Michael Wilcox is the specialist publishers of books, courses, workbooks, videos and CDs covering all aspects of colour mixing and use, artist's paints, pigments and painting techniques.With sales of more than 400,000 copies, this has become the standard reference book in its field.The only book ever published which explains what happens when colours are combined and how to mix them quickly, accurately and without waste.For more than 200 years the world has accepted that red, yellow and blue - the artists' primaries - give new colours when mixed. And for more than 200 years artists have been struggling to mix colours on this basis..This book has changed the way that artists and all who use colour think about colour mixing. By unravelling the many ambiguities and myths inherent in the established way of working, Michael Wilcox has transformed colour mixing from a haphazard affair into a thinking process.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Michael Wilcox has a varied background, including periods as a professional artist, a conservator of art works and an engineer, which in turn led to a study of light physics in relation to the needs of the artist. His studies led to the book Blue and Yellow Don't Make Green. Published in English, Dutch, Japanese, Korean and Chinese, this book has changed the way that countless artists now mix and use their colours. This publication was followed by The Wilcox Guide to the Finest Watercolour Paints which has led to many of the changes in the pigments used in artists' paints today. Specialist mixing palettes, workbooks and courses were then developed and the School of Colour was formed on an international basis.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
56 of 60 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Before reading this book, I already had a good basis in the basic color theory: the primaries, secondaries, tertiaries, and the ideas of complementary and analogous colors. I even knew that mixing complementaries would result in browns to blacks.
However, I hadn't learned how to apply that knowledge in the way this book presents it. As a result, sometimes I would mix colors that were muddy or shaded, and I didn't know why. This book explains it all so clearly and so simply that you are sure to retain and use the information with ease.
In summary, this book tells you how to mix any color you want, reliably and with confidence, just using six colors, two of each primary color. Everyone who understands color knows that yellows fall on a range from almost-orange to almost green, blues fall on a range from almost-green to almost-purple, and reds fall on a range from almost-purple to almost orange. The fact that these colors are in a range means that, when you mix them, you will get different results depending on where the colors fall in that range.
This book tells how to determine where a color falls in those ranges, and also gives you a clear and understandable way of knowing what to expect when mixing different primaries. The system works.
One nice thing is that, with the price of paints today, if you need to, you can only purchase six colors and you will pretty much be set. Accordingly, this book recommends that you purchase those six colors, two from each primary, with one color each that tends toward each end of each primary (a green-yellow and an orange-yellow, for example).
Of course, you can always buy a larger range of colors, but armed with the information in this book, when you do so, you can confidently purchase and mix those colors and have a good idea of what the results will be each time.
If you are impatient with theory, you can skip all the stuff about reflected light, additive versus subtractive color mixing, color perception in the brain, and so on; it may or may not all be true, and is anyway only Mr. Wilcox's theory about *why* his system works. Instead, if you are impatient, just read the juicy stuff about the colors themselves. It will definitely improve your ability to mix colors well. If I were making a list of "must have" books in an artist's reference library, this would be one of them.
However, I hadn't learned how to apply that knowledge in the way this book presents it. As a result, sometimes I would mix colors that were muddy or shaded, and I didn't know why. This book explains it all so clearly and so simply that you are sure to retain and use the information with ease.
In summary, this book tells you how to mix any color you want, reliably and with confidence, just using six colors, two of each primary color. Everyone who understands color knows that yellows fall on a range from almost-orange to almost green, blues fall on a range from almost-green to almost-purple, and reds fall on a range from almost-purple to almost orange. The fact that these colors are in a range means that, when you mix them, you will get different results depending on where the colors fall in that range.
This book tells how to determine where a color falls in those ranges, and also gives you a clear and understandable way of knowing what to expect when mixing different primaries. The system works.
One nice thing is that, with the price of paints today, if you need to, you can only purchase six colors and you will pretty much be set. Accordingly, this book recommends that you purchase those six colors, two from each primary, with one color each that tends toward each end of each primary (a green-yellow and an orange-yellow, for example).
Of course, you can always buy a larger range of colors, but armed with the information in this book, when you do so, you can confidently purchase and mix those colors and have a good idea of what the results will be each time.
If you are impatient with theory, you can skip all the stuff about reflected light, additive versus subtractive color mixing, color perception in the brain, and so on; it may or may not all be true, and is anyway only Mr. Wilcox's theory about *why* his system works. Instead, if you are impatient, just read the juicy stuff about the colors themselves. It will definitely improve your ability to mix colors well. If I were making a list of "must have" books in an artist's reference library, this would be one of them.
54 of 58 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is a book that is good for several kinds of readers, in my opinion:
1) For readers who want to use it as color references, the book provides a considerable number of color charts. Readers can use them as a guide in the mixing of colors (oil, water colors, or others).
2) For readers who like "color formulas", color mixtures presented in the book are of big help and a good start.
3) For readers who like to get to the bottom of things, the author presents rather in-depth discussions on color theories. Briefly speaking, there is a major difference between the mixing of light of different colors (i.e. mixing of visible light of different wavelengths. Remember, visible light is simply a spectrum of electromagnetic signals, characteristic by their frequencies, hence, their wavelengths), and the mixing of color pigments. While the resultant color obtained as a result of the former obeys the "additive mixing rule", the resultant color obtained by mixing of the latter (color pigments) follows the "subtractive mixing rule". My rough analogy of these two rules is that "additive mixing rule" (the mixing of light) may be considered "What you see is what you get - a.k.a. WYSIWYG"; meanwhile, the "subtractive mixing rule" (the mixing of color pigments) may be considered "What you see is what you DON'T get" - a.k.a WYSIWYDG".
Commonly, scientists such as physicists and chemists are more familiar with the additive mixing rule, since this is of common use in measurement techniques such as colorimetry or photometry. On the other hand, artists and painters who understand pigments and color mixing are usually more familiar with the "subtractive mixing rule".
It is also worth mentioning that the "subtractive mixing rule" is sometimes referred to as the "subtractive system" of color mixing. This system is NOT at all new, nor is it presented solely in this book. Instead, readers may find it discussed in other color theory books as well.
To sum it up, this is a good reference book for artists at any level; and speaking with a scientist within, I believe there are nothing wrong, nor are there any lies presented in this book, regarding the theory presented in it. In my opinion, it is a decent book in the mixing of color pigments. Therefore, it deserves an accurate review from both viewpoints, those of a scientist and an artist.
STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.
59 of 65 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Don't let the title fool you, sometimes Yellow and Blue DO make Green (just like on Sesame Street and in that commercial for zip-locking plastic bags.) But depending on what paint pigment you use, yellow and blue can give you gray or some other shade. It's all to do with how the pigments are balanced (greenish, reddish, bluish) and how they reflect light in a mixture.
The book has you do a number of swatch painting exercises (for watercolor) and these are fun to do. The first involves using cerulean blue (a greenish blue) and cadmium red, a yellowish-red. You get shades of gray. Nice ones, mind you, but if you thought you'd get PURPLE from this mix, well, no way, Jose.
I did about 20 of the exercises and found it quite useful when I subsequently did a painting involving a lot of masonry in the picture. I used a limited paletted of cerulean, cadmium red and a brownish yellow and found I got a nice gray for the masonry, but the yellow (Nickel Azo Yellow) did NOT work well.
In summary, if you paint watercolor, this is an essential text to keep you learning about color mixing and what works, what doesn't. I highly recommend this to amateurs and experts alike.
The book has you do a number of swatch painting exercises (for watercolor) and these are fun to do. The first involves using cerulean blue (a greenish blue) and cadmium red, a yellowish-red. You get shades of gray. Nice ones, mind you, but if you thought you'd get PURPLE from this mix, well, no way, Jose.
I did about 20 of the exercises and found it quite useful when I subsequently did a painting involving a lot of masonry in the picture. I used a limited paletted of cerulean, cadmium red and a brownish yellow and found I got a nice gray for the masonry, but the yellow (Nickel Azo Yellow) did NOT work well.
In summary, if you paint watercolor, this is an essential text to keep you learning about color mixing and what works, what doesn't. I highly recommend this to amateurs and experts alike.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Really understanding color mixing
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. After studying the whole book I have a different understanding of color mixing and I think moving forward, as I paint, I will be able to make the... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Jo A. El-assal
But my elementary teacher said it made green...
An artist and mentor had recommended this book for about three years before I actually ordered it. I love it. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Duckie Lane
Blue and Yellow Don't Make Green
This is a great book for reference and reading through. It came through the mail promptly and in very good shape.
Published 8 months ago by Josena
AMAZING
It is of invaluable help for both the professional and the amateur painter. Seek for color harmony and discovering how to achieve this goal becomes understanbly and easy. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Jose Gama
Excellent book
I've been on a quest to understand color for about a year. This book substantially increased that understanding and definitely helped my artwork, significantly. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Craig H. Garver
color theory
excellent book for any artist
this should have a five-star rating, but item 2 will not print 5 stars.
this should have a five-star rating, but item 2 will not print 5 stars.
Published 15 months ago by Marilyn M. Harris
Another Happy Customer
Fast Delivery coupled with the product arriving in perfect condition made for another happy customer.
Published on March 26, 2010 by Mr. Lawrence L. Ryan
Don't throw the Color Wheel out yet!
As a webcartoonist, and digital painter, I found that there was helpful information in this book, but found it lacked in the basic theory of color combinations. Read more
Published on October 6, 2009 by Equidna Rojo
a good technical resource
It is, I suppose, a reference book that every artist should possess and keep handy at all times. It is a book that I return to time and time again for assistance.
Published on September 19, 2009 by Janie O'brien
I'd given up on painting until I read this book
This book really is a 'must-have.' I originally read the first edition of this book, which I think presents his ideas in a clear and simple way without the daunting number of color... Read more
Published on June 21, 2009 by L. Becker
Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
In the late 1700's it seemed to many that the search for an answer to accurate color mixing had at last been found - the 'Three Primary System' had been invented. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Cerulean Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Sienna, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Yellow Light, Quinacridone Violet, Raw Sienna, Color Bias Wheel, Phthalocyanine Blue, Phthalocyanine Green, Alizarin Crimson, Color Index Name, Lightfastness Watercolors, Artist's Guide, Chemical Class, Excellent Acrylics, Excellent Gouache, Blue Green Red, Color Index Number, Excellent Alkyds, Excellent Oils, Lemon Yellow, Burnt Umber, Flake White, Mars Yellow New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
In the late 1700's it seemed to many that the search for an answer to accurate color mixing had at last been found - the 'Three Primary System' had been invented. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Cerulean Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Sienna, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Yellow Light, Quinacridone Violet, Raw Sienna, Color Bias Wheel, Phthalocyanine Blue, Phthalocyanine Green, Alizarin Crimson, Color Index Name, Lightfastness Watercolors, Artist's Guide, Chemical Class, Excellent Acrylics, Excellent Gouache, Blue Green Red, Color Index Number, Excellent Alkyds, Excellent Oils, Lemon Yellow, Burnt Umber, Flake White, Mars Yellow New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
4
books
cite this book:
- Color in Three-Dimensional Design by Jeanne Kopacz on page 18, and Back Matter
- The Painter's Handbook (Practical Art Books) by Mark David Gottsegen on page 120, and Back Matter
- Gumoil Photographic Printing, Revised Edition by Karl Koenig on page 29, and Back Matter
- Dyes & Paints: A Hands-On Guide to Coloring Fabric by Elin Noble in Back Matter
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