 Prussian Blue and 413 Yellow Ochre

• Daniel Smith Indigo

• Arteza White Gouache

• Brushes used -

• Princeton Select 1” Oval Mop

• Princeton Neptune #12 Round, #8 Round, #2 Round

• Arteza 4/0 Spot

• Color Pencils Used

  • Faber-Castell Dark Indigo 9201-157

  • Derwent Watercolor Oriental Blue 37

  • CaranAche Supracolor II Soft - Prussian Blue 159

  • CaranAche Supracolor II Soft - Bluish Pale 371

  • CaranAche Supracolor II Soft - Light Ochre 032

  • CaranAche Supracolor II Soft - Golden Ochre 033

  • CaranAche Supracolor II Soft - Naples Yellow 021