Welcome to the world of COLOR! Colors are all around us. They help us differentiate between objects, see in perspective, and create mood or atmosphere.

All colors are created by different waves of light. All surfaces absorb and reflect the various light rays differently. The colors we see are actually the rays of leght that have reflected off of on object, rather than the ones which were absorbed by the object. We see them when they bounce off obfects and enter our eyes. It's a little strange to think that if we could see the colors that were absorbed by objects, everything would appear to be the opposite color.

Most light comes from the sun, but not always directly. Light waves may bounce off several objects before we see them. In fact, light rays from the sun bounce and reflect off many, many particles of dest before reaching us. Think about homw many times the light was absorbed and reflected, changing the color slightly each time. In the cosest layers of our atmosphere, we can see the difference in the look of light on a clear day, or a hazy, smoggy day. rainy days or overcast days change the light rays too.

When using color in drawings, or paintings, it';s always good to keep colors and light rays in mind. Remembering that prue light includes the whole spectrum of color reminds us that we dan include more color in our art. Adding a hint of other colore to objects that appear to be just one color adds life and interest. When we see grass in nature, it's mostly green, but isn't there a little bit of yellow, or blue in places? Can you see how adding a touch of red to the shadows of grass might liven it up? These added colors can be blended or layered to be very subtle, or you can make them very obvious as seperate colors. When you make accent colors very obvious, you art may begin to take on an "impressionistic" quality. Blobs of color close up can create more realistic images when viewed from a distance.

The last class (Drawing with color) and the next class (Watercolor Painting) both emphasize layering colors as a way of mixing colors.

1. Always start with the lighter color(s). It's easier to add darker colors over lighter colors than it is to add lighter colors over darker ones.

2. For more complex colors that require mixing/layering more than 2 colors- start out with light coverage. Not too much pressure!

3. As you get it closer to the color you want, you can add more, and press harder to "fill in" the white spaces of the paper.

Try using the complimentary color to create shading or shadowing, rather than black. It will add more life to your drawing.

If you still need it to go darker, try a combination of Blue, Red, and green. Keep adding more layers to make it darker.

Note: Many papers eventually become full of the pencil, and you may get to a point where no matter how much pencil you add, it doesn't change the look of it. This is a good reason to start softly and sneak up on the color you want, so as not to fill up the paper crevices before you have actually achieved the desired color.

New Year's Resolution -Draw every day! It doesn't have to be much- even just doodling in a journal helps improve hand-eye coordination, and keeps your creative self active!

Duo Drawings Create a drawing or Painting with your Child/Parent. Have one person start, and fill a small portion of the paper or canvas, then pass it to the other person and vice versa. Each person adds a little and builds onto what the other person has done. (Don't discuss what you are going to add to the drawing. Let it be a surprise! The result may end up like a collage, or perhaps a very surreal scene. Either way, it's lots of fun! This can be done with more than two people, and can be fun at parties, too.

Life Size Drawings Have your child(ren) lay down on a large sheet of butcher paper and trace their body. Then let the child fill in/color themself in. This can be fun to do once a year and see themselves grow.

• Watercolor Painting

Good class for beginners! We will learn how to mix paint, do watercolor washes, and layering of colors.

• Acrylic Painting

We will continue our painting fun by exploring acrylics.