Color the Emotion

Pick a few colors and create without stiffness.

Intuitive Coloring – Examples and Thoughts

This week, I show sneak peeks and process pics of simple intuitive colorings and talk about intuitive art.

Intuitive art with colored pencils by Paivi Eerola

Since I made the last free video “Colored Pencils – Intuitive Approach,” I have been thinking about free coloring. First, it felt like I have explored it thoroughly in the e-book Coloring Freely and in the class Inspirational Drawing. But as soon as I began to make some notes about intuitive coloring, I realized that there are things that I haven’t shared in these blog posts or in my classes so far. Many of them are things that seemed complicated and heavy at first, but the more I have experimented with them, they appear to be very simple and light.

Coloring freely

And it feels fun to color freely on a blank paper, and there’s a sense of playfulness too right from the beginning.

Playing with colored pencils

I am a more-is-more kind of a person, but after making a series of large oil paintings, I wrote a mental note that says “less is enough” in capital letters.

Can Intuitive Coloring Be Taught and Learned?

I have also been thinking about the term “intuition” a lot. Why does it feel so intuitively correct to say that my art is intuitive? And not only that. Why do I want to teach intuitive art? Because isn’t intuitive just about letting go and emptying the mind on paper? Doing what you want, doing what feels right?

Colorful colored pencil art

But as a former engineer, it’s always been hard for me to trust intuition when I am trying something new or reaching for a new level. Then the intuition is confused with the comfortable “same-old-same-old” routine. That old dog always stays close, but intuition and imagination are timid puppies. To find the puppies – that’s where I feel I can help.

Intuitive coloring - a detail. By Paivi Eerola of Peony and Parakeet.

Would you be interested in this upcoming class?

26 thoughts on “Intuitive Coloring – Examples and Thoughts

  1. Hi, Päivi,

    I am interested! Your intuitive coloring is beautiful. Love the piece at the top of the page particularly. I see light shining on a yellow flower, and it’s full of my favorite colors!

  2. Hello Paivi. I would be so happy to do this class. I am really enjoying Animal Inkdom and have boxes of joy already with all sorts of beatiful animals in them ready to collage. Thank you for your light and playful method of teaching. It is just wonderful. I now draw everyday for many hours each day.

    1. Thanks so much, Pepetua! It’s so nice to hear that you have been enjoying Animal Inkdom. Your comment brightened my day!

  3. Hi Paivi, i have been missing taking classes and have more time now so would love to try this approach to pencil crayons (as we call them in Canada) and intuitive colouring with you.

    Patricia Bush

  4. Hello Paivi, I am interested in this class but have far too much on at the moment. Will it be open for an indefinite period so that I can go to it when I have more time?
    I love sketching with coloured pencils and your previous mini class gave me the inspiration to do more, but since then I’ve not found the time!

    1. Hi Sandra, the class will be later in the fall – I have some personal things that prevent me from estimating the exact launch date yet – more about those a bit later. But yes, the class will be later, and it will be downloadable so that it can be studied at your own pace!

  5. I am interested in this class, Paivi! Your examples above are beautiful. I love your style!

  6. Hi! I am interested in your Intuitive Coloring class. please let me know when you have class schedule. Mary Beth Savel

  7. Thank you Paivi, so glad to hear the course will not be until the autumn – when hopefully I will have more time again. I look forward to it. I love drawing with coloured pencils – especially as it means it can be done anywhere at any time. Look forward to your news later on. Sandra Symons

  8. This does sound like a course I would be interested in.
    Thank you,
    Chris Desbiens

  9. Yes,definitely interested, coloured pencils are so accessible. Broke my arm earlier 😫 this year so my creative endeavours have been on hold Hopefully by Autumn I will be colouring again,😃

    1. Thank you, Christina! I love colored pencils too, a lot. It must have been an agony not to be able to create! I hope you’ll recover soon!!

  10. This looks fascinating. I would definitely be interested in taking your class on intuitive painting with colored pencils. Please let me know when it’s available.

  11. I am interested, too. I have just discovered your website and your beautiful and inspiring work. What a blessing to have found you! Thank you for your blog and for sharing your art and your wisdom and encouragement.

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