Color Choices: Making Color Sense Out of Color Theory

While I am a watercolour painter, this book also talk to the acrylic and oil artist. This book has a lot of information about colour and how it works in order to have an outstanding painting with colors helping each other rather than it looking chaotic and somehow out of sync. The only other books that I would recommend on color that I have read so that anyone can understand are below. In addition, I would recommend PANTONEs Guide to Communicating with color by Eiseman. It is a great book to use to understand the psychology behind color and how it is used to communicate a mood or feeling. Let's face it, Marketing does this all the time and it can also be used as a guide when deciding what hues you want to use in your artwork. I love this book and is a great cheat reference for me and also has some surprising color combinations that I would never have thought of. For any Artist: Color Mixing Bible, by Ian Sidaway _________________________ "COLOR WORKS, the Crafters Guide to Color" by Deb Menz FOR ANYONE who wants to know about COLOR THEORY this text breaks it down so that ANYONE can understand this complex subject. I learnt more about color theory in this book than all others put together because I now "Understand" the concept. While this book is for the textile artist, ALL artists should get it and it also has cut outs to use when choosing your colour palette whether it be for Fashion Design or Art.

I've been searching for that perfect book which would deepen my understanding of color and the color wheel so that I can apply it to my quilt-making. Reading Stephen Quiller's 144-page book on color theory provided several ah-ha moments for me. The title says it all, "Color Choices - Making Color Sense Out Of Color Theory". He teaches workshops on color, so this book was extremely informative and simple to understand. I actually found it to be an enjoyable read. My main question around color has always been, "So what? Yes, colors lay next to each other and opposite each other on the color wheel, so what?" It finally connected for me, thanks to Stephen's down-to-earth writing style that, "Color is magic! And what a gift it is to use color in a way that truly expresses what the artist feels." It's difficult to articulate those ah-ha moments in a product review, but here's how one moment worked for me: to assist the reader, Stephen offers sections in the book called, "Six Studies". There are 6 of the same subjects painted differently 6 times using various color schemes and he asks you to, "Notice how each study differs in color emphasis, value, and intensity. Also look at how the various moods have been developed, ranging from calm and serene, to austere, to fantasy-like, to dynamic and powerful." Because of the 6 side-by-side comparisons, my eye traveled differently around each painting and I began to understand the theory of contrast. Or, I would like one painting and despise another connecting to the theories of intensity and color harmony. Wow! I actually get it! Then he explains what the color is doing for you, for example, "The bright orange has been neutralized to create a distinct mood." He's an art instructor, so at the end of each chapter he offers a "Workshop" where he provides exercises for the painter. I continue to find great value in re-reading and experiencing this book and I don't even paint!

Book is clear and concise. If you ever wondered why some reds work best with some blues or yellows, this is the book for you. It clearly explains how you can find where a hue lies in relation to any other color thus allowing you to find that color's true complement - which you need to know if you want to make perfect neutrals and semineutrals. There are dozens of examples of color schemes & paintings - illustrating how to achieve a pallette that works together for the most pleasing hues to use in a painting. This book helped me more than any other book on color theory and his "Quiller Wheel" is useful for watercolor, acrylics, oils, etc. This book was recommended by a YT watercolorist - L De Masi - and I am so glad I listened to her suggestion.

I ordered this book because I wanted to improve my understanding of color theory. It is very in-depth and definitely fit the bill, but I realized after ordering it that I already had a good bit of the book in another book, "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Watercolor". Still, I appreciate the multitude of information and illustrated demos.

I’ve been taking deep dives into learning during this quarantine. One of the subjects I decided to go heavy on is color theory. I’ve been using color in painting and interiors since I was a kid and I “know” what colors I need to use instinctively...but not why and I didn’t ever think about the structure behind my choices. I decided it was time to learn all the rules. I’ve read about 4 books on color theory so far, and this is the best yet because it is written for painters. Despite many many years of painting & interiors classes, and a semester of color theory, I had only been taught the usual color theory based on the typical color wheel. As my painting progressed, I began to want to learn about pigments and as any painter can tell you, the regular color wheel doesn’t always apply when it comes to working with color in pigments. This color wheel Quiller developed is seriously brilliant...so practical! And he talks about which companies make which colors- slightly out of date but still helpful. Then he even displays what colors look like when you mix them with different ways of creating neutrals. It’s just a way of breaking down color, value and intensity that makes so much sense, and will save you a lot of time experimenting if you haven’t already done a lot of this. I also love how he breaks down each color scheme. I’m working now I’m laying more attention to what kind of color schemes I’m using along with values. I think the more I memorize what is what, the more time I will save from just intuiting what colors should be mixing up, and how. Definitely worth the read.

I really enjoyed this book. I've admittedly never sought out Stephen Quiller's art or instructional material, but after receiving this....my opinions changed. Mr Quiller has obviously done an exhaustive study of not only color, but also many of the different brands such as Liquitex, Brera, Golden, W&N, M. Graham, etc....and he explains subtle differences and combinations to achieve neutrals and semi-neutrals. His color wheel takes a bit getting used to....(you could go broke if you wanted to explore all of the varied colors).....but once you get into the examples, exercises and galleries, you begin to see how it all works. I've been a student and a person unafraid to tinker with color for many years, but Stephen's approach offers even more to explore and study....and who doesn't enjoy trying some new colors or experimenting with different color palettes? After reading this book I even ventured into some techniques I had never tried before, just to try them. From basic color theory to exploring multiple combinations of palettes and color schemes, I believe "Color Choices" will offer something for any painter. It's not the definitive book on color theory, but it's a terrific addition to your library. I highly recommend.

This book has really expanded my understanding of color and color mixing. So much good and useful information with exercises to envision what is discussed.. Definitely a must have for any colorist.

I love the book, but was disappointed that it was packed in a slightly padded envelope which allowed for the front cover to get bent and somewhat wrinkled, making my brand new book, look misused. I would not have purchased it from a store in this condition. 🥹

Colour Theory. Not the easiest topic, but every artist requires some knowledge of it and this author definitely knows his stuff. Not for the faint hearted, but worthwhile dipping into and getting what you need to take your use of colour to the next level. Lots of examples demonstrating the points he is making, some exercises to get you experimenting with colour. The important factor, for me at least, is that what he's talking about can be applied to whatever colour palette you choose. It really does get you thinking about your own colour choices.

Es un autor al q sigo desde hace tiempo. El libro es muy bueno, muy completo y muy bien explicado. S. Quiller juega muy bien con las paletas de color y aquí te enseña a entender nuevas posibilidades. Recomendable 100%

O livro é de ótima qualidade e é muito útil pra quem quer aprender sobre o uso das cores em paisagens (na verdade sobre o uso das cores em geral). Tem ótimas pinturas como exemplos também! Recomendo! Tudo muito lindo e sem dúvida um dos melhores que já li!

I was looking for a book on color theory and color scheme for watercolor and drawing. I am glad to have found this particular one because it relates directly to the world of painting (oils, watercolors, acrylics) not printing/CMYK or digital/RGB. If you already own a color theory book then this one may not provide new information in terms of color schemes, this is not a swatch book. What you'll find: a huge color wheel using a range of paint pigmentation names (not just red, yellow, blue...). Each color scheme type clearly explained with lots of examples and exercises for the reader. Insights from the author who is also a painter going beyond color theory but will also talk of process and techniques specific to painting.

worth it just for the collection of amazing paintings that u can admire for hours. Definately will lure u to try landscapes and move past wimpy washes. Go bold colors !