In this workshop Katie and Adam will guide you through an exercise to explore Color Swatching.
What is swatching?
Swatching is a technique for experimenting with art materials (whether digital or traditional) that typically involves making small marks, or swatches. You can swatch for the purpose of exploring color, texture, etc… or you can swatch materials so you have a reference while you’re working. Here are some examples of swatching Katie has done:
Swatching is a great way to practice and build confidence with new art materials, and it’s a productive way to experiment and learn new ways of working. It’s a perfect exercise for new artists, and it’s a foundational part of the workflow for many professional artists.
So join us in this workshop to create your own color swatches!
What You’ll Do in This Workshop
Katie and Adam begin this workshop by talking about different types of swatching (see the images above as a preview of this). Then Katie will share a bit about how you can research pigments, and how that can help you pick colors that work together.
After this discussion, you’ll receive a swatching template so you can create your own color palette. You will use only 3 tubes of paint to create a cohesive palette with 12 different colors. And the beauty of this exercise is that you can use it again and again with different colors.
Whether you use paint all the time or you’re curious to learn more, this an exercise that will lead to discovery of new and interesting ways to use color in your future work.
By the end of the workshop, you’ll have a unique and cohesive color palette. And you’ll have an exercise that you can return to time and time again.
Art Gym Members can watch the replay above, and if you’re not a member yet, click the button below to join the community:
Workout Plan
Use the chapter markers below to jump to any section:
0:00 - Welcome and materials prep
7:00 - Discussion: Types of Swatching
16:00 - Discussion: Picking Colors Based on Pigments
26:00 - Workout Time! Swatching a Cohesive Color Palette
Total runtime: 1 hour 12 minutes
Art Gym Gallery
After the workshop, you can share your work in the Art Gym Gallery. We often re-post work from Arthletes, and we would love to feature your art! Here’s the gallery link:
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