Exploring Color Workshop, 30th Anniversary Edition: With New Exercises, Lessons and Demonstrations

178 Pages·2016·29.94 MB·English

by  Nita Leland

ART TECHNIQUES
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to gorgeous, expressive, P
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unforgettable color!
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FROM THE BEST-SELLING AUTHOR OF O
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THE NEW CREATIVE ARTIST AND CONFIDENT COLOR
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Finding color combinations that not only work but excite the eye
is one of the greatest challenges artists face. This updated and R
expanded 30th anniversary edition of the North Light classic
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Exploring Color will show you, no matter what your skill level or
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medium of choice, how to use and control color in your artwork.
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Popular art instructor and best-selling author Nita Leland
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will help you take any artwork you make to new heights.
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Memorable paintings from 57 contributing artists will inspire
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you, along with 75+ hands-on exercises, 8 step-by-step
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demonstrations and countless nuggets of color knowledge—
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all in your own private workshop!
Learn how to master color mixing, assemble the perfect lessons and demonstrations
palette for your artistic goals, select just the right color scheme,
and communicate color in a way that elevates your designs n
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way beyond the ordinary. Start a handy journal to keep track anw
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of your discoveries with customized mixtures, color wheels, e
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reference charts and other tools designed to uncover your color mr
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personality and help you work with color more efficiently. ni
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Nita knows the quest for perfect color can be fun, and it can te
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“Beautiful color is no happy
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accident. Color can be learned.”
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— Nita Leland US $24.99 n
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ISBN-13: 978-1-4403-4515-9
ISBN-10: 1-4403-4515-5
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0 FnL1 04 0120 01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaWNhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo 02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL 03 cnVlZ2VyAFcQwi4CMTMDMTAwATEFVVBD 04 LUEMMDM1MzEzNjY1NzM48A== 35313 66573 8 9 FnL1 04 0124 01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaWNhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo 02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL 03 cnVlZ2VyAFcQuxUEMTAuNAI4MAExBkVB 04 Ti0xMw05NzgxNDQwMzQ1MTU5AA== 781440 345159 Nita Leland
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This book is dedicated with all my heart to my supportive
family, friends, teachers and students, and, as always, to R.G.L.
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30
th
ANNIVERSARY EDITION

E X P L O R I N G
C O L O R
w o r k s h o p
with
new exercises,
and
lessons demonstrations
Nita Leland
Cincinnati, Ohio
artistsnetwork.com
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Paint as you like and die happy. — Henry Miller AQUARIUM
Nita Leland
Mixed media acrylic collage
on illustration board
15" × 20" (38cm × 51cm)
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Contents
Color: A Journey and a Destination — 6
CHAPTER 1
Discovering the Joy of Color — 8
Start with a solid foundation of basic color theory.
CHAPTER 2
Learning the Language of Color — 16
Build your color vocabulary so you can identify color effects and
solve color problems without time-consuming trial and error.
Illustrated Glossary of Color Terms 18
CHAPTER 3
Exploring Color Characteristics — 32
Select your own basic palette with the help of handy reference
charts revealing the appearance and behavior of your paints.
CHAPTER 4
Controlling Color Mixtures — 54
Learn how to mix clean, vibrant colors every time using the
split-primary color mixing system.
Demonstration: Paint Using Split-Primary Color Mixing 60
CHAPTER 5
Working with Harmonious Colors — 68
Learn the distinctive harmonies, advantages, limitations and unique
expressive potentials of eight different primary color combinations.
Demonstration: Compare Harmonious Palettes 89
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CHAPTER 6
Expanding Your Palette with Color Schemes — 94
Add distinctive colors to your basic palette, control them with color
schemes and achieve exciting new dimensions in your art.
Demonstration: Find a Subject for a Color Scheme 108
Demonstration: Choose a Color Scheme for a Subject 110
CHAPTER 7
Using Color Contrast — 112
Find out how you can use different types of contrast to make
stronger art, generate excitement and show off your colors to their
best advantage.
Demonstration: Take Risks with Contrast 128
CHAPTER 8
Expressing the Harmony of Light and
Shadow with Color — 130
Bring harmony to your work using glazing, colorful shadows,
toned supports and consistent dominant light.
Demonstration: Start with Shadows for a Self-Portrait 140
CHAPTER 9
Unifying Color and Design — 148
Master the elements and principles of design so you can
express yourself freely in a well-planned composition.
Demonstration: Maintain Rhythm with Brushwork 160
Demonstration: Build and Enrich Color Layer by Layer 165
ASTM Color Index Guide — 168
Index of Color Exercises — 170
Index — 171
Contributing Artists — 172
About the Author — 175
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Color: A Journey and a Destination
If you’re an artist and don’t understand To explore color, you can use any are designed to help you expand your
color, you’re like a traveler who left your type of artists’ paint, pastel, oil pastel, color skills. Artists in many mediums
luggage at home. Sooner or later you’ll colored pencil, yarn, fabric or paper can do most of these exercises. Reserve
have to go back and get it if you want to collage—whatever medium you work some time every day to do one. Collect
get very far. with. Make collages with colored papers as many color samples or paints as you
Art without color? Inconceivable! But to plan your paintings; make watercolor can and use them for the exercises.
why settle for ordinary color when you or acrylic sketches to design your oil Share with your artist friends and make
can create radiant works of color? canvases. Color knows no boundaries in exploring color a group project. As you
Beautiful color is no happy accident. art media. do the exercises, you’ll see that mastery
You can have fantastic color, too. Color Within these pages you’ll fi nd of color is an achievable goal. Exploring
can be learned. This book will help you: fabulous artwork by top artists to color will make you aware of your color
inspire you in your color journey. The preferences and strengthen your color
• Build your color vocabulary. illustrated glossary in chapter two (and knowledge.
• Explore your paints or medium of many more terms defi ned throughout Once you learn how to mix and
choice. the book) will help you build your color arrange colors, exploring harmonious
• Master color mixing with a split- vocabulary. You’ll also have a brief color triads and expanded palettes along
primary palette. introduction to some newer paints and the way, you’ll have the tools to build a
• Use harmonious triads and color media: interference and iridescent solid foundation for creative color. In no
schemes. colors in acrylics, PrimaTek mineral time, you’ll start solving the mysteries
• Apply color contrast and design. pigments, and alcohol-based inks for of color and be well on your way to
• Discover distinctive ways of using the adventuresome. Triads and color becoming a master colorist. That means
color. schemes have been expanded with that, if you love color, you can unlock its
• Expand your appreciation of color modern pigments. secrets—if you work at it.
science, history and theory. Play with color and have fun So, begin your travels now in the
while you learn. Easy, eye-opening wonderful world of color, and have a
exercises placed throughout the book great trip.
—Nita Leland
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AUTUMN COLORS
Georgia Mansur
Watercolor on watercolor ground
8" × 24" (20cm × 61cm)
Mansur’s spontaneous brushwork depicts an
appealing, vibrant landscape. Here’s an artist who
is not afraid of color.
Celebrating 30 years a single book. She’s created a dozen But in the end, we trusted that Nita
books and videos for North Light, would deliver, and deliver she did.
of Exploring Color
always investing her time, energy and She and I know that Exploring Color
When I became publisher of North Light
professional knowledge to make sure Workshop will reach a new generation
Books in 2007, not only did I inherit a
that the products she creates will help of artists looking to expand their
legacy of excellence in art instruction,
artists improve their knowledge of understanding and use of color. And
but I inherited a family of authors.
painting. And, she’s able to produce so for those of you already familiar with
Many of those authors I would develop
many wonderful products because her Exploring Color, we hope you enjoy this
personal relationships with via email
personal desire for knowledge about the updated version and all the new art.
and phone conversations, although
process of making art is never satisfi ed. Books are only complete once they
90 percent of my authors I have never
Her generosity, as well as her authority are read; they need to be touched,
met in person. Imagine my luck to
on making art, has made her a gift to dog-eared and maybe even highlighted.
discover that Nita lives just fi fty miles
the world of art instruction as well as a So, please explore the pages of this
north of our offi ce! It’s been a pleasure
popular artist and workshop instructor. book, savor the images, take in the text
to be able to meet with her in the offi ce
When Nita approached us about and, most of all, apply what you learn to
or over dinner where we have discussed
revising Exploring Color, we gave the your art. Take as much as you can from
new book ideas as well as how
idea a lot of thought. You don’t mess these pages and become the artist you
publishing has evolved to include
with success. This book had been desire to be.
blogs, ebooks and videos.
revised once before, has sold more than —Jamie Markle
Most art-instruction authors have
100,000 copies, and has been around for Publisher,
one book that they can envision, create
three decades! That’s longer than North North Light Books
and share with the world; Nita Leland
Light Books has been a part of F+W
is one of those rare authors whose
(North Light was acquired in 1983).
vision and passion went well beyond
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DISCOVERING THE
JOY OF COLOR
Art without color would lose much of its purpose. — Andrew Loomis
AFTERNOON AT THE RAMOS CAFÉ When we start out in art, our instructors usually emphasize values and shapes rather
Angela Chang than color. That’s good, because values are easy to understand. Shapes are, too,
Transparent watercolor on paper
since we identify objects by their shapes. But values and shapes make contact with
28" × 18" (71cm × 46cm)
the intellect. Color touches the heart.
Color is important, whether you’re a fi ne artist, graphic designer, decorative
painter or fi ber artist. After all, to paint is to color a surface; to weave is to mingle
MARKETPLACE
colors. But do you really know what you’re doing with color? How much time do you
Paul St. Denis
Watercolor with collage spend in trial and error, looking for suitable paint, the right color or the best mixture?
18" × 22" (46cm × 56cm) Suppose you want to mix a sky color, a skin color or a tree color. Or perhaps you
need to match a color for a specifi c application. Can you use a recipe? Formulas may
offer temporary solutions, but one-size-fi ts-all doesn’t work with color.
Develop your color sensitivity and color knowledge, so you can use color with
confi dence, devising your own solutions to color problems with style and elegance.
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