Product Description

This guide to paint formulations explores value and intensity, complementary and analogous colours, and the ways in which colour can be used to evoke moods and express atmospheric conditions. It includes a removable colour wheel.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #92711 in Books
• Published on: 2000-03-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 144 pages

Customer Reviews

Colour Theory without Pain
The number of times audible groans have gone up from an art-group when someone mentions "colour-wheels" are toonumerous to recall. However, whether we painters like it or not, learning about colour-mixing is an indispensable part of our creative lives. The thing that often makes everyone wince is the agonising exercise of filling in a sheet of paper, filled with row after row of squares; each colour mixed with another, and so on.

Stephen Quiller's book doesn't avoid this issue, but makes the whole task of learning about colour much more adventurous and less cumbersome. This well-known American painter has a unique style of work which is instantly recognisable as a "Quiller". He has taught colour theory to his students for many years and this book contains the main essences. The beginning of the book gets straight into the "Quiller ColourWheel",including a fold-out section showing the complete wheel in full detail. He covers detail on primaries and complements, making various greys and semi-neutral shades. There is useful information too on the various brands of paint; some colours may not be available in the UK, for example, but you might find an equivalent pigment under another unusual name.

Stephen Quiller also discusses various methods of paint application, using the colour theory to great advantage for different visual qualities; values and colour intensity, in specific relation to the colour-wheel; using the wheel to make balanced colour compositions; colour families; mixing blacks without using black paint; expressing emotions with selected colours and a lot more besides.

The depth of analysis in this book is considerable, clearly indicating it's source to be someone who knows what he's talking about. The book does not so much encourage the artist to paint lots of coloured squares, but rather sets exercises at the ends of most chapters, which the reader is invited to take up and explore. Right throughout, the book is illustrated with Stephen Quiller's own creations, acting as a stimulant to get the brushes out and start working. Even if you aren't a Quiller fan, the theory-work alone in this book is well worth the purchase.

Although he is primarily a watermedia artist (i.e acrylic, watercolour, gouache) this should not discourage anyone from considering purchasing the book. The more hesitant painter can use the instructions to slowly expand his or her knowledge of colour-mixes, whilst more experienced artists can launch straight into some of the picture-exercises. If, like me, you have been a rather muddly puddly paint-mixer, I can almost guarantee that if you read this book and try some of the ideas, you'll never go back to the way you were.

clear consise and simple intructions to vibraint pictures
His instructions are very simple and clear and gives you confidence and he leads you to fresh vibrant colourful paintings - by simply following Stephen Quiller's instructions I have got a new lease of life added to my painting life!