Product Description

Mastering color is a tough hurdle for artists in any medium to tackle. In this concise guide, Margaret Kessler cuts through all the confusion with a friendly and encouraging approach to the basic principles of color harmony.

The book is divided into two main sections that focus on theory and practice. Readers will learn how proper color can help them create expressive moods, unity, rhythm and eye-catching design. Then they'll find a wealth of exercises and demonstrations to quickly put to use what they've learned.

With lots of colorful charts and eye-catching examples, Color Harmony in Your Paintings is highly accessible for artists of all levels. There's an engaging question-and-answer format in parts of the book, and simple color sketches throughout to give an immediate understanding of every color concept.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #60737 in Books
• Published on: 2004-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 127 pages

About the Author
Award-winning artist Margaret Kessler has been teaching painting for more than 25 years. She's the author of Painting Better Landscapes and the co-author of Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Oil. Margaret lives in Hilltop Lakes, Texas.

Customer Reviews

Color Harmony In Your Paintings
I found this book to be well written and the most useful book on color to date. Chapter 2: Choosing a Color Scheme, is not something I've seen in other books on color. The color schemes shown are broken down and explained in text and with illustration using both artwork samples and the color wheel. It makes it easy to see how to choose and use a particular scheme. Chapter 3: The Munsell Color Wheel is also something I've not seen before. Munsell's approach makes more sense to me and will most likely be the color wheel I will use most in the future. I highly recommend this book to all artists.

A note from the author, Margaret Kessler
There is a printing error on page 17. The colored circles should be labeled:
COOL: Cad. Yel. Deep, Quinacridone Red, Ultra. Blue, T-Z White.
WARM: Cad. Yel. Med., Grumbacher Red, Phthalo Blue, T-Z White with a touch of Lemon Yellow.
Please spread the word and keep those brushes wet.
Margaret Kessler

Color It From The Heart
Color and composition are the most important tools an artist can use to elicit a response from a viewer. But it is color we see first. Color either grabs the viewer with its expression of a mood or emotion or it does not. In "Color Harmony," artist and teacher, Margaret Kessler has given a great gift to those of us seeking help with this important subject.

Kessler's well illustrated book shows how to use color to establish depth and form, create eye-pleasing contrasts, convey different times of the day and specific atmospheric conditions, and heighten the expressiveness and impact of a painting. She also emphasizes the importance of using the color wheel as we paint. It surprises her that many artists do not have the color wheel close at hand while painting. Color is just that important!

"Color Harmony" is organized into six sections:

1. The Basics of Color (properties, mixing, matching)
2. Choosing a Color Scheme
3. Discovering the Munsell Color Wheel
4. Mastering the Contrasts of Color (varying value, temperature, and intensity)
5. How Light and Atmosphere Affect Color (depth; variations with time of day and weather)
6. Designing With Color (a full demonstration that ties all the principles together)

This book can serve as a good guide for the new artist... and a refresher guide for those who are not so new.