Customer Reviews

Color Choices Making Color Sense Out of Color Theory

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Stephen Quiller has his own theory for the uses of color in artwork. It is easy to read, follow and has lots of examples. These examples include poor choices, as well as good ones, which helps the artist to distiguish by visuals, the difference. An excellent reference for working and learning artists. It makes quick work of the confusion regarding complementary, secondary and tertiary colours and shows the direct co-relations. It also comes with a wall poster reference to the Quiller colour wheel. Colours are listed by standard commercial names which makes it easy for the artist to locate the proper colour with which they wish to work. All sorts of little hints to help the struggling artist handle media more easily.

quiller's guide is the most systematic color text available. it combines a deep knowledge of traditional color theories with a huge amount of quiller's personal research into how paints actually mix as colors. central to the book is quiller's color mixing wheel for watercolors, oils and acrylics, probably the most accurate color wheel available in any published work (though he has a revised color wheel, available separately). he explores the monochrome, analogous, complementary and split complementary color schemes through many demonstration paintings and detailed mixing instructions. he emphasizes repeatedly the importance of a strong value composition, and careful variations in color saturation, in building the painting. an indispensible book.

Stephen Quiller is a real master of color harmony. I warmly recommend his book. He teaches not only the color theory, but also demonstrates how it works in practice with his own work. Quiller shows how to mix colors in real life and how to find out the complementaries. His color wheel adds the commercial names of hues that one finds in shops, which is quite handy.

Quiller will teach you not to use the "real" surface color of the objects, but to search for feelings and the atmosphere of the ambient. The leaves may be, say, violet and the sky yellow, if that is how you see them.

One thing Quiller misses to point out is additive color mixing like it was used by pointillists. When colors mix in the eye the rules of harmony are somewhat different.

If you are sceptical about brave color mixtures I recommend you to first have a look at Quiller's art at his internet pages.

This book is worth what I paid for it if only for the pictures. Just looking at them was enough to change the way I see color. Luckily, there's more to the book than pictures, including a wonderful fold-out of Quiller's personal color chart, which goes beyond what we learn in high school art to something much more involving. Scheme by scheme, Quiller explains the how and why of colors with ample examples. This book is a must-have for every artist who isn't born with a natural eye for color, and a should-have for every artist who is.

Stephen Quiller's books,(I have his book on using Acrylics as well) are definitly the most helpful to me as I am attempting to take up painting again after a long hiatus. His color wheel is fabulous as are his suggestions on mixing results for different pigments, suggestions on setting up one's pallette, what colors are available in various named brands, etc. on and on. All of this information is for water based media, so if that is what you need, it is all here! One may or may not like his style of painting---it is semi-abstract with elements of realism that makes it appear more commercially appealing I suspect, but his color info is dead on! One definitely does not wind up with mud when following his suggestions.

This book is worth buying for Quiller's color wheel. It is by far the best and most practical I have ever seen. It makes paint mixing very easy. Throw out your color mixing cook books and buy this one.

Definitely worth buying. Lots of information and I will use this book over and over again. I have lots of watercolor painting books, and this rates as one of the most informative. The Quiller Colorwheel is worth the price of the book alone. His descriptions of complements, triads, analgous colors, are informative in a very clear format. He uses names of specific colors which is even more help. Lots of info to digest and refer to. This will definitely be kept in my art library. I am glad that I bought it.

Great book presenting a complex theory in understandable fashion! Quiller is an expert in the theory of color.

As a largely self-taught artist, I'm more than happy to snatch up a volume I feel will fill in some of the blanks in my education. This is such a volume, and more so. Mr. Quiller specializes in the fine art of color mixing, whose tricks can often prove elusive to the novice. His color wheel is invaluable, so if you don't already own one, hurry and order TWO because one is not enough.

Mr. Quiller helps you lay out your palette, explains how complementary colors are the key to an harmonious painting, and how neutrals made from these complementaries are the frosting on the cake: literally, the secret to a painting that sings as a whole composition, not just a painting that "almost works" -- but doesn't -- because your color mixing was "off."

While Mr. Quiller primarily works with watercolor, don't let that deter you from reading this book. The same principles apply to oils and acrylics. This book should be required reading for all serious students of art.

Stephen Quiller is a master when it comes to teaching color theory. This is a must-have watercolor reference book.