Tip - Learn the Language of Color, its the first step...

The most important aspect of teaching color to others is teaching them to 'see' and 'read' the properties of color. Knowing about the color wheel and understanding how colors relate to each other as they flow around the color wheel is only one aspect of teaching color theory. Artists, students and especially teachers strive to learn the language of color and pass it on to others. This is the first step.

Learning to identify the subtle differences between hues and how to describe them is the first step...

To the novice artist, blue or yellow may be a general term to describe a color that sits between (green and violet) or between (Orange and Green). But the artist who understands color, recognizes and understands that there is more to the story... under the umbrella of Blue, there lie hundreds of shades, tones, tints, values, intensities, temperatures and hues of blue. Knowing how to describe that special blue or yellow is an important tool for the artist and teacher.

How would you describe any of the colors featured in the flower images above?

Pick one image and one area of the image and think about the following questions...

• What color is it?
• How would I describe this color?
• Is it dark?
• Is it light?
• Is it loud?
• Is it quiet?
• Is it really what I think it is? blue or blue violet? Blue or blue green?
• Is it a true yellow?

Every time you try this exercise it will improve your 'color reading' skills. Remember to ask yourself... Hue (color)? Value (light or dark)? Intensity (bright or dull)? These are the first steps to speaking the language of an artist...

Try to identify the colors in the images featured... see how close you can get to them...

How many greens can you see in this photograph? Can you see a gray-blue color?
	Question: What 'base' colors would you put out on your palette if you were trying to mix the pinks on the left? Answer: White, red, red violet - Now think about the proportions - always add the darker color to the lightest color. Always add tiny amounts at first. Its like adding salt to your soup - just a little bit will go a long way.
	Question: What 'base' colors would you put out on your palette if you wanted to mix this toned green color? Answer: White, Hansa Yellow, Phthalo Green Blue, Raw Sienna. Always add the darker color to the lightest color. Always add tiny amounts at first. Remember the soup? - Just a little bit will go a long way.
	Question: What colors would you put out on your palette to make the softer pink colors? Answer: Black and White or grey. Why would this work?
	Question: What colors would you put out on your palette to make the softer golden colors? Answer: Black and White or grey.
Look for colors everywhere. Especially in old magazine pages. Carry a color wheel with you, the wheel and the colored photographs will help you search through the image trying to match the colors on the wheel with different parts of the photograph. Look for different hues and match them to the hues on the wheel. This exercise willbuild your ability to seperate the hues from each other more quickly.