You’ve Put in the Time. So Why Does Color Still Feel Like Guesswork?
You’ve practiced and gathered plenty of advice. But color can still feel like guesswork when you’re piecing together scattered information, navigating endless materials, and making decisions without feedback or a clear path.
No Feedback on Your Work
- Tutorials can show you someone else’s process, but they can’t tell you why your color feels off or what your drawing needs next.
Information Without a Path
- You’ve gathered tips and tutorials, but disconnected information doesn’t create confidence. You need a clear path that helps each skill build on the last.
More Materials, More Decisions
- More pencils give you more options—but not necessarily more clarity. To create your own artwork with confidence, you need color skills—not the perfect pencil.
Fear of Getting It Wrong
- When every drawing feels like it has to turn out perfectly, experimentation can feel too risky. You need a supportive environment where unexpected results aren’t treated as failures, but as part of learning.
INTRODUCING THE COLOR LAB
Knowing color theory is one thing.
Understanding what your art needs next is another.
The Color Lab isn’t just more color theory—it’s a guided process for making stronger color decisions in your own art. Through progressive projects and specific feedback, you’ll understand what’s working, what to adjust, and how to carry each discovery into the next piece.
Join the Fall 2026 WaitlistWHAT STUDENTS SAY
Move beyond copying the reference. Choose color with intention.
"This course pushed me to think beyond just copying a reference photo. I now approach my work with intention—thinking ahead about the mood I want to convey through color. It’s completely transformed the way I create."
WANDA S.
What’s included in The Color Lab
A complete learning experience—not just a library of lessons.
Five personalized recorded critiques
Clear visual feedback tailored to your artwork, experience, and goals.
Four-project recorded curriculum
Lessons, demonstrations, warm-ups, and exercises that build one color skill at a time.
Live teaching + private community
Four live Q&A sessions and a supportive place to ask questions, share progress, and keep moving.
PERSONALIZED RECORDED CRITIQUES
See what’s working—and what to try next.
You’ll receive five recorded critiques with clear, visual guidance tailored to your artwork. We’ll start with what’s already working, then focus on one or two useful next steps—so you know where to direct your attention next.
Whether you’re building foundational skills or developing more ambitious work, your feedback will meet you where you are.
“I have never taken a course where the artist actually gives you feedback on your work. This has been extremely helpful. Lana always critiques in a way that doesn't make me feel bad but rather encourages me to continue to improve.”
— LYNN S.
THE COLOR LAB CURRICULUM
A clear progression—one color skill at a time.
Lessons, exercises, and four projects build on one another, so you always know what to focus on next.
You can use the provided simple still-life references or follow the optional Fall portrait focus. The progression—and personalized feedback—stay the same.
A CLOSER LOOK AT YOUR FOUR PROJECTS
See how your color skills build from one project to the next.
PROJECT 1 · VALUE + HUE
Build a strong foundation for any drawing.
Learn to see and organize value—creating a strong foundation for every layer that follows.
See the structure. Build with intention.
PROJECT 2 · TEMPERATURE
Make subtle shifts feel intentional.
Develop a more sensitive eye for warm and cool relationships so you can create color that feels cohesive, nuanced, and impactful.
Small shifts. Greater harmony.
PROJECT 3 · COLOR INTENSITY
Direct attention with color.
Explore how adjusting color intensity can create impact, emotion, and a stronger focal point—without making every color compete for attention.
Create focus. Shape the feeling.
PROJECT 4 · EXPANDED PALETTE
Bring the progression together.
Combine value, hue, temperature, and intensity in one finished piece as you work with a broader palette and make more intentional color decisions.
More color. Stronger artistic judgment.
LIVE SUPPORT + PRIVATE COMMUNITY
You don’t have to figure it out alone.
Four live sessions give you a place to see color demos, ask questions, and learn from the different choices artists make.
Between sessions, the private community gives you a supportive place to share progress, troubleshoot color problems, and find solutions as you move through the course.
Join the Fall 2026 WaitlistSTUDENT RESULTS
Different starting points. Meaningful progress.
“I had absolutely no artistic background before I found Lana. Her lessons are clear, well designed, and easy to follow.
Her curriculum is designed so that all levels can have a positive experience and move at their own pace.”
BETSY S.
“Before I took this course, I was very daunted by color and didn’t know where to start.
Lana explained the concepts clearly, and the drawing exercises helped me practice what I learned and build on my skills.”
JUNE C.
ALSO INCLUDED WITH YOUR ENROLLMENT
More support. Less searching.
Use these resources to choose strong references, plan your color, and keep learning beyond the live sessions.
Bonus Color Foundations Module
Review essential color concepts, plan palettes, and troubleshoot new artwork with focused video lessons and reference tools.
Project Photo Reference Pack
Start drawing sooner with photos I created and selected for the Color Lab projects—no need to take your own or search for a workable reference.
Curated Portrait Reference Library
Choose from inspiring portraits selected for clear lighting, strong structure, and a level of complexity that supports successful practice.
Past Live Teaching + Critique Library
See how the same color principles apply across different subjects, styles, and experience levels through additional demonstrations and critique examples.
SPECIAL EARLY-BIRD BONUS
Live Portrait Proportions Workshop
October 1 at 7:00 PM MT
Start the Fall portrait focus with a clearer structure before adding color. We’ll simplify proportions so you can approach Project 1 with more confidence.
Early-bird students receive the preparation materials and live access.
FALL 2026 ENROLLMENT
Begin with room to explore.
Enroll early for more time to explore the curriculum before live teaching begins—plus the Portrait Proportions Workshop and $50 savings.
REGULAR ENROLLMENT
$397
Enroll September 29–October 6
YOUR ENROLLMENT INCLUDES:
- Complete recorded curriculum and four progressive color projects
- Five personalized recorded critiques
- Four live teaching and Q&A sessions
- Private cohort community
- Bonus modules and curated reference libraries
Guided cohort begins October 8
EARLY-BIRD ENROLLMENT
Regularly $397
$347
Enroll September 22–28 · Save $50
EARLY-BIRD EXTRAS:
- Earlier access to the complete curriculum and resources—so you can explore lessons and warm-ups before the cohort begins
- Preparation materials and live access to the October 1 Portrait Proportions Workshop
- $50 savings on tuition
Payment plan: 2 monthly payments of $180
“I signed up for the Color Lab summer edition (2025) expecting to take my colored pencil skills to the next level. I got that… but much more in terms of deeper understanding of composition, light and shade, intentionally restricted palettes to create drama and mood, and the tools to start every colored pencil project with confidence!”
— ANDREA T.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Questions before you join?
Find the details you need to decide whether The Color Lab is right for you.
Is this program appropriate for beginners?
Do I need to be good at drawing before I join?
Do I have to draw portraits?
What supplies will I need for this course?
How much time do I need to commit each week?
When are the live sessions—and what if I can’t attend?
How long will I have access to the course?
Can I use a different medium or take a mixed media approach?
What’s your refund policy?
READY TO STOP GUESSING WITH COLOR?
Your next drawing can begin with clarity.
Build the color skills to make stronger artistic choices—with a clear progression, personalized feedback, and a supportive cohort beside you.
Fall 2026 enrollment opens September 22.
Join the waitlist to be the first to know when enrollment begins.