Color Theory for Beginners
Learn to see, understand and choose colors with confidence!
Do you ever feel stuck or unsure about how to use color in your art?
Ever wonder why some color palettes look amazing, while others feel off? 🤔
It might feel like using color is a mysterious talent you’re either born with, or not. But that's a total myth, because anyone can learn the secrets of color!
Color Theory Made Fun breaks color down in a way that’s visual, clear, and immediately useful. From the very first video, you’ll start seeing color in a totally new way. 😍
By the end, you’ll have the tools to use color with confidence, clarity, and intention!
Watch the course trailer:
Go from confused to confident!
This course is designed to demystify color, making it accessible to anyone. Instead of being a source of anxiety, working with colors can be a truly rewarding experience, one that you really look forward to every day!
What's included:
✅ Over 5.5 hours of instructional video
✅ 38 video lessons, organized into 6 modules
✅ A 57-page printable workbook with fun, hands-on exercises you can do in your favorite medium
✅ Printable RYB and CMY color wheels to fill in and use as references
✅ Online, self-paced course that you can watch at any time, on any device
✅ Lifetime access to this course (on any and all devices that you own)
✅ FREE lifetime updates to this course
✅ English captions
Check out the course curriculum below!
Click the arrow below this list to see the full course curriculum! 😊
- Color Characteristics Overview (2:36)
- Hue (10:34)
- Value, Part 1 (9:55)
- Value, Part 2 (6:37)
- Saturation, Part 1 (9:39)
- Saturation, Part 2 (14:55)
- Color Temperature (13:14)
- Relativity, Part 1 (8:41)
- Relativity, Part 2 (10:54)
- Relativity, Part 3 (11:32)
- What else can influence color? (4:01)
- Describing Color (6:44)
Satisfaction guaranteed!
Something tells me that you're gonna love this course, but just in case, I'm happy to offer a 14-day money back guarantee, no questions asked!
If for any reason this course does not live up to your expectations, simply contact me within the first 14 days and I'll issue you a full refund. No worries! 😊
Praise for Thaneeya's Teaching
Genuine feedback from students of Thaneeya's courses:
Why learn Color Theory?
A lot of artists avoid color theory because they think it’s boring, technical, or only for scientists and perfectionists. 🤓
So most artists skip it, because making art should be "intuitive", right? But then they spend years trying to figure out color through trial and error.
(I've literally seen posts by professional artists saying just that!)
But your time is precious, and you're way smarter than that.
Because once you understand how color actually works (how it influences mood, depth, emotion, meaning and more), you unlock a creative superpower that puts you leagues ahead of artists still relying on guesswork. 🌟
My course makes it easy for you to grasp the secrets of color, so you can focus on what you enjoy most: making art!
Color theory is not dry or technical. It's a HUGE time-saver and it's the shortcut most artists are too afraid (or too proud) to take.
But you're not like most artists, are you? 😉
What You’ll Learn
Here’s a sneak peek at what we’ll explore together:
Characteristics of Color
We'll start with the basic building blocks of color: hue, value, and saturation, which are super important for understanding how colors work. You'll also learn the difference between saturation and chroma, two concepts that artists often get mixed up!
Then we'll explore how temperature and relativity shape how we see (and experience!) color. You'll see how context changes everything through eye-opening demos that reveal the tricks and surprises of color relativity. We'll experiment with Color-Aid paper in a nod to Josef Albers, an influential pioneer in modern color theory. And you'll find out why all this matters when choosing colors for your art!
Color Wheels
Discover how color wheels have evolved throughout history, which leads up to the huge color wheel debate: Why are there two competing color wheels, and is one of them wrong?!
Get to know the difference between the two main color wheels that artists use today, RYB and CMY. Learn what each wheel is good for, when to use each one, and why both are still in use.
Then, I'll show you how to make your own color wheels so you have a personalized color reference you can rely on. Get ready to have your mind blown, because when you experience for yourself what it's like to make a 12-hue color wheel using only 3 colors, it revolutionizes your understanding of how colors work! 🤩
Plus, I'll show you how to use a variety of rotating color wheels and handy color guides, shown below!
Color Harmonies
Get to know the tried-and-true formulas that artists have been using for centuries to choose their color palettes. We'll explore:
- monochromatic
- analogous
- complementary
- accented analogous
- split complementary
- triadic
- tetradic (double complementary and square)
- hexadic
- full spectrum
See real-life examples of each color harmony and learn how to tweak and balance each one to make them work for you.
By the end of this section, you'll know exactly what each of these strange circles means, and when to use each one! 😊
Color Psychology & Symbolism
There's more to each color than meets the eye!
Discover how hue, value, saturation, and temperature shape emotion and storytelling! Enjoy an eye-opening look into how color psychology and symbolism changes across various cultures and contexts, so you can understand how to use colors in your own art to create specific meanings.
Discover how making minor tweaks to a color can drastically change its entire vibe. Once you master this, you unlock an entire treasure chest of colors that you can pick from to express exactly what you want in every artwork.
Choosing Colors in the Real World
All throughout this course, I share practical tips and strategies like:
• The famous 60-30-10 "rule" for balancing your colors
• The importance of adjusting warm/cool contrast for depth and flow
• The role of value in readable designs (and for setting mood)
• How to add neutrals to make brights pop
• Why you should create quick thumbnails to test your palette before you commit
• How to use color to create focal points and direct the eye
• How to choose a color harmony, expand the range of colors, and adjust them to create a custom color palette that's all your own
...and more!
Art from around the world
To put everything you're learning into context, I show you real art examples from classic and contemporary works that show each color concept in action. I'll explain why they work, and how to incorporate these ideas in your own art. We’ll look at works by Monet, Munch, Picasso, Hokusai, and many more, including folk art from around the world.
BONUS: Printable Workbook
The best way to learn is to try out these concepts for yourself! 😍
That's why I created this 57-page printable workbook that's packed with fun exercises to reinfore everything you're learning in the videos!
Think of this workbook as your safe space to explore, experiment, and enjoy color. This is your invitation to play and express yourself!
Color Theory Made Fun offers you a whole new way of seeing color, and the skillset to use it with intention!
Hi, I'm Thaneeya McArdle! As a full-time artist, I've been working professionally with color for over 20 years. Using color is definitely my favorite part of making art!
No matter what style of art I create, whether it's photorealist, abstract or whimsical, the most common compliment I receive by far is:
✨ "I LOVE your use of color!!" ✨
People always ask me how I know which colors to use, and most people assume I just have a natural eye for color. But I had to learn about color just like everyone else!
Color is really not that daunting when you start right from the beginning. I’m so excited to be your guide and share all my color knowledge with you, in a way that’s fun, friendly, and easy to understand.
Whether you’re brand-new to color theory or just looking to strengthen your skills, Color Theory Made Fun will give you tools you’ll use for the rest of your creative life!
If you'd like to learn more about me and my art, check out my longer bio on my website!
By the end of this course, you'll know...
✅ What color actually is (and how it’s all in your brain!)
✅ How to use hue, value, saturation, temperature, and relativity to choose and tweak colors like a pro
✅ How to build your own palettes that match the feeling or message you want to convey.
✅ How to adjust the mood on purpose (calm, dreamy, bold, dramatic) just by shifting hue, saturation or temperature
✅ Why a color works (or doesn’t), and how to fix it
✅ How to create contrast, depth and visual flow by using warm/cool colors, value, and focal points
✅ Why RYB and CMY color wheels both matter, and how to use each one with confidence
✅ How to plan your palette in advance using quick, easy thumbnails (you’ll thank yourself later!)
✅ Tricks for using neutrals to make your brights sing
And most importantly, you’ll feel excited and empowered when it’s time to pick your colors! 🎨
This course is perfect for people who...
✅ Want color to feel more intuitive and playful, rather than stressful or confusing
✅ Are self-taught or returning to art and have no idea where to start when it comes to color
✅ Use color in their jobs and need a strong foundation in how color works
✅ Are tired of piecing together random YouTube videos and want more in-depth instruction that makes sense
✅ Are professional or aspiring illustrators, designers or makers looking to strengthen their understanding of color
✅ Want to go beyond relying on pre-selected color schemes on sites like Pinterest, and start choosing more personal and meaningful palettes
✅ Love making art but wish their colors felt more intentional, cohesive or expressive
✅ Want to stop doubting their color choices and start using color with confidence
If any of this sounds like you, now is the time to level up your color skills!
Satisfaction guaranteed!
Something tells me that you're gonna love this course, but just in case, I'm happy to offer a 14-day money back guarantee, no questions asked!
If for any reason this course does not live up to your expectations, simply contact me within the first 14 days and I'll issue you a full refund. No worries! 😊
Ready to start learning?
✅ If you're ready to stop second-guessing and start feeling confident with color...
✅ If you want picking colors to feel easy, playful and inspired...
✅ If you want your art to finally match the vision in your head...
✅ If you want your color choices to feel harmonious, expressive, and just right...
Then come join me in Color Theory Made Fun!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to buy special art supplies?
Not at all! You can explore these concepts using whatever art supplies you already have, such as colored pencils, markers, paints, or digital apps.
Do I need to be good at drawing or painting to take this course?
Nope! This is not a drawing or painting course, so you don't need any prior art skills. Printable line art will be provided in the workbook, so no drawing skills are needed!
Is this a paint-mixing or color-mixing class?
No, this course is all about Color Theory. We focus on what color is, how color works, how it interacts, and how to use that knowledge to make confident color choices, no matter what medium you use.
Will this course help me if I use markers or colored pencils?
Absolutely! The principles of Color Theory apply to every medium. You’ll learn how to swatch, build palettes, and test color combos using both traditional and digital tools.
Can you help me download and print the PDF?
Sorry, I can't provide that kind of tech support, given the wide variety of devices and printers out there.
What paper should I print the PDF workbook onto?
I prefer printing onto card stock, because it's thicker than regular printer paper and works well with a variety of mediums (colored pencils, markers, paint pens, gel pens, crayons, etc).
The brand I've been using for 15+ years is Neenah Exact Index Bright White 110lb Card Stock, but any brand of card stock will do.
Is this course available with captions?
Yes! There are English captions available for this course. You can turn them on via the video player.
The captions were created by a real human, not AI, so they're super accurate!
When does this course start and finish?
This course begins as soon as you're ready! Once you purchase this course, you'll get immediate, lifetime access to all of the course content, so you can work comfortably at your own pace.
What if I don't like the course?
Don't worry - I offer a risk-free 14-day money back guarantee. If for any reason you're unhappy with the course, just contact me within 14 days of your purchase and I'll issue a full refund, no questions asked.
Can I download the videos to watch them while offline?
Sorry, the videos are not available for download, but you can watch them online whenever you want!
