MASTERING TINTS & TONES

with Jenny Nelson

Bringing your abstract shapes to life

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A Transformational lesson to Enliven your Abstract Shapes 

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. 

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.   

I love mixing colors. In my studio practice, mixing a palette is a meditative activity that prepares me for painting. I've spent over 25 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!

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“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.

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“What an incredible teacher Jenny is! My practice has grown leaps and bounds.” 

—Jamilia E.

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“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.   

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.  

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
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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 Sienna 
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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 Blue 
  • Additional color suggestions to experiment with
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"Clear teaching and amazingly organized lessons. Just brilliant"

—Adelaide S.

FAQs

Answers to some of the most frequently asked questions

Still have questions? Email me here!

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About Jenny

Jenny Nelson is a painter and arts educator. She attended Maine College of Art in Portland Maine, and is a graduate of Bard College, where she received a scholarship to the Lacoste School of the Arts in France. She has been living in the Hudson Valley for over two decades, including a Residency at the Byrdcliffe Art Colony from 2004-08. She has taught classes and workshops at the Truro Arts Center at Castle Hill, Provincetown Art Association and Museum, the Woodstock School of Art, the Nantucket Artists Association, and Lubin House, an affiliate of Syracuse University.  Jenny has been exhibiting for many years nationally and regionally. She is represented by the Hidell Brooks Gallery in Charlotte, North Carolina, the Carrie Haddad, Hudson, NY. and the Anne Loucks Gallery in Chicago. 

Ready to take your skills in abstract painting to the next level?

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