In this lesson, Steve Huston demonstrates how to expand from limited palettes into a broader range of color. He shows how warm and cool versions of each primary can be balanced while keeping values consistent, and how subtle shifts in temperature affect the sense of form and space. This lesson emphasizes the importance of value control as the anchor for any color decision.

This lesson belongs to the course Constructive Figure Painting I. In this 8-week course, master painter Steve Huston will lead you through the essentials of constructive figure painting. You will begin with the foundations of gesture and structure in drawing, then progress into painting through black-and-white studies, limited palettes, and expanded color. Each lesson builds sequentially, showing you how to organize values, simplify complex forms, and balance design with expressive brushwork. By the end of the course, you will have developed a strong foundation in gesture, structure, value, and color harmony that will prepare you for more advanced figure painting.

Throughout this course, you’ll have access to the NMA community for feedback and critiques to improve your work as you progress.