In week five, Steve Huston demonstrates how a figure painting in oil can be brought to resolution in a single session using a full color palette. From the outset, color is handled as part of the painting’s structure, with value, temperature, edges, and surface working together rather than in separate stages. Steve emphasizes confident color decisions, abstraction, and expressive brushwork as ways to shape meaning and develop a personal voice within the image. This lesson shows how a complete painting can be guided by clear intent and design, while setting the mindset and visual language that will continue into the multi-session paintings that follow.

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