The Polyptych - An Exercise in Harmony & Synergy

Four Reclining Nudes - Four Flesh-Tone Palettes

For intermediate level students and advanced beginners

Polyptychs* can be a powerful addition to your portfolio (*a group of paintings, consisting of more than three panels joined into one display). In this course we’ll dispel the myth that polyptychs are too difficult or only for the advanced skill level, by breaking it down into simple steps. 

You can use polyptychs for narrow wall spaces or to cover large wall areas where a single canvas is impractical to use. Stacking up multiple works can create a grander display when you know how to harmonize the colors. We’ll take a closer look at cool versus warm paint colors, at how they correspond to the light on the skin and the specific atmosphere of the space. Through practicing four different palettes you will understand how to pick your pigments, create your color harmony, and achieve unity and balance in the finished work.

What you will learn:

• How to use color
• How to pick the nuanced color mixing from scratch
• Which pigments to choose for a particular impression
• Personalize four color harmonies
• Four ways to integrate the figure into the background
• Palettes for the skin tone in the light and shadow
• The principles of creating a set, versus making separate paintings

Who is it for:

• Artists who are looking for advancement in figure painting
• Art students who want to understand color mixing
• Those who get sameness in their treatment of the skin color
• Beginners who wish to learn how to paint figures 
• Experienced students seeking to master figure painting

Questions? Call us: 802-505-7624