Ken had a show last week, so I had a night to myself. It was the perfect night for a bit of self-care. I turned off the news, grabbed a beer, and decided to watch an amazing, and yes, beautiful, Skillshare course created by Ria Sharon. In this 20-minute color palette course, Ria leads students through the relaxing and inspiring process of mixing colors using gouache paints.
Mixing Colors
Ria has a soothing way of teaching and explaining her process. This is an incredible quality to possess when you are teaching a color palette course, which can be a potentially frustrating process. With Ria’s guidance color palette mixing becomes a beautiful process to be enjoyed and celebrated, rather than a process that is controlled and orderly.
I appreciated that throughout the course Ria made “mistakes” and experienced a few surprises. It made sense and lent to the Skillshare’s authenticity because color mixing involves a great deal of trial and error. I loved that these moments were included in the course, instead of edited out. The process appeared simple and uncomplicated, which we can all appreciate.
In this course, Ria takes inspiration from items she found in her garden. This adds to the soothing aspect of the course and the result is a gorgeous palette. This is a good reminder for all artists. Inspiration is all around us.
Supplies Needed:
In this course, Ria uses:
- Gouache Windsor Newton starter kit
- Canson cold press watercolor paper
- Water
- Paper towels
- Brush
- Objects from nature for color inspiration
More From Ria:
I really enjoyed Ria’s course and would like to explore more of her courses in the future. Ria has a number of courses available on Skillshare, including:
- Sketchbook Magic
- Making Your Own Coloring Page
- Discovering Your Art Style
- Becoming a Better Artist: Drawing Essentials
More Color Palette Courses:
I also look forward to exploring more color mixing courses and learning various techniques and methods. Here are a few that greatly interest me:
- Color Collector: Explore the Art of Color Mixing with Gouache
- Learn to Fearlessly Mix and Use Color for Watercolor Painting
- Watercolor Magic: The Basics of Color Mixing and Color Harmony
Do you have a favorite course or technique for mixing colors? Let me know in the comments below.
Some links used within this post are affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a small commission if a purchase is made. Thanks for your support and I hope that you enjoyed this post.
