Fieldwork Lesson: Color Mixing

Last week began my color mixing lesson with the Graphic Design students. I began by introducing them to artist Henri Matisse and talking about the importance of color and thinking about color in art work. We also talked about composition and how artists may look at small sections of larger composition in order to be thinking about positive and negative space. We zoomed in on a section of one of Matisse's paintings, what if we were to match the colors in this image?
Showing the students my collage and thumbnail painting, I explained how I zoomed in on a section of my collage in order to make a new composition. We had another conversation about color in which I demoed the mixing of a dulled yellow green that was part of my painting. As a class we worked together to create the color. I asked the students questions, what should I add? What happens if I add white? Black? What is green's compliment? What if I added that? The students responded to this well. They got involved in the color mixing and it was a fun guessing game in order for them to observe the way in which one must really look at a color to find what is in it. Students then cropped out a section of the collages that they had made with my mentor teacher. I challenged them to pick one color, and try to match it as I did in the demo. I walked around the room as the students work, they were challenged but all working hard at making a match.
For the project, as I explained this week, they will be expected to replicate their composition and match all of the colors in that section. We started off this week with another discussion where we discussed what was challenging for them in finding particular colors in their sections. I showed them methods of copying their images onto their thumbnails, explained a bit about proper clean up and brush cleaning, and then they got to work. It was exciting to see the students working hard and being challenged as they attempted to match colors. 
I am enjoying teaching this lesson as it is evident that the students are really enjoying being challenged. Along with this, the conversations that I have been having with the class  at the beginnings of each day are proving to be successful in going over what they are doing along with making them more comfortable with talking to me and asking me questions. I am also appreciating the way they are experiencing color mixing as more meaningful to them in order to create a painting, off of something they themselves have already created. To me, this is making it more exciting than say having them do a color chart. I am extremely happy with the way the lesson is going and am hoping to have a chance to see them finished and do a bit of a critique with the students.