Are you taking coloring classes but expecting art school results?

You follow the instructor, step by step.

And everyone ends up with a copy-cat version of the instructor’s project.

Psst, art school doesn’t work this way.

Fine art lessons for advanced artistic colorists

UNDERPAINTERS

ADVANCED INDEPENDENT COLORING

MONTHLY MARKER + COLORED PENCIL INSTRUCTION WITH AMY SHULKE

READY TO DO MORE THAN COLOR?

You’ve taken lots of coloring classes. Now your head is full of new ideas for unique projects.

You want to color your way!

Skip the markers? Try it in watercolor? Go digital? Maybe color your own sketches?

In a regular coloring class, you can’t substitute big changes and expect feedback or advice about what you’re doing.

So you keep postponing your own art.

What a bummer.

Previous projects in The Underpainters:

Item 1 of 10

Professional Illustrator, Amy Shulke

shares the artistry beyond hobby coloring

I love The Underpainters!

Between art school and professional illustration, I’ve learned so many things that could really help colorists.

Now with this enthusiastic group of students, because they don’t need basic instruction, we can finally explore advanced concepts, the process of art, and keys to living a creative life.

Blending and shading hold you back. Learn how artists create realism with colors you already own

The Underpainters:

  • Advanced Independent Instruction

  • Markers, Pencils, Watercolor, or your favorite medium

  • Color theory & fine art techniques

  • Improve your efficiency

  • Find your unique artistic voice

Good coloring happens between your ears - it's not about your hands

The Underpainters focus on:

  • Realism

    Students learn to read references and absorb inspiration from everyday objects. Realism is the ultimate puzzle, learning to capture the look of something without copying it exactly.

  • Independence

    Decision making is a skill. Learning is easier with the support of students making their own decisions. Every lesson is full of insider tips and logic to help make smart art choices.

  • Confidence

    With lessons on form, value, reference reading, and color theory— students learn to use the same concepts professional artists use to color anything, anytime, any way they want.

Join Anytime - Non Sequential Lessons

We mix it up every month, so everyone is always new to every lesson.

We also repeat similar concepts several times a year, with a fresh project and new approach — you’ll receive a well-rounded education no matter when you join.

Join when you’re ready. There’s always something new and something worth practicing again.

starting $40 a month, choose your payment plan

Already a Blend, Point, or Color Wonk student? Log into your Mighty account and use the PURCHASE page here.

How The Underpainters works:

Enroll today for instant access to this month’s lesson. Print the line art and choose colors based on reference swatches or invent a different color palette. Most members read through the guidebook to color on their own or wait for the livestream to ask questions.

Every month, join the group for a thought provoking lesson + Q&A. Amy can demo parts of the project by request or simply share her strategy. Every stream is full of tips, candid observations, and humor. Can’t make the live broadcast? No problem! UPstream recordings are available for 12 months.

Share your project in the community forum, ask questions, get feedback, and chat about art supplies. We’ve also got a year’s worth of videos in the archive, just waiting for you to watch, rewatch, and learn.

Starting at $40 a month, choose your payment option

Already a Blend, Point, or UP student? Log into your Mighty account and use the PURCHASE page here.

This month in The Underpainters:

March 2025

As artists, we want to color the objects and people who mean the most to us.

And for a lot of us, “people” includes our four legged friends.

Spotty Pup is an introduction to pet portraiture from my perspective. Unlike a lot of portrait artists, I worked in educational illustration. I’ll share the specific points I look for when coloring my Dalmatian Finn.

Our monthly UPstream broadcast will cover the eye and nose process in detail.

Puppy printables are available for download in March. Watch the livestream recording any time over the next 12 months.

ADVANCED COLORING SKILLS REQUIRED

Beginner techniques like blending, layering, and underpainting will not be covered.

To master these skills before joining The Underpainters, I recommend testing your underpainting skills and independence level with the Box of Colors workshop.

 Quick Questions:

  • Underpainters is for advanced colorists— but to be honest, many colorists consider themselves advanced because they’ve “colored for years”, even if it was only once a month or they’ve been doing beginner projects the entire time.

    UP’ers must be able to use their art supplies easily without mentally coaching themself through the application process. If you’re thinking about basic technique, you can’t focus on the more important aspects of art.

  • I understand. If you look closely, we don’t use black outlines. Simply by removing the heavy outlines, projects instantly look less like coloring and more like a painting.

    You also have to remember that I’m an artist with a BFA in illustration and 30 years of experience. Your goal isn’t to color like me, it’s to learn from the professional process.

    Believe it or not, many of your projects will turn out realistic too!

  • No problem. This is an open-medium group which means you can use whatever art supplies you want.

    Our lessons address use of color more than application of color.

    Most UP members stick with marker and colored pencil but we also have students practicing watercolor and a digital painter.

    I’m a colored pencil specialist but thanks to BFA graduation requirements, I’m proficient in most media. If I can’t answer a question, I know artists who can!

  • Life gets in the way sometimes. It happens to us all. At the beginning of every month, simply download the printable materials because they expire at the end of the month.

    I record every livestream and they’re kept in the UP Video Archive for 12 months. Many students catch up on missed projects months later.

    Note: You must be a current UP member to access the Archive. Videos are not downloadable; you must be logged in to watch.

Starting at $40 a month, choose your payment option

Already a Blend, Point, or UP student? Log into your Mighty account and use the PURCHASE page here.

STILL NOT SURE?

I get it. You want to color better but you’re iffy about the whole membership thing.

To be honest, I am too. For a 12 years, I taught monthly classes and sold them individually.

THAT’S 12 CLASSES x 12 YEARS = OMG!

And darn it, that’s not the half of it. I also teach beginner and intermediate classes! My school site was a mess. Nobody could tell which class to take next and everyone was afraid they’d miss something fun…

Membership makes it easy— for both of us.

OR MAYBE IT’S ME?

Unless I’ve bumped my cart into your’s at the grocery store, you don’t know me.

So here’s a solution: Hop onto my newsletter list.

Every Saturday, I send a fresh FREE lesson. Usually it’s about color theory but we also cover techniques, creativity, and supplies— from a coloring perspective.

Try it out. Try me out. I think you’ll like it.

Detailed FAQs

  • We work independently, therefore you need to be at least an upper intermediate to advanced level colorer who is comfortable with your supplies. Please note that we do not teach you to use markers, pencils, or watercolor in this group. We recommend taking The Blend for marker and The Point for colored pencil instruction. These courses will give you the skills necessary to work at the required level. Box of Colors to ensure that you’re familiar with project planning and reading photo references.

  • No, this is not a class.

    UP is an advanced, challenge level feedback and support community. Monthly lessons will be issued in the form of digital stamps and a 30 page guidebook but there will be no step by step demos. It’s up to you to determine your approach and supply list.

    Livestreams focus on key areas of the project and specific member questions rather than walking you through the entire process.

  • Our membership is hosted on Mighty Network and they want to prevent you from creating multiple accounts. The error shows for people who ALREADY have an account with us. Log into your existing account and use the internal PURCHASE page here.

  • You must have a paid membership to download project materials and to access the private forum.

    • Follow the learning aid packet closely or use your preferred medium.

    • Submit your questions in the forum for the monthly livestream.

    • Upload .JPG images of your project to The Underpainters forum for help, feedback, and support from Amy, the Vanilla Team, and community members.

  • Lesson materials are usually issued on the first weekday of the month with some releases delayed by holidays.

    Lesson materials are available to paid members for personal download until the next month's lesson launches. It is your responsibility to download the materials while they are available.

    Sorry, we can not email missed items after the challenge has expired.

    Lessons are eventually sold as Coloring Kits, allowing you to purchase missed items.

    You may keep the digital downloads for personal use. You may not share materials with friends or family.

    Your access to new materials ends when your paid membership expires.

  • The Video Archive contains the last 12 months of livestreams and related video materials.

    PLEASE NOTE: I DO NOT SELL LIFETIME ACCESS TO UNDERPAINTERS VIDEO MATERIALS. Your subscription covers access to a rotating selection of the last 12 months of video content. When the 12 month time frame on a lesson expires, YOU WILL NO LONGER HAVE ACCESS TO THE VIDEO. NO EXCEPTIONS.

    WARNING: Digital stamps, guidebooks, or learning aids are NOT available in the archive. These materials must be downloaded during their limited monthly run.

    • One original line drawing from Amy Shulke of Vanilla Arts Co in your choice of PDF, PNG, or JPG digital stamps.

    • 30+ page full color guidbook includes color suggestions, technique suggestions, and WIP photos.

    • Monthly livestream focuses on questions from the community and covers several ways to solve an issue.

    • Community discussions and feedback are participant generated, the discussion can lead anywhere.

    You have approximately 30 days to download the digital stamps, printable guide, and any learning aids. You must download all matrials before they expire.

    You have 12 months to watch the livestream before it expires and is removed from the archive.

  • The forum is a private space built into the classroom software and is automatically included in your membership. Access ends when your membership lapses.

    We do not use Facebook.

    All communications must take place on the dedicated private forum. We do not accept email images and will not offer email feedback.

  • Every lesson runs for 30 days but the learning doesn't have to end there.

    Download all of the digital stamps and printables before they expire but other than that, you can work at your own pace.

    If you're working behind schedule, use the archives to view any of the last 12 livestreams you've missed.

    Aside from downloading materials on time, there's no issue with working weeks or months behind the group.

    As for discussion and project feedback, understand that the Vanilla Team will always keep their primary focus on the current challenge. You may upload old projects to the forum for peer-to-peer discussion but Amy can only offer feedback and troubleshooting advice on the current month's projects.

  • Amy has a BFA in Illustration and is proficient in a variety of drawing and painting mediums. She can provide assistance but absolutely will not provide the intensive feedback necessary to teach you a new medium you’ve never tried before.

    Many of our members use Copic Markers, colored pencils (several brands), watercolor and water-soluble pencils/crayons. We also have members working in Procreate.

    For other mediums, the feedback you receive will not be specific to the medium but instead will address your use of color and general rendering. Your success at capturing accurate color, form, texture, or shape is what the group will focus on.

  • This is a self-directed group with guidance from the Vanilla Team. The more you support other members, the more quality feedback you can expect. We can not guarantee feedback from Amy on every project you submit. She is active in the community, monitors content, and will offer guidance when possible but her primary focus will be on generating new content and steering the community into areas where instruction is most needed.

  • We encourage you to start with a one-month membership to make this decision before you purchase a yearly subscription.

    If you're unhappy with the one month version, cancel your membership at any time during the month.

    Sorry, due to the digital nature of this product and the large amount of information you are given access to, NO REFUNDS WILL BE GIVEN.

  • Members can cancel their subscriptions by logging in on a desktop and going to Personal Settings > Plans and Purchases > Cancel Subscription.

    Once cancelling, members retain access until the end of their current billing period. The cancellation takes effect just before your next billing date, and you will not be charged further.

    Due to the digital nature of this product, we have a no refund policy. We also do not pro-rate fees for those who cancel before the end of their subscription.

Starting at $40 a month, choose your payment option

Already a Blend, Point, or UP student? Log into your Mighty account and use the PURCHASE page here.