Color Harmony for Digital Artists with Sean Bodley

6-week, beginner-level digital painting class

Sean Bodley

Hi, my name is Sean Bodley, and I love drawing and painting! Currently I work as a Background Designer in TV animation for Rick and Morty. I have also worked as a designer on Solar Opposites and digital matte painting for theme parks with Mousetrappe studio.

Since graduating from the UW – Milwaukee art program in 2010 I have worked as a freelance illustrator, plein air painter, and art instructor for students of all levels; from the ArtCenter Entertainment Design Summer Intensive, to schools and private lessons. I love working with students to follow their passions and developing our skills together!

When not making art I enjoy hiking with my wife and two dogs, playing video games, and reading about investing.

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Class Schedule

Length of Course: 6 weeks

Days: Tuesdays starting May 20, 2025; last class on June 24, 2025

Time: 6pm – 9:30pm Pacific Time

Tuition: US$600

Class Size: 10 students

Format:

Class meets once a week on Zoom; Zoom class is recorded
Homework to be uploaded to Google Drive folder
Students have access to class recordings and other class materials for 12 months after class ends
Bonus Discord activities: 1) Mid-week Office Hours to receive feedback on homework WIPs – schedule TBD, participation optional but highly recommended, not recorded; 2) Work Sessions to hang out and work on homework together with classmates

Class Summary

This course builds an artist’s color sense from complete beginner to intermediate level in 6 weeks. Each lesson lays the foundation for more challenging skills. Students will learn everything from basic color mixing to complex digital tools. This course covers fundamental principles that will give you confidence with digital color

Week 1. Color Personalities – Learn how to name and digitally mix any color. Explore the ways that a color’s presence changes depending on the other colors around it
Week 2. Color Relativity – Discover how make colors “sing” and create a powerful emotional mood using Color Gamuts
Week 3. Primaries of Light – Unlock the brilliance of Red, Green, and Blue to level up your digital color
Week 4. Pointillism – Explore optical mixing to add unique energy and life to your paintings
Week 5. Color Sense – Learn the basics of Color Design to paint beyond what you see, to paint what you feel, or create a mood. Understand the tools used by professional Background Painters, Illustrators and digital artists
Week 6. Color Explosion – Experiment with digital techniques to gain confidence in your ability to think, play, and design with color

Expected Results

Upon completing this course, students will learn how to mix any color they see and modify it to their liking. They will be able to make adjustments to colors within a painting to “find the right color”, to be able to design powerful moods with color alone. Students will finish the course with a basket of color tools that will enhance their personal and/or professional artwork.

Prospective Students

Students who think they are bad at color and are worried that they may never understand it, often those who love to draw, but who are also curious about painting. Also suitable for students who are especially interested in background painting or those looking to start digital painting for the first time!

Prerequisites

This is a beginner-level digital painting class. In order to have a productive learning experience for all, prospective students need to fulfill the following requirements:

Must have experience and access to any digital painting program such as Photoshop, Procreate, Clip Studio Paint, Heavypaint, etc. (Sean will be demoing in Photoshop)
Must have a computer with microphone (camera optional)
Must be able to access Google Drive to upload homework
Should be comfortable using Discord to view/upload files and participate in text and/or voice discussions
Must be dedicated and do homework as required (approximately 12-15 hours per week)
Please know that this is a critique-heavy course. It’s very important to finish all of your homework on time in order to receive in-class critiques

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