SESSION IV | Classical Painting: Still Life & Portrait

Feb 14 – Mar 21 Sundays| 1 – 4:30 pm

Media: Oil Paint (The Zorn Palette: 4 Colors) on Panel/Canvas

Tuition: $500 (All supplies included)

Instructors: TBA

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Course Description

Color power comes from constraint, not complexity. In Session 4, students step into color theory using the famous Zorn Palette—a legendary limited palette consisting of just four pigments: Titanium White, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Red, and Ivory Black.

Because Ivory Black acts as a cool blue in mixtures, students learn how to create a full spectrum of vibrant skin tones, subtle greys, and muted greens. This module teaches students to translate drawing values directly into color temperature and hue.

Weekly Curriculum Breakdown

  • Week 1: Deconstructing the Zorn Palette

    Color wheel construction using 4 pigments; discovering how Black functions as a cool blue in mixtures.

  • Week 2: Color Temperature & Value Translation

    Understanding warm light vs. cool shadows and mixing specific color steps to match observed values.

  • Week 3: The Color Block-In (Observational Still Life)

    Applying an underpainting and laying down major color masses from direct observation.

  • Week 4: Form Building with Color

    Turning form across light source changes using hue shifts and temperature changes rather than just adding white or black.

  • Week 5: Color Harmony & Edge Refinement

    Balancing saturation, unifying backgrounds, and refining edge transitions in color.

  • Week 6: Final Varnishing & SlideRoom Digital Capture

    Final pass on details; workshop on photographing oil paintings without surface glare for college portals.

Portfolio Deliverables

  1. One Finished Limited-Palette Oil Painting: A rich, full-color observational still life or cast study.

  2. Zorn Palette Color Mixing Grid: A structured reference chart showing color range and temperature shifts.