Color Block Studies

The Legacy of “Visual Music”

Henry Hensche was a pivotal American Impressionist and a teacher who spent over 50 years at the Cape School of Art demonstrating how to truly see. He developed a method focused on “visual music”—the idea that color is not a mere decoration, but a harmony that vibrates exactly as it appears in nature. While contemporary schools may offer alternative paths, the Hensche method remains a foundational discipline for any artist seeking to master the “Provincetown style” of light and color.

Far from being a relic of the past, the Cape School of Art continues to host world-renowned plein air classes, keeping the techniques of Hensche and his mentor, Charles Hawthorne, very much alive.

The Theory of Color Block Studies

The fundamental goal of a block study is to simplify the visual field. By using simple geometric shapes, the artist can ignore complex “noise”—the anatomy, the distracting textures, or the demand for a perfect drawing—to focus entirely on the elementary relationships of color as form.

• Contextual Vision: One must learn that color is never seen in isolation. Every perceived hue is a direct result of its surrounding neighbors and the specific atmospheric light of the moment.
• The “Color Spot”: Instead of obsessing over outlines, the method emphasizes identifying “spots” of color. These represent the masses of light and shade that define the object’s presence.
• Flat Color Shapes: Rather than using “broken color” with thousands of tiny strokes, this approach utilizes flat shapes of color to describe how light models itself across a surface.
• Observational Honesty: The artist must paint only what is visually perceived, not what the mind assumes. For instance, a “white” block sitting in deep shadow should be painted as the specific note of blue or violet it actually is, rather than the white the brain “knows” it to be.

A Guide to the Color Block Study

To master these principles, consider completing 100 or more of these quick, efficient studies. Think of it as building a “color lab” to test the truth of light.

1. Preparation: Build simple blocks out of cardboard—cubes, cylinders, or pyramids—and paint them with flat, matte poster paint. The simpler the tool, the clearer the lesson.
2. The Setup: Place two or more blocks of different colors on a white cloth in full, direct sunlight. This allows the artist to observe how light “bounces” and vibrates between the shapes.
3. Establishing the Key: Begin by placing a spot of color in the center of the light side, the shadow side, and the background for each object.
4. Harmonization: Adjust these initial spots relative to one another. Consider it like tuning a musical chord; the canvas may require four or five adjustments until the color relationships feel “correct” and harmonious.
5. Proportional Growth: Once the relationship is established, work outward from the center of each spot to fill in the approximate proportions.
6. Defining Form: Only after the colors are correctly related should the artist work on the boundary or contour to define the exact geometric shape of the block.
7. Environmental Variation: Repeat the exercise under different light “keys,” such as overcast gray days, the golden hour of sunset, or the high-contrast light of midday.

The Analogy for Understanding

Consider a color block study as learning to read a compass before attempting to navigate a forest. Instead of worrying about the specific trees or paths—the details of a complex painting—one is training the eye to always recognize “North.” This is the true color of light, steady and reliable, no matter how the weather or the time of day changes.