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ATTENTION SPS MEMBERS: This program is not sold out. You will receive an email from SPS with a link to register. This program is free to members.

ATTENTION NON MEMBERS: You may purchase a $35 ticket to register for this program or join SPS for $45 to register for free. https://southeasternpastel.com/membership/

In artistic terms, creating portraits with a limited palette means making a deliberate choice to use only a few colors to achieve a sense of mood, harmony, and focus. Rather than creating a realistic, full-spectrum image, the artist uses constraint to master the fundamentals of painting and create a specific emotional effect.Emphasis on value over colorBy restricting color choices, a painter shifts their focus and energy from matching a subject's precise colors to mastering the interplay of value (light and shadow). The artist must use subtle shifts in lightness, darkness, and color temperature to render form, creating a strong sense of structure and depth.Enhanced harmony and cohesionBecause every color in the painting is mixed from a small, consistent set of pigments, the resulting portrait has a natural and effortless color harmony. This visual unity prevents the image from feeling cluttered or disjointed, as all the colors, even contrasting ones, are intrinsically related.Emotional and atmospheric controlA limited palette is a powerful tool for conveying a specific mood or feeling. The choice of colors sets the tone for the entire piece.• A monochromatic palette (using only a single color plus black and white) can create a contemplative, minimalist, or vintage aesthetic.• The Zorn palette, made famous by the Swedish painter Anders Zorn, uses only yellow ochre, cadmium red, ivory black, and white. The resulting portraits have a warm, earthy, and intimate feel.

Corey Pitkin PSA, IAPS/EP

Corey Pitkin’s work is an exploration of ephemeral beauty expressed simply and genuinely. Using old master-esque muted colors complimented with subtle edgework his pieces shift and glimmer yet maintain their precision. His subjects are memories that slip away when you try to hold onto them for more than a moment.

A predominantly self-taught artist, Pitkin’s award winning work has been featured in The Pastel Journal, Art Renewal Center, Portrait Society of America, Pratique des Arts Magazine, International Artist Magazine, and Pastel World Magazine, and is held in collections across the globe. He is a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America where he also serves on the Board of Governors and has achieved Eminent Pastelist status with the International Association of Pastel Societies. Pitkin teaches frequently online and regularly travels for in-person workshops. He currently resides in upstate New York with his wife Esther and children Anastasia and Xavier.