Practical Color Theory For Portrait and Figurative Artists

Introducing colour "systems" and language (i.e., Hue, Value, & Chroma) color wheels, etc. What is the Munsell system and how it works.

Continuing from the previous lecture, here we begin looking more in-depth at how Munsell "books" are set up and how colours are represented in that system. After that, we are ready to look more specifically at each of the dimensions of color, starting with "Value".

This section of the slide lecture starts with a breakdown of Values and how they are typically represented for the arts. It then moves on to tie in Hue and Chroma to the discussion, and how these 3 things now relate to one another. We also begin to compare the theoretical notions of HVC (Hue, Value, Chroma) to a typical "Colorant" -- in this case, oil paint -- and how the paint can be looked at for its Hue, Value, and Chroma.

This last lecture of the section ties together the concepts presented by HVC and begin to apply them in a practical fashion with image demonstrations as well as an exercise that participants may wish to try. This lecture shows how the most important aspect of color for the artist -- particularly the representational artist -- is value. However, we will not leave out Chroma and Hue.

This lecture demonstrates how a colour system (continuing on with Munsell) can be used to compare actual human skin tones. The truth is that colour systems are useful, but ultimately, imperfect. It may be surprising, however, to learn exactly where in the Hue, Value, Chroma concept one will find the vast majority of human skin colours! This lecture also shows some specific paints that may be used to represent skin tones and these appear in relation to colour chips.

Applying another "real world" example, Juan uses some of the paints shown in the previous lecture, in order to mix up what looks like his own skin colour. In fact, he paints right on his arm to check!

Demonstrating an exercise you can try with a colorant of your choice (oil, acrylic, watercolour, pastel, etc.). This demo shows how you can mix nearly any naturally occurring color (with notable exceptions, of course) using only 4 (four) colors of oil paint, plus white.

Introduction to the "Rules" section followed by a discussion on the well-known concept  or Rule: Warm light / Cool Shadows and how it may not necessarily be universally applicable.

Using wooden blocks, Juan demonstrates how different values/colors appear in the "real world" or, in other words, in 3-dimensional rather than a 2-dimensional illusion. This is shown to great effect using a common artist's painting panel as an example.

In this lecture Juan explains a simple observation which has been widely observed by many artists over the years. However, it is possible that this is the first time anyone is naming this as a "Rule". That is: "The Colour of a Thing is the Colour of the Thing".

Explains how and why value is the single most important aspect of creating a three-dimensional illusion or, the idea of "rounding", which is often termed, "Turning the Form". Form refers to the 3-dimensional rather as compared to the word "shape", which is usually referring to a 2-dimensional or flat outline/area. "Turning" refers to whether and how much any given part of a form faces a light source. The more the surface of the form faces the light, it is said to be turning toward the light. And when not facing the light, it is turning from or away from it.

The form can be perfectly stationary so the "turning" actually refers to whatever point on the surface of the form you wish to observe or depict. The form does not actually turn. Rather, it is our attention that goes from one point to the next so we can observe how the light passes over the form. And, the relative lightness or darkness of any given surface of the form, will depend on how much or how little that surface is facing toward the light source.

The "Rule of Rubens" is a little know term for a color progression system that can be used for human skin tones. It is named so because this system — one of colors ranging from cool to warm to cool to warm, in that order  — appears to have been employed by Rubens and many artists of his time.

This lecture goes through many of Juan's works as well as a number from historical and contemporary artists to examine how the various aspects of the color theory presented have been applied (or not).

"The Duke" is early to mid twentieth century movie star named, John Wayne. What is demonstrated here is how to use a black-and-white movie star photo as your reference to "colorize".