Exploring Color Coloring Book [Spiral-bound]

Nita Leland (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2000

Exploring Color Coloring Book is a hands-on workbook based on Nita Leland's best-selling book, Exploring Color. Printed on 140# acid-free watercolor paper, the book contains more than forty blank color theory charts, with extra pages for sketching. Users fill in the charts with their choice of medium in the recommended colors or the colors they already have, following instructions on each page. The result is a useful color- reference book in a handy, take-along size (8 1/2" x 11") for students and outdoor painters. The workbook can be used by beginners, as well as teachers and professional artists, by adapting the instructions to almost any medium: acrylics, oils, watercolors, pastels, colored pencils, fibers and collage materials. (Exploring Color, the original text, is helpful, but not required to do the charts.)

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

Exploring Color Coloring Book bridges the gap between reading about color theory and hands-on experience with the colors artists use on a daily basis in their artwork. Printed color charts found in art materials stores lack the intensity of actual paints, and for artists who work in media such as fibers and collage there is no easy way to record colors and their different combinations for future reference. With Exploring Color Coloring Book you use the actual paints or materials of your art or craft to create the charts, giving you an accurate record of how your colors look and work together. When you understand how color theory acts in your own medium, you can use color more creatively and expressively.

The charts in the coloring book are nearly all the same ones I've taught students to make in my color workshops since 1980, but instead of requiring measuring and taping to create the charts, they are now printed out in an easy-to-use format on 140# acid-free watercolor paper. Even non-artists have told me they find the instructions easy to understand and the exercises "make sense" of the mysteries of color theory. The coloring book follows the sequence of exercises in Exploring Color Revised Edition, but you don't need the book to use the coloring book unless you want more detailed information about the subjects under consideration. Both books are excellent teaching tools, as well as learning aids, and have been used successfully by teachers at all age and grade levels and by artists in nearly every medium at all skill levels.

From the Back Cover

Learn All About Color With Nita Leland's Exploring Color Coloring Book!
Use this helpful workbook to make a color journal and your own handy color reference book.
32 pages of charts
16 extra pages for sketching
Instructions on every page
140# acid-free artist-s watercolor paper
Any painting medium, collage or fibers
All skill levels from beginner to advanced
Learn about paint, color mixing, color schemes and more...

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Spiral-bound: 50 pages
• Publisher: Moonflower Books; Workbook edition (March 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967780438
• ISBN-13: 978-0967780436
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 9.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,414,907 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Nita Leland, a resident of Dayton, Ohio, began her journey into art in 1970 when her husband presented her with a gift of watercolor paints, brushes, and papers for her birthday. She taught watercolor painting for several years and developed a passion for color, which led to teaching a color workshop, and then, the publication by North Light Books of her first book, "Exploring Color," in 1985. "The Creative Artist" followed in 1990 and "Creative Collage Techniques" in 1994. "Exploring Color Revised" was published in 1998; "The New Creative Artist" (2006) and "Confident Color" (2008) continued her exploration into creativity and color. In 2000 she self published "Exploring Color Coloring Book," a workbook that accompanied the revised version of her color book. She continues to teach watercolor classes in Dayton and instructs workshops throughout the United States and Canada in color, creativity, and collage. Her Web site, titled "Exploring Color & Creativity," has provided information and links for artists since 1998; her blog of the same name was first posted in 2005. Her DVDs "Creating Confident Color" and "Paper Collage Techniques" were released in 2009.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Coloring Book Really Teaches, July 4, 2000

By 

Amelia Jordan (Poinciana, florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Exploring Color Coloring Book (Spiral-bound)

I recommend Nita Leland's Coloring Book for leaning colors and keeping a record. Before I've done color exercises here and there but never could keep up with the different pieces of paper; the book provides a record that's always available. Just finished the Split Primary page and found it very helpful. I think these exercises will help my painting. This book can be a compainion workbook to Leland's "Exploring Color" but it also stands on it's own.

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Paint yourself a reference manual, February 9, 2001

By 

Joanna Daneman (Middletown, DE USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Exploring Color Coloring Book (Spiral-bound)

I have several books on color theory in watercolor and allrecommend that you do exercises to practice choosing apallette.

This book is cleverly printed on 140 lb watercolor paper,a very useful weight as it won't buckle very much when wetted... Someof Handprint's pallettes are those of other well known watercolorists,so this is a good place to visit if you buy this book.

The bookhas exercises on each page; so put in extra sheets of 140 poundwatercolor paper along side for any other pallettes you try out or foryour own developments. If you do pastel, acrylic or colored pencil,this book works just as well.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Colour-Mixing Practice Book, January 9, 2010

By 

J. Dale (Ottawa, ON CANADA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Exploring Color Coloring Book (Spiral-bound)

This truly is a hands-on colouring book, which makes it fun. What a great idea for a publication ! Very innovative. Following the colour theory practical exercises helps to reinforce what is read about colour mixing and theory. It begins with a colour wheel exercise and carries on from there. This book is a partner to Nita Leland's, " Exploring Color", Revised Edition, which also has colour exercises to complete in it. The colouring book is just extra practice for the absolute beginner, in order to reinforce what she is teaching about. And, that would be me.

This watercolour paper practice book is not required for the other, but as I mentioned, helps to reinforce and is fun. The 140 lb. paper that the whole book is comprised of produces authentic colours. And, there are also several blank 140 lb. paper sheets included, for extra practice. I would certainly recommend this book for absolute beginners, by itself or accompanied by her "Exploring Color" book. They are both stand-alone, however. Very useful for learning colour mixing theory at the beginning stages of using watercolours. Also, provides an excellent resource to refer back to, especially since you have done it yourself.