Use of Color

This second video in the "Illuminations!" series builds on the information provided in Vol. 1, "Understanding Color", and explores the role color plays in creating form, depth, and excitement in paintings. You'll learn about temperature, value, and intensity with respect to how they affect different aspects of your paintings, as well as look at how you select a color scheme. We'll also see how you can use the color panels, developed in Vol. 1, to give you precise mixtures for the components of a painting.

Color is a fundamental element of our lives. Understanding how to use it for visual communication in a variety of contexts is essential for designers and artists. This course is about learning how to use color, not only to create more effective designs, but also to tell a story. Illustrator, professor, and author Mary Jane Begin explains how color intertwines with brand identity, how it affects the mood of a piece and directs the viewer's attention to areas of interest, and how it can connect images or create space between elements. She removes the mystery surrounding the color wheel and color relationships; shows how to layer, mix, and digitally alter color; and use light to integrate temperature, translucency, and contrast.