{"id":7064,"date":"2014-05-26T15:23:46","date_gmt":"2014-05-26T15:23:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/?page_id=7064"},"modified":"2026-04-03T17:27:51","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T17:27:51","slug":"the-colored-pencil-course-using-color-theory-in-drawings","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-colored-pencil-course-using-color-theory-in-drawings","title":{"rendered":"The Colored Pencil Course &#8211; Using Color Theory in Drawings"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"coursetitlecontainer\">\n<div class=\"coursetitle\">\n<h1><span>The Colored Pencil Course:<\/span> Using Color Theory in Drawings<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"insertbackground\">\n<div class=\"removep\">\n<div class=\"videoflexwrapper\">\n<div class=\"videotop\">\n  <iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/126867808?color=ffffff&title=0&byline=0&portrait=0\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" frameborder=\"0\" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sidebartop\">\n<div class=\"vertalign\">\n<div class=\"logoimage\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/logosmall75.png\"><\/div>\n<p>\n    <div class=\"sidebarcarddescriptiondark\">\n<span>JOIN THE VIRTUAL INSTRUCTOR<\/span><br>\n    Get ALL of our courses, ebooks, live lessons, critiques, lesson plans and more today.\n<\/div>\n    <\/p>\n<div class=\"sidebarbuttonholder\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"sidebuttonsmem\">START FREE TRIAL<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<hr style=\"background-color:#ffffff;margin-top:1.5em;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/register-the-colored-pencil-course\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"sidebuttons\">BUY SINGLE COURSE $67<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"courseperkscontainer\">\n<div class=\"courseperks\"><span>This course features:<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"courseperks\"><i class=\"far fa-clock\" style=\"margin-right:10px;\"><\/I>5 Hours of Instruction<\/div>\n<div class=\"courseperks\"><i class=\"fas fa-film\" style=\"margin-right:10px;\"><\/I>22 Videos<\/div>\n<div class=\"courseperks\"><i class=\"fas fa-book\" style=\"margin-right:10px;\"><\/I>21 eBooks<\/div>\n<div class=\"courseperks\"><i class=\"fas fa-shield-alt\" style=\"margin-right:10px;\"><\/i>30 Day Money Back Guarantee<\/div>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div>\n<p>\n\n<div class=\"contentfix\">\n<div class=\"favorites\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tabs\">\n  <input name=\"tabs\" type=\"radio\" id=\"tab-1\" checked=\"checked\" class=\"input\"\/><br \/>\n  <label for=\"tab-1\" class=\"label\">Description<\/label><\/p>\n<div class=\"panel\">\n<h2>Lesson Description<\/h2>\n<p>\nLesson Five of <em>The Colored Pencil Course<\/em> focuses on the foundational principles of color theory and their direct application to colored pencil drawing. Understanding color is essential for creating vibrant, harmonious, and visually compelling artwork. In this lesson, students learn how to mix colors effectively using primary hues, how to create balanced color schemes, and how to use the color wheel to enhance the intensity and depth of their drawings. By applying these concepts, artists gain control over both the aesthetic and technical aspects of their work.\n<\/p>\n<h2>The Basics of Color Mixing<\/h2>\n<p>\nMatt begins the lesson with an overview of the primary colors\u2014red, blue, and yellow\u2014and demonstrates how these can be combined to create a wide range of secondary and tertiary colors. Students learn that careful mixing of colored pencils allows for richer, more natural colors than relying on pre-made pencil shades alone. Matt emphasizes the importance of layering and blending, showing how light pressure, gradual buildup, and mixing complementary hues can create smooth transitions and complex tones. This foundation provides students with the confidence to manipulate color in subtle and sophisticated ways.\n<\/p>\n<h2>Understanding the Color Wheel<\/h2>\n<p>\nThe color wheel is introduced as a practical tool for artists to understand relationships between colors and their impact on a composition. Matt explains the concepts of complementary, analogous, and triadic color schemes, illustrating how these arrangements can evoke different moods and visual effects. Students learn that complementary colors\u2014those opposite each other on the wheel\u2014can be used to increase vibrancy and make elements of a drawing pop, while analogous colors create harmonious blends for smoother, more unified appearances. This understanding is crucial for making informed choices when layering colored pencil pigments and establishing contrast.\n<\/p>\n<h2>Applying Color Schemes in Colored Pencil Drawing<\/h2>\n<p>\nBuilding on the theory, Matt demonstrates how to apply these principles to practical colored pencil work. He shows how a well-chosen color scheme can enhance depth, create a sense of light and shadow, and convey mood effectively. Students experiment with different schemes, learning how to plan their drawings so that the colors work together naturally. Matt emphasizes that in colored pencil drawing, layering complementary colors can enhance shadows, while analogous colors can be blended to create smooth, realistic surfaces. By understanding these relationships, students can achieve more dynamic and engaging results in their work.\n<\/p>\n<h2>Enhancing Colors Using the Color Wheel<\/h2>\n<p>\nA key focus of this lesson is using the color wheel to enhance and intensify colors within a drawing. Matt explains techniques for boosting saturation without overpowering the composition, such as layering complementary colors lightly to enrich a hue or adding subtle warm or cool tones to create depth. He demonstrates how small adjustments to color relationships can dramatically improve the overall impact of a drawing. Students learn that color theory is not just a conceptual tool\u2014it is a practical guide for achieving realism, harmony, and visual interest in every piece.\n<\/p>\n<h2>Practical Exercises and Observational Applications<\/h2>\n<p>\nThroughout the lesson, students are guided through exercises to reinforce the concepts of color mixing, schemes, and enhancement. These exercises involve simple compositions where students can practice blending primaries, creating secondary colors, and experimenting with color harmonies. Matt encourages students to observe natural objects and analyze how light and color interact in the real world, applying their understanding of color theory to replicate these subtleties in their drawings. By integrating these exercises into their practice, students develop a solid grasp of how to manipulate colored pencils to produce accurate, vibrant, and aesthetically pleasing artwork.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nBy the end of Lesson Five, students gain a comprehensive understanding of color theory as it applies specifically to colored pencil drawing. From mixing colors from primaries to applying color schemes and enhancing hues, this lesson equips artists with the knowledge and practical skills to make intentional, informed choices in their artwork. With a solid foundation in color theory, students are better prepared to tackle more complex drawings with confidence, creativity, and technical skill.\n<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>  <input name=\"tabs\" type=\"radio\" id=\"tab-2\" class=\"input\"\/><br \/>\n  <label for=\"tab-2\" class=\"label\">Materials<\/label><\/p>\n<div class=\"panel\">\n<h2>Lesson Materials<\/h2>\n<p>Colored Pencils (Prismacolor pencils are used but any brand is fine), Bristol paper, and colorless blender.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>  <input name=\"tabs\" type=\"radio\" id=\"tab-3\" class=\"input\"\/><br \/>\n  <label for=\"tab-3\" class=\"label\">Resources<\/label><\/p>\n<div class=\"panel\">\n<h2>Lesson Resources<\/h2>\n<p><i class=\"fas fa-lock\" style=\"margin-right:10px;\"><\/I>Download eBook<\/p>\n<p><i class=\"fas fa-lock\" style=\"margin-right:10px;\"><\/I>Reference Image<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><input name=\"tabs\" type=\"radio\" id=\"tab-4\" class=\"input\"\/><br \/>\n  <label for=\"tab-4\" class=\"label\">Curriculum<\/label><\/p>\n<div class=\"panel\">\n<h2>Course Curriculum<\/h2>\n<div class=\"curriculumcontainer\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-colored-pencil-course-introduction-and-materials\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 1: Introduction and Materials (4:12)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-colored-pencil-course-colored-pencil-basics\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 2: Colored Pencil Basics (15:44)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-colored-pencil-course-the-magic-of-burnishing\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 3: The Magic of Burnishing (19:20)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-colored-pencil-course-value-and-the-underpainting\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 4: Value and Underpainting (17:11)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-colored-pencil-course-using-color-theory-in-drawings\" class=\"curriculumselected\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 5: Color Theory (21:53)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-colored-pencil-course-composition-and-still-life\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 6: Composition and Still Life (23:08)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-colored-pencil-course-reflection-and-transparency\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 7: Reflection and Transparency (15:56)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-colored-pencil-course-transferring-images\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 8: Transferring Images (9:03)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-colored-pencil-course-creating-texture-part-1\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 9: Creating Texture - Part 1 (17:13)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-colored-pencil-course-creating-texture-part-2\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 10: Creating Texture - Part 2 (15:55)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-colored-pencil-course-landscape-drawing-part-1\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 11: Landscape Drawing - Part 1 (14:42)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-colored-pencil-course-landscape-drawing-part-2\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 12: Landscape Drawing - Part 2 (16:05)<\/a\n\n><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-colored-pencil-course-portrait-drawing-part-1\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 13: Portrait Drawing - Part 1 (15:55)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-colored-pencil-course-portrait-drawing-part-2\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 14: Portrait Drawing - Part 2 (11:29)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-colored-pencil-course-portrait-drawing-part-3\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 15: Portrait Drawing - Part 3 (12:13)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-colored-pencil-course-portrait-drawing-part-4\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 16: Portrait Drawing - Part 4 (13:03)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-colored-pencil-course-portrait-drawing-part-5\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 17: Portrait Drawing - Part 5 (9:37)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-colored-pencil-course-watercolor-and-colored-pencils-part-1\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 18: Watercolor and Colored Pencils - Part 1 (15:03)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-colored-pencil-course-watercolor-and-colored-pencils-part-2\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 19: Watercolor and Colored Pencils - Part 2 (10:48)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-colored-pencil-course-watercolor-pencils-part-1\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 20: Watercolor Pencils - Part 1 (13:07)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-colored-pencil-course-watercolor-pencils-part-2\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 21: Watercolor Pencils - Part 2 (11:07)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/the-colored-pencil-course-conclusion\" class=\"curriculum\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Lesson 22: Conclusion (4:32)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sidebarbottom\">\n<div class=\"relatedcourse\">Your Instructor<\/div>\n<div class=\"instructor\">\n<div class=\"instructorimage\">\n<div class=\"instructorpic\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/images\/mattauthor.jpg\" alt=\"Matt Fussell - Instructor\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"instructorname\">Matt Fussell<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"instructordes\">\n<p>Founder of The Virtual Instructor, artist and teacher. Matt makes learning art easy to understand and enjoyable.<\/p>\n<p><div style=\"padding-top:10px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/blog\/author\/admin\">Learn more about Matt<\/a><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"relatedcoursescontainer\">\n<div class=\"relatedcourse\">Related Courses and Classes<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/3-little-birds-with-colored-pencils\" class=\"sidebarbottom-curriculum\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"leftlean\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>3 Little Birds with Colored Pencils<\/div>\n<div class=\"rightlean\" style=\"background-image: url('https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/3-little-birds-with-colored-pencils-course.jpg');\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/colored-pencils-plus\" class=\"sidebarbottom-curriculum\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"leftlean\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Colored Pencils PLUS<\/div>\n<div class=\"rightlean\" style=\"background-image: url('https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Colored-Pencils-Plus-Course.jpg');\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/peacock-with-colored-pencils\" class=\"sidebarbottom-curriculum\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"leftlean\"><i class=\"far fa-play-circle\" style=\"margin-right:5px;\"><\/i>Peacock with Colored Pencils<\/div>\n<div class=\"rightlean\" style=\"background-image: url('https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Peacock-colored-pencils-lesson-series-400.jpg');\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Colored Pencil Course: Using Color Theory in Drawings Description Lesson Description Lesson Five of The Colored Pencil Course focuses on the foundational principles of color theory and their direct application to colored pencil drawing. Understanding color is essential for creating vibrant, harmonious, and visually compelling artwork. In this lesson, students learn how to mix [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"paget-iframe.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7064","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7064","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7064"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7064\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46192,"href":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7064\/revisions\/46192"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7064"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/members\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7064"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}