MASTERING TINTS & TONES
with Jenny Nelson
Bringing your abstract shapes to life
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NOTIFY ME WHEN THE LESSON REOPENSA Transformational lesson to Enliven your Abstract ShapesÂ
We all love to use color in our work! Learning to use tints, tones, and value to create depth and direct the viewers eye, is the key to creating a strong painting.Â
When you have a very active abstract painting and you use a lot of saturated colors, they may clash. But if you come in with a tone of one of those colors, it acts as a neutral and it lets all the colors breathe within the same space. It’s the tones that really make a painting feel unified and harmonious.  Â
I love mixing colors. In my studio practice, mixing a palette is a meditative activity that prepares me for painting.
I've spent over 30 years experimenting with color relationships on my palette and in my work. And having taught thousands of students online and in-person, I believe that this fundamental concept can have a transformational impact on your work!
“Hi Jenny, Thank you for sharing this with us! I have had many teachers both in-person and online, and while I learn something from each teacher, you are the best. I am grateful for you and that you choose to teach!
—Jenny O.
“What an incredible teacher Jenny is! My practice has grown leaps and bounds.”Â
—Jamilia E.
“I spent a great deal of time mixing and getting colours that got me soo excited when I put them side by side. I would never have done this prior to this lesson and really looking for values to get the painting to 'pop'. ”
—Charlotte H.
The Lesson at a Glance
Crafted with love and attention, this simple, yet expansive lesson, will help you build confidence in color mixing and constructing more complex shapes.  Â
When working abstractly, value is the fundamental tool we can use to give our shapes dimension. It creates the illusion of depth and space, and it tells us about light. Â
Working light to dark, we will mix tints and tones in a range of values, in both a warm and cool palette. Then we'll conduct some enlightening experiments to learn about the power and effect of tints, tones and value on our shapes.
 You can choose to use oil paints or acrylic paints  with this lesson.
- The concept is simple, but can have a profound effect on the personality and depth of your shapes.
- The lesson is pre-recorded so you can access it anytime — and you own the lesson for life
Module 1
Introduction & Artist Discussion (18 minutes)
- An explanation of tints and tones and why they are so important to incorporate into your work
- A slide show discussion of the application of tints and tones in the works of contemporary and historic artists
Module 2
Exercise in Warm Tones (48 minutes)
- What supplies you'll need
- Benefits of pre-mixing colors
- Mixing the tints and tones of Burnt SiennaÂ
Module 3
Exercise in Cool Tones (38 minutes)
- A slide show discussion of how I've applied tints and tones in my own work
- Mixing the tints and tones of Prussian BlueÂ
- Additional color suggestions to experiment with
Module 4
Painting Lesson (51 minutes)
- A lesson to create a painting applying the techniques you've learned
- Filmed with three students in my studio, so you feel like you're in class with us!
"Clear teaching and amazingly organized lessons. Just brilliant"
—Adelaide S.
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About Jenny
Jenny Nelson is a painter, arts educator. Trained at Maine College of Art and Bard College — where she earned a scholarship to the Lacoste School of the Arts in France — she has spent over two decades living and working in the Hudson Valley, including a residency at the prestigious Byrdcliffe Art Colony.
Her work has been shown nationally at galleries including Hidell Brooks (Charlotte, NC), Anne Loucks (Chicago), and Carrie Haddad (Hudson, NY). She has taught at celebrated arts institutions across the Northeast and beyond — from Provincetown and Nantucket to Woodstock — and has guided thousands of students in improving their abstract painting.