Stage 2

Monchromatic Painting, Warm/Cool and Limited Palette Painting

In the second major stage of the curriculum students are introduced to the world of painting. Because of the complexity of methods and materials of oil painting, students begin by working in Grisaille, or in two colors of ‘black and white’. By working monochromatically students are able to learn to apply the knowledge gained through drawing into painting without having to juggle issues of color. Students initially mix large batches of paint corresponding to a standard 9 value scale from white to black, and make their own tubes of paint.

After completing major project milestones such as the ‘master cast painting’ and master-copy, students begin to enter the realm of color by learning to work with warm/cool relationships. The heart of achieving convincing color relationships, even when working with a full palette of colors, lies within executing successful color temperature changes. By using only 3 colors initially, students learn to see in terms of color temperature relationships rather then just local color.

Students at this stage also re-visit drawing and learn how to use red, white, and black chalk to create drawings with convincing color temperature relationships. After establishing a firm grasp with warm/cool relationships students expand their range and work with the traditional Velazquez 5 color palette of Black, Umber, Venetian Red, Yellow Ochre and/or Naples Yellow, and White. Students discover in this stage how the careful use of just these 5-6 colors can create paintings full of life and color. The relative amount of time students spend in these three areas is roughly ½ monochromatic painting, ¼ warm cool, and ¼ Limited Palette.
Following are some other notable areas of study covered within this category of the curriculum:

  • Transferring a drawing to a painting and building it through a series of layers: the ‘wipeout/underpainting’, first opaque layer, second semi-transparent layer, and final glazes and touch-ups.
  • The value study and working in a broad way with paint.
  • Use of mediums, brushes, substrates (panels, stretched linen, linen mounted on panel), priming, etc.