Rating: 
Summary: Superb!
Review: Exploring Color is the kind of book you'll want to tuck under your pillow each and every night. Its pages brim with pure truth, its colors conjure up a million wonderful emotions, its exercises are taoistic in their learning power. If ever you feel muddled, scanning all those tubes of paint, open up Exploring Color! Instantly, your world of color will pulse with a liveliness, and a confidence, that's simply astounding
Rating:
Summary: this book changed the way I look at color
Review: I think every artist should read this book. it immediately changed the way I look at color. just ONE part of the book saved me a lot of headaches and explained a lot of the reason I was having so many problems working with color.
Rating:
Summary: Practical advice on color usage
Review: It is worthwhile to put the time and effort into learning color theory for any artist or artisan as a sound knowledge of the subject will increase his/her capabilities and give more satisfactory results. This book extensively covers not only the theory aspect but puts it into practice for the reader by giving specific projects to illustrate the point being discussed. It is chock full of photos of art on every page. The history section on color is rather skimpy but it does provide some idea of how modern color theory and the color wheel came about. The rest of the book is broken up into subjects such as color characteristics, controlling color mixtures, palette color schemes, color contrasts, harmonizing light and shadow through color and unifiying color and design. Exploring color characteristics discusses some of the most common pigments and their classifications and properties (such as organics or inorganics, transparent or opaque, etc.). Palette color schemes discusses the many ways to organize a painting by color to convey a mood or feeling. One project gives instructions for painting a landscape using split primaries. Another compares the same scene painted using different color schemes (delicate colors, opaques only, intense only, earths only, etc.). Color contrast introduces projects for paintings that focus on temperature, another on intensities and still another on contrasting hues. The final two chapters discuss painting techniques such as glazing, painting on toned backgrounds, color in shadows, composition, the uses of line, shape, rhythm, repetition, balance, dominance and last but not least, color collage. Every point made is accompanied by photos of artwork illustrating it. Every subject discussed is acompanied with an "assignment" so the reader will have some way to actually practiced what was just covered. Exploring Color is a good addition to any artists library and covers the subject of color theory in a lively way that will inspire any artist/artisan to get back to work creating something with new understanding and vigor.
Rating:
Summary: "Exploring Color" also clarifies it
Review: This book clarifies the properties of color by first defining them, (transparancy, intensity and tinting strength,) and then creating working pallets based on this truly understandable information. It turned on a light for me, a watercolorist, as Nita Leland appears to be particulary interested in that medium. This book is available in our local library, but it is such a valuable resource, I chose to purchase it, as I functions as a reference book.
Rating:
Summary: "Exploring Color" also clarifies it
Review: This book clarifies the properties of color by first defining them, (transparancy, intensity and tinting strength,) and then creating working pallets based on this truly understandable information. It turned on a light for me, a watercolorist, as Nita Leland appears to be particulary interested in that medium. This book is available in our local library, but it is such a valuable resource, I chose to purchase it, as I functions as a reference book.
Rating:
Summary: The most comprehensive book on color I have seen.
Review: This book is just terrific! It is so well done and the color and reproductions are beautiful. There is a wealth of information here, concise and easy to understand -- no matter what medium you work in, these concepts will apply. The book is filled with gorgeous artwork in a variety of media and styles. It is also beautifully designed throughout. This one is not for the bookshelf, it's for the worktable. I plan to keep it handy for reference and inspiration. Positively the most comprehensive book on color and how to use it I have seen -- and I have them all.
Rating:
Summary: The most comprehensive book on color I have seen.
Review: This book is just terrific! It is so well done and the color and reproductions are beautiful. There is a wealth of information here, concise and easy to understand -- no matter what medium you work in, these concepts will apply. The book is filled with gorgeous artwork in a variety of media and styles. It is also beautifully designed throughout. This one is not for the bookshelf, it's for the worktable. I plan to keep it handy for reference and inspiration. Positively the most comprehensive book on color and how to use it I have seen -- and I have them all.
Rating:
Summary: The Dictionary on Color and Color Theory
Review: This book is useful for a variety of readers. It is a good detailed text on color theory.With the new lay-out it is a good quick reference for the artist or student. The illustrations are wonderful. While it concentrates on watercolor, it would be useful to those using a wide variety of artistic media.
Rating:
Summary: Best all around color theory book I have seen.
Review: This book is useful for a variety of readers. It is a good detailed text on color theory.With the new lay-out it is a good quick reference for the artist or student. The illustrations are wonderful. While it concentrates on watercolor, it would be useful to those using a wide variety of artistic media.
Rating:
Summary: Leland knows her stuff on color theory and paints
Review: This book lived up to all my expectation
| 
