11 Best Color Theory Books for Artists Everywhere
If you’re a colorist and illustrator, then the first thing that you have to learn is probably the “color theory” of things. And if you’re still not acquainted with the term, then you might be wondering why is it so vital for every artist to know and get right? So, what is color theory exactly? […]
If you’re a colorist and illustrator, then the first thing that you have to learn is probably the “color theory” of things. And if you’re still not acquainted with the term, then you might be wondering why is it so vital for every artist to know and get right?
So, what is color theory exactly?
Color theory is the fundamental set of rules, concepts, and guidelines that are important for understanding the relationship between colors and how they communicate with each other on a particular medium. Color theory and management will teach you how to create the very foundation for your color-work and help you achieve perfect color-consistencies for your art.
Color adjustments, which is also an integral part of color theory, will help you change the elements of the color scheme or rectify any error that might have occurred.
Although there are many online tutorials and content which could help you understand the color theory and its many essential aspects, having a useful guidebook at hand is always the better option!
And if you’re looking for just the thing, then we have laid it all bare about some of the best color theory books in our following read!
Best Color Theory Books
1. Color Choices
- Used Book in Good Condition
- Quiller, Stephen (Author)
Color Choices, authored by Stephen Quiller is one book that actually goes the mile that you understand the concept of the “color theory” in vivid details in such a fascinating way that will keep you glued to its pages and interested enough to learn all about color schemes.
The book takes a very serious, well, “not-so-entertaining” concept of something that was very serious and important, and makes it so much more captivating to the readers.
The book concentrates on “color senses” and teaches you how exactly to construct your own scheme and repository of colors that you were most comfortable using and developing newer levels with different colors from there. It educates you about lights, mid-tones, darks and shadows and how they should become together as a single, cohesive unit to yield the desired result.
So, what the book helps you with is first understanding which colors actually work together and how you’re supposed to coordinate them in a sequence. This is the first step to get just the correct outcome in a piece of artwork.
In the 144 pages of the book, you’ll get the fundamental rules of locating the colors that could work together for every type of artwork and to build a usable palette from scratch.
The more you understand the color wheel and practice, the more you’ll get at developing your own techniques for putting those masterstrokes on your pieces. All in all, it is a great book for beginners and professionals alike!
2. Color by Betty Edwards
- Used Book in Good Condition
- Edwards, Betty (Author)
The book, “Colors” that’s written by Betty Edwards brings in a mini-course in the basics of understanding, coordinating and mixing colors in a mini-course that saves you a lot of time and effort which you might have had to invest in an extensive course otherwise.
Consisting of more than 220 pages, the book serves as a quick and very economical guide for painters of all levels of expertise and proficiency. It teaches you how to use your quick wit and understanding of the mechanism of colors to mix any color on the color wheel.
The language of the content in the book is amazingly lucid and uncomplicated that makes it easy for anyone and everyone to decode the formulas, making it an ideal companion for beginners and casual painters.
The book primarily focuses on traditional modes and mediums of paintings providing essential tips on the use of brushes, palettes, papers, etc., and is not that inclined towards digital art. However, once you understand the color scheme, you can easily transition to whatever medium you wish for as the fundamental rules will be the same for all.
3. Confident Color
- Leland, Nita (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
Composed and written by artist and author Nita Leland, “Confident Color” explicates the artist’s understanding and knowledge about natural color selection and color-coordination.
She uses her innate knowledge and logic to decode the workings of each and every color on the wheel and to lay the basic down for you in an utterly comprehensible format. The book helps you to develop an idea of what could be the best option for artwork and also about the interaction of colors amongst themselves on paper.
The greatest thing that the book does it allows you to discard the frustrating guesswork of figuring out the complementary colors on the pallet so that you could confidently go ahead with the right colors for your artwork.
This makes it incredibly useful for all beginners at art and the painters at heart!
This spiral-bound book consists of more than 80 workbook exercises and printed tutorials from around 50 artists showcasing their personal styles in working with colors and offering tips, tricks, and suggestions regarding the use of various colors.
Overall, it is indeed a great book for all and covers great content for the price it comes at.
4. Interaction of Colors
- Albers, Josef (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
Interaction of Colors by Josef Albers is one of the brilliant classics, considered as one of the best ones when it comes to explaining the theories and mechanisms of colors. The approach of the book in defining the things is comparatively old-school; and the book itself is a few decades old. But, having said that, its seniority in the art-book department only makes it a tried and tested, reliable guide on color theory.
It is a staple for almost all graphics designing classrooms as the book largely applies to all mediums of art and paint-work. One of the things this book does is offer a detailed insight into some really vital aspects that may or may not be discussed in regular art-books. These are immensely important for all those who are just starting out in the field.
These include subjects and sub-topics such as color boundaries, color intensities, casual gradation, and juxtaposition of hues.
This is an immensely helpful reference book that you could always keep at hand while working on your project and yet find something new and useful every time you go through it.
The author explains his theories and understanding of the color scheme and how certain colors can affect our perception based on the complementary colors nearby. This is a complex topic in art and requires for every artist to understand it thoroughly.
Rather than being simple and consisting of the easy sub-topics on color theory, this book provides a matured take on some of the more complicated and severe aspects of the subject. This makes it ideal for professional and intermediates who want to improve on their color selection skills. However, it could be a bit tricky for beginners to grasp.
5. Making Color Sing
- Dobie, Jeanne (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
And if you’re looking for a detailed workbook that enables you to thoroughly practice your techniques and perfect your style, then Making Color Sing is one book you shouldn’t miss out on. It is such an incredibly awesome guide to have at hand that emphasizes the importance and role of frequently practicing your strokes and knowledge of the color scheme.
The book packs in more than 30 different exercises that teach you how to mix colors and why certain colors work better together than others. What you have to know that no color exists by itself, but always in the VIBGYOR color spectrum. All painted expressions are results of an ideal combination and interaction between colors that reflect the subtle relationships between the shades. The book teaches you how to achieve and maintain a clean composition at all times in artworks.
The most important thing that this book does is develop an intuitive sense regarding color schemes for its reader so that they can acquire an eye for locating the right colors and synchronizing them in the correct sequence on an artwork.
By practicing with the book regularly, you could develop an intrinsic sense of knowing about the interaction of colors amongst each other and know which group of colors would ideally respond amongst themselves in order to yield stunning results on the canvas.
This book will especially be useful for intermediates and advanced artists who already have the fundamental knowledge of colors and have had some experience, for honing their skills. However, beginners might find this a tad bit tough to follow through.
6. Exploring Color Workshop
- Leland, Nita (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
Exploration is the first step of evolution and progression and is as vital in life as the things that inspire you the most. “Exploring Color Workshop” is a book that teaches you the fundamental concept and importance of exploring the vast repertoire of colors. This one is an age-old classic that has been there for decades and maintains a strict, traditional approach towards explaining the numerous concepts of art.
Exploring Color Exploration is a book that shows you how color theory works beyond a single medium and how the different colors work with each other yielding a magnificent painting.
But the best thing about this book is that it comes loaded with 70 different exercises and 8 specific and detailed, step-by-step tutorials that you can do anywhere.
This also helps you to develop your personal strokes and techniques, so that you understand what would work for you and what not.
Although there isn’t any singular approach for creating the “best” palette for painting, you could create the suitable palette for every kind of expression that you want to create once you understand the basic rules and guidelines of color theory.
7. Secret Language of Color
- Used Book in Good Condition
- Hardcover Book
The enigma behind the color wheel is exactly what makes it challenging to understand. However, the “Secret Language of Color” delves in deeper into the mysterious world of colors and the apparently “limited” visible spectrum!
It analyses the way different colors affect our visual perception and interact with each other.
This is a book that takes almost comes across as a cosmic study of colors, emphasizing on the physics and scientific aspects of the color-mechanism.
The book also brings a lot of cultural anecdotes on the subject as well as psychological profiles that studies color-interaction in meticulous details.
The book discusses the symbolic as well as the figurative relationship between colors, lights, and shadows, engaging the reader’s attention towards the subject of the fundamental association between these elements.
These will assist you in developing a perspective while painting and to gauge the ideal combination for your palette intuitively.
The “Secret Language of Color” is indeed one of those books that put forth a very scientific approach towards color-appreciation. It can bring about a radical change in your perspective and perception towards color and make you see a painting in an entirely different light.
8. Color and Light
- Gurney, James (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
Author and creator of Dinotopia, James Gurney charts the effects of colors and their communications on natural objects, scapes, and imaginary creatures. The book consists of more than 200 pages dedicated to the study of the influence of colors in imaginative creations. It is also a common guide-book for all aspiring fantasy-artists.
All of the pages consist of advanced tips and tricks that help you to compose the desired form using just the correct selection of colors. It is indeed considered to be a staple for all categories of imaginary creations.
Painting imaginary forms are unquestionably one of the most difficult feats to achieve for obvious reasons. What this book does is that it teaches you to look at the forms, shapes, and structures at a definitive angle and then think about what colors will compliment these shapes.
Although the color scheme might seem pretty difficult to get right when it comes to creating something entirely imaginary bearing no resemblance to the familiar molds and frames, this book can really help you in conceiving an idea using the fundamental rules of creating an otherworldly being from scratch.
It could be an immensely useful guide for every entertainment artist. Be it concept art or any aspect of the visual development front, this book is truly an incredible guide for tickling that imagination!
9. Color Lab for Mixed-Media Artists
- Forman, Deborah (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
Authored by Deborah Forman, “Color Lab for Mixed-Media Artists” makes an in-depth study of the entire field of mixed-media art and its relationship with painting. It analyzes the way mixed media applies to painting and the resultant effects that are achieved from the combination.
The greatest benefit of this is that this book teaches you all the techniques and ways you can work up an ideal color pallet for literally any sort of medium that you choose. The book focuses on color selection and mixing techniques that lay the foundation for any great art.
One of the best things about the book is that is it is composed in a marvelously simplistic and comprehensible way. Each chapter of this book deals with a different color, providing numerous recipes, tips, and tricks for mixing color palettes.
The book could be considered more of a mixing guide than a theoretical one or one that concentrates solely on painting. This gives you a flavor of the many different avenues you could head at with your knowledge of colors and the perfect that particular area which suits your the best!
And if you’re a traditional artist, then you would find this guide to be amazingly useful for getting a thorough knowledge of all sorts of mixed media artwork. The book comes with loads of brilliant color schemes, and once you learn from this book, you can easily replicate these color-schemes for any sort of project.
10. Color: A Workshop For Artists and Designers
- Hornung, David (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
This is a practical guidebook that strives to explain the connection between generic color theory and the practical application of the colors in art. Written by David Hornung, the “Color: A Workshop For Artists and Designers” comes with 168 pages splattered with a ton of brilliantly colored examples of all sorts of artworks that are done using so many different color schemes and that too in varying degrees of light and shade.
Each of these examples helps you to get an idea about the mechanisms of the color schemes. It gives you an insight into the basic process of association between complementary colors. It also helps you to develop a keen sense towards color selection and to understand why a certain pattern or layout stands out from the rest.
The book provides a wide scope for studying such color schemes by offering numerous exercises with theoretical lessons in each chapter. The final chapter of the book deals with the color studies on computer studies which serve as a brilliant guide for digital artists everywhere. All in all, this book has a little bit of everything for all kinds of artists who deal extensively with colors. Whether you’re an illustrator, a traditional painter, a concept artist, or a comic artist, this book will help you sharpen your skills by providing the principle rules of color theory.
11. Color Theory
- WFAL53
- Mollica, Patti (Author)
The “Color Theory” is a book by Patti Mollica that looks extensively into the workings of the colors with relation to light and shade on a medium. The book deals with the psychological aspect of colors dealing looking at color selections and mixing in from a very clinical perspective.
Yet, it still offers a beautiful, uncomplicated language that makes it really easy for beginners to grasp. It doesn’t prevail long on any specific medium, and thus, the guidelines could be used in digital art as well.
Apart from paints, pigments, and colors in general, the book extensively discusses the tone, mood, and temperatures of colors, and how are they affected by varying degrees of light and shade.
Overall, “Color Theory” gives you the basic knowledge behind the psychology of colors and how exactly they behave under different situations.
Best Color Theory Book Comparison Table
| Book | Author | Hardcover | Paperback | Kindle | Audible |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Color Choices | Stephen Quiller | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Color | Betty Edwards | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Confident Color | Nita Leland | Yes | No | No | No |
| Interaction of Colors | Josef Albers | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Making Color Sing | Jeanne Dobie | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Exploring Color Workshop | Nita Leland | No | Yes | No | No |
| Secret Language of Color | Joann Eckstut, Arielle Eckstut | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Color and Light | James Gurney | No | Yes | No | No |
| Color Lab for Mixed-Media Artists | Deborah Forman | No | No | Yes | No |
| Color: A Workshop For Artists and Designers | David Hornung | No | Yes | No | No |
| Color Theory | Patti Mollica | No | Yes | No | No |
Conclusion
So this was it for our list of some of the best color theory books that you could get your hands on right away! Each and every book on this list is unique and provides you with something new all along the way, each time you turn to them.
We hope you liked our effort as much as we loved making it for you!
We’ll be back with more!
Till next time!
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