A one-day painting workshop at Raminfard School of Arts · Sunday, June 7, 2026

Some of the most sophisticated color in all of painting isn’t loud at all. It’s the quiet, luminous grays Edgar Degas built his dancers and interiors around — neutrals so alive that a single note of pure color set against them seems to glow. In this one-day workshop, you’ll learn how those colors are actually mixed, and how to arrange them on the canvas with the bold, off-balance composition that made Degas a revolutionary.

What we’ll do

Working in acrylic on 11×14 canvas, we’ll build a series of color-and-composition studies. I’ll demonstrate each one, then you’ll paint your own.

We’ll move through several deliberately limited palettes:

• Three studies using a single primary color, its complement, plus black and white. This is the secret behind beautiful, chromatic grays — they come from mixing complements, not from a tube.
• A final study using the famous Zorn palette — yellow ochre, red, black, and white — the spare four-color palette that masters have used to paint everything from portraits to full scenes.

Throughout, we’ll compose the Degas way: strong diagonals, asymmetry, and bold cropping that puts energy and tension into the frame.

Why this approach works

Limiting your palette is the fastest way to truly understand color. When you can’t reach for forty tubes, you learn how color actually behaves — how complements neutralize one another, how a single pure note can light up a field of grays, and how value does most of the heavy lifting. It’s the same principle behind the classical training we’ve taught at RSA since 2000, and it will change how you mix color long after the workshop ends.

Who it’s for

This is an introductory workshop, so beginners are genuinely welcome — but the ideas run deep enough that experienced painters will take plenty home, too. If you’ve ever felt your colors turn muddy, or your paintings feel a little static and centered, this is the day for you.

The details

• Date: Sunday, June 7, 2026
• Time: 10:30 AM – 4 PM
• Location: Raminfard School of Arts, Agoura Hills
• Medium: Acrylic
• Included: All supplies, plus snacks and drinks — just bring yourself
• Price: $150 general · $135 for subscription members

Space is limited and our workshops fill up quickly. Reserve your spot here →