The Ultimate Color Mixing Masterclass
Color Mixing With Acrylic
If you've ever struggled with getting the right colors with acrylic paints, join hundreds of students mastering color mixing with acrylics in this step-by-step course.
Start Your Painting Journey For $197 USD ($247 CAD)
What Artists Are Saying
"Having just completed Marianne’s Colour Mixing with Acrylics course, I highly recommend it to those who wish to extend and deepen their knowledge of painting. This is a unique and useful course which would be of benefit to all those who wish to master colour."
- Keith S., UK
What is Color Mixing With Acrylic?
A Step-by-Step, Hands-On System for Confident Color Mixing
Do you enjoy structured, sequential, hands-on learning?
Do you struggle with mixing colors and feel unsure how to fix a mix when it goes wrong?
Color Mixing with Acrylic was designed for you.
This is not a passive course. Through structured, pre-recorded lessons, you will work alongside me in real time, completing every exercise and chart step by step. By the end, you will not just understand color theory, you will know how to apply it confidently in your own painting practice.
After over a decade of teaching acrylic painting, I have seen the same color mixing struggles come up again and again. This course was built to address every single one of them.
What You Will Learn:
In this opening module, we set up your materials, workspace, and mindset for success.
Learn How Color Actually Works. You will work through structured, written, and painted exercises that teach you how to diagnose and fix color problems.
Apply Color Theory in Real Paintings. This module teaches you how to translate theory into confident creative decisions.
Build Your Personal Color Reference System. In this final module, you create a permanent color resource for your studio.
What's Included
- 26 pages of real-time color mixing exercises
- Color theory lessons explaining and demonstrating each key concept prior to individual exercises
- 65 page coursepack, handwritten by Marianne, which explores each lesson and exercise in greater detail while providing valuable color theory & history (valued at $49)
- Bonus lessons include: using technology to isolate and identify colours, painting a values scale, and more (valued at $49)
- Bonus Painting Tutorial featuring a live paint-along demonstration of painting a mountain at sunrise (valued at $99)
- Additional Bonus Painting Tutorial including a 4 hour real-time acrylic iris sketchbook painting tutorial and color chart creation, including reference photo rights (valued at $99)
- Lifetime access, so you can go at your own pace
- Lifetime access to our private support community
Total Value $493 - Yours for $197 USD ($247 CAD)
Course Curriculum
Build a Strong Foundation
In this opening module, we set up your materials, workspace, and mindset for success.
You will learn:
- How acrylic paint works (and why it behaves differently than oils)
- How to choose and read paint tubes
- Artist-grade vs. student-grade paints
- Mediums, wet palettes, and palette organization
- Why I don’t use black
- Why I don’t paint on white
- How to prepare your surfaces
- How to set yourself up for consistent results
This module eliminates confusion before you ever start mixing.
Learn How Color Actually Works
This is where your color mixing guidebook begins.
You will work through structured, written, and painted exercises that teach you how to diagnose and fix color problems.
You will learn:
- Hue, value, and chroma
- The three dimensions of color
- Opacity and layering
- Undertones and colour bias
- Split primary palettes
- Warm vs. cool colour wheels
- Analogous and complementary colours
- How to analyze and adjust any mix
By the end of this module, you will understand why your colours behave the way they do.
Apply Color Theory in Real Paintings
Now you move from theory into practical application.
You will learn how to use color intentionally in your artwork.
You will learn:
- Painterly approaches to color
- How to build and use limited palettes
- How to select colors for specific subjects
- How to test and refine palettes
- How to create harmony and contrast in real paintings
This module teaches you how to translate theory into confident creative decisions.
Build Your Personal Color Reference System
In this final module, you create a permanent colour resource for your studio.
You will complete detailed charts that show how every color behaves.
You will create:
- Tint, tone, and shade charts
- Ultramarine and burnt umber tone studies
- Mixed blacks and neutrals
- Complementary mixes
- Individual pigment charts
- Green-mixing charts
- A complete reference system
By the end, you will have a finished, personalized color mixing guidebook you can use for years.
In addition to the core curriculum, you also receive:
Technical & Skill-Building Bonuses
- Using Tools & Technology to Identify Colors
- Painting a Values Scale
- How to Light Your Art Studio (Ad-Free)
- How to Prime & Prepare Canvases (Including Aspect Ratios)
These lessons strengthen your technical foundation and support better color decisions.
Long-Form Live Painting Demonstrations
You also receive two extended, real-time painting demonstrations:
- Mountain Sketchbook Study: Live Sunrise Painting
A multi-hour guided painting session focused on atmospheric color and light. - Iris Sketchbook Study: Live Floral Painting
A four-hour real-time demonstration focused on colour mixing, layering, and realism.
These are full-length, unedited demonstrations where you can watch every decision and mix in real time.
Materials Required
You will receive a full, detailed materials list after enrolling, along with guidance for substitutions. The course is designed to be accessible, even if you do not have every exact supply. The course recommends the following materials:
You will work with a limited palette of eight colors:
- Quinacridone magenta
- Cadmium red medium
- Cadmium yellow medium
- Cadmium yellow light
- Phthalo blue (green shade)
- Ultramarine blue (red shade)
- Burnt umber
- Titanium white
If you do not have these exact colours, you can substitute using one warm and one cool version of each primary, plus burnt umber and white. I guide you through this process in the course, and substitute colours can be found in the course pack.
If you do not have these exact colours, you can substitute using one warm and one cool version of each primary, plus burnt umber and white. I guide you through this process in the course, and substitute colours can be found in the course pack.
- An 8.5" x 5.5" watercolour sketchbook (I'm using the Strathmore Watercolour Journal)
- Larger books or loose watercolour paper may also be used with minor adjustments
- Gesso
- Painter’s tape (various widths)
- Ruler, pencil, protractor, and compass
- Water jar and paper towel
- Palette tray or flat surface
- Brushes of your choice
All materials are explained in detail, and support is available if you need help finding alternatives.
Marianne Vander Dussen
Meet Your Instructor
I’m a Canadian fine artist and trained educator (BEd, MEd, OCT) who has been teaching artists around the world since 2016. I’m passionate about supporting you as you build strong skills, feel more confident in your work, and enjoy learning to paint, whether you’re just starting out or have been painting for years.
In my lessons, I break down complex techniques into practical, easy-to-follow steps using acrylic, oil, and sketchbooks. Through my YouTube tutorials and structured courses, I guide you in developing strong foundations, painting with intention, and progressing at your own pace.
Learning to paint isn’t always easy, and there are plenty of moments when things don’t go as planned. I’m here to walk you through those moments, understand what’s happening, and keep moving forward. My goal is to help you feel capable, encouraged, and excited to keep creating.
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FAQ's
The course includes over 18 hours of instruction. Most exercises take between 20 and 45 minutes to complete. If you complete one exercise per day, you can finish the core material in about one month. You are welcome to move at your own pace and revisit lessons whenever needed.
This course includes a 30-day money-back satisfaction guarantee. If you find that the course is not the right fit for you, you may request a full refund within 30 days of the launch date, no questions asked.
This course is designed specifically for acrylic painters. While many concepts translate well to oil painting with some modification, the exercises and demonstrations are tailored to acrylics. This course is not suitable for watercolour.
If you are interested in adapting the program for oil painting, you are welcome to contact me before enrolling to discuss possible modifications.
You will receive a detailed materials list by email after enrolling. You will need a limited palette of acrylic paints and an 8.5" x 5.5" sketchbook, along with basic studio tools such as tape, a ruler, and drawing instruments. All materials are explained in detail in the course.
No problem! You may substitute other paints as long as you have one warm and one cool version of each primary color, plus burnt umber and titanium white. Your results may differ slightly from the demonstrations, but the same mixing principles will apply, and you will still gain a strong understanding of color.