Light, Color and the Beauty of Backlighting

3-Day Oil Painting Workshop with Nataliia Nosyk at the Natalia Studio, Tallahassee, FL

January 6, 7, 8, 2027

10AM - 4PM
Price $360  register for the workshop 
Cancellation deadline and payment due by December 8, 2026. (Please, do not reserve housing till confirmation of the workshop).

Have you ever wondered how to capture the feeling of sunlight in your paintings? How to make flower petals glow, shadows feel full of color, and an entire painting come alive with light?
In this three-day studio workshop, we will explore the beauty of sunlit flowers, focusing on backlighting — one of the most fascinating and challenging lighting conditions in painting. Painting sunlight is not simply about using brighter colors. It is about understanding the relationships between light and shadow, warm and cool colors, and how light transforms the colors we see. Through live demonstrations, practical exercises, and individual guidance, Nataliia will share her approach to painting luminous flowers, vibrant greenery, and the atmosphere of a sunny day. We will work from carefully selected photo references, allowing us to study consistent lighting conditions and focus on the painting process. In this workshop, we will explore:
    ●    Understanding how sunlight affects color and value
    ●    Warm and cool color relationships
    ●    Painting translucent, glowing flower petals
    ●    Creating colorful, vibrant shadows
    ●    Mixing luminous greens in sunlight and shadow
    ●    Simplifying complex floral shapes
    ●    Using edges, color, and contrast to create depth and atmosphere
    ●    Building a painting from the initial block-in to the final touches

Day 1 — Demonstration: Understanding and Painting Sunlight10AM - 4PM (with lunch break at 12:30 - 1:30PM)

Nataliia will demonstrate her painting process, from the initial composition and block-in to developing color relationships, light, and atmosphere. Throughout the demonstration, she will explain her decisions, color mixing techniques, and approach to painting flowers in backlighting.

Day 2 — Guided Painting Practice 10AM - 4PM (with lunch break at 12:30 - 1:30PM)

Students will begin their own floral paintings using provided photo references.
Nataliia will work individually with each student, helping with composition, values, color mixing, and establishing the overall effect of sunlight.

Day 3— Developing and Finishing the Painting 10AM - 4PM (with lunch break at 12:30 - 1:30PM)

Students will continue working on their paintings, focusing on luminous petals, colorful shadows, greenery, edges, and final details.
Individual instruction and feedback will be provided throughout the day.
The goal of this workshop is not simply to complete a floral painting, but to develop a deeper understanding of light and color that students can apply to their future work.


Artist Biography — Nataliia Nosyk:

Nataliia Nosyk is a Ukrainian-born, Connecticut-based oil painter and art educator known for her vibrant use of color and her ability to capture natural light. Her work combines plein air painting, outdoor still lifes, florals, and landscapes, with a particular interest in how sunlight transforms colors, shapes, and everyday subjects.
With a degree in Fine Arts and a strong foundation in the Eastern European academic tradition, Nataliia has developed her artistic practice through years of painting directly from life. Her paintings are characterized by expressive brushwork, rich color relationships, and a strong sense of light and atmosphere.
Since moving to the United States in 2022, Nataliia has continued to develop her professional artistic career through exhibitions, plein air events, and artist residencies. She has exhibited at the Salmagundi Club in New York, where she received several awards, including Second Prize at the Sylvia Maria Glessman Floral Exhibition. She held a solo exhibition at The Studios of Key West in Florida and participated in the Ranch Fellowship artist residency in Texas. Since 2026, she has been actively participating in plein air painting events across the United States.
Alongside her painting career, Nataliia is the founder of NosykArt, a painting and drawing school, and has more than a decade of teaching experience. She has taught over 2,000 students, combining academic foundations with a practical approach to understanding color, light, and visual perception. Her teaching philosophy is rooted in the belief that learning to paint begins with learning to see.
Nataliia currently lives and works in Connecticut, continuing to explore the possibilities of painting from life, with a particular focus on sunlight, color, and the beauty of ordinary subjects.

For more info and works visit: natalianosyk.com

 

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List of Suggested Materials

Colors:

Please bring the oil paints you normally use. There is no need to purchase an entirely new palette or expensive professional paints specifically for this workshop.
Your regular painting palette should include the following basic colors:
    ●    Titanium White
    ●    Ultramarine Blue
    ●    Cadmium Yellow or Azo Yellow
    ●    A warm red
    ●    A cool red, such as Alizarin Crimson
    ●    Your preferred green
    ●    Raw Sienna
    ●    Burnt Sienna
You are welcome to bring any additional colors you regularly use.
During the workshop, I will demonstrate my personal color palette and explain why I choose certain pigments for painting flowers in sunlight.
Some of my favorite colors include:
    ●    Scarlet Lake — Michael Harding
    ●    Alizarin Crimson — Michael Harding
    ●    Permanent Orange — Michael Harding
    ●    Transparent Yellow Green — Rembrandt
    ●    Caput Mortuum
These are some of the colors I particularly enjoy using to create vibrant flowers, luminous petals, and rich color relationships.
You do not need to purchase these specific colors. I will bring my own paints and will be happy to share additional colors with students during the workshop.

Medium:
! Please, no turpentine or any smelly solvents !

             Your preferred painting medium, Studio-approved odorless solvent

Brushes:

Please bring the brushes you normally use and feel comfortable working with.
My personal preference is:
    ●    Natural hog bristle brushes, especially filbert shapes
    ●    Flat synthetic brushes, particularly angled flat brushes
A selection of small, medium, and large brushes is recommended.

Canvas:

Oil-primed or acrylic-primed canvas or canvas panels, 11 × 14 inches

 Miscellaneous