Below I’ll give you my selections for the best Color Theory books by a few categories. I will cover these and other great books more in depth later.
- Color Theory: An essential guide to color-from basic principles to practical applications (Artist’s Library) (2013)
- Interaction of Color: 50th Anniversary Edition (2013)
- Color, 2nd edition: A Workshop for Artists and Designers (2012)
- Design Elements, Color Fundamentals: A Graphic Style Manual for Understanding How Color Affects Design (2012)
- Color Choices: Making Color Sense Out of Color Theory (2002)
- Color by Betty Edwards: A Course in Mastering the Art of Mixing Colors (2004)
- A Field Guide to Color: A Watercolor Workbook (2019)
- A Dictionary Of Color Combinations (2011)
- Color Studies (2013)
- Making Color Sing, 25th Anniversary Edition: Practical Lessons in Color and Design (2011)
Color Theory: An essential guide to color-from basic principles to practical applications (Artist’s Library) (2013)
Regardless of your medium, a solid understanding of color and its applications is essential. With a fresh, contemporary take on the subject of color, this essential guide features and to put color knowledge to effective use. You'll find within: Color Theory begins with an overview of and the , followed by a presentation of : the color wheel; hue, saturation, and value; color and value; color temperature; color relativity; and color schemes.
Interaction of Color: 50th Anniversary Edition (2013)
Josef Albers’s Interaction of Color is a masterwork in art education. Conceived as a handbook and teaching aid for artists, instructors, and students, this influential book presents Albers’s singular explanation of complex color theory principles.
Color, 2nd edition: A Workshop for Artists and Designers (2012)
Taking a practical approach to color, Color: A workshop for artists and designers is an invaluable resource for art students and professionals alike.
Design Elements, Color Fundamentals: A Graphic Style Manual for Understanding How Color Affects Design (2012)
Color is an integral part of any design solution. Design Elements, Color Fundamentals is an essential resource for designers who want to create memorable design and successfully communicate with their audience.
Color Choices: Making Color Sense Out of Color Theory (2002)
Internationally renowned artist and best selling author Stephen Quiller shows readers how to discover their own personal "color sense" in Color Choices, a book that offers readers a fresh perspective on perfecting their own color styles.With the help of his own "Quiller Wheel," a special foldout wheel featuring 68 precis…
Color by Betty Edwards: A Course in Mastering the Art of Mixing Colors (2004)
Millions of people have learned to draw using the methods of Dr. Betty Edwards’s bestseller . Now, much as artists progress from drawing to painting, Edwards moves from black-and-white into color.
A Field Guide to Color: A Watercolor Workbook (2019)
Color is one of the most profound ways we have to express ourselves. In this lively workbook for artists, graphic designers, hobbyists, and creators of all types, you will journal your way through fresh and enriching ways to develop a more personal connection to color in your art and life. Using watercolors, gouache, or any other water-based medium, dive into color theory and explore your personal style while playing with a balanced blend of experiments and color meditations.
A Dictionary Of Color Combinations (2011)
Sanzo Wada (1883-1967) was an artist, teacher, costume and kimono designer during a turbulent time in avant-garde Japanese art and cinema. Wada was ahead of his time in developing traditional and Western influenced colour combinations, helping to lay the foundations for contemporary colour research. Based on his original 6-volume work from the 1930s, this book offers 348 color combinations, as attractive and sensuous as the books own design.
Color Studies (2013)
The 3rd edition of Color Studies introduces students from all concentrations of visual arts to color theory, the physiology and psychology of color perception, and the physics of color. This text discusses in detail the four dimensions of color – hue, value, intensity and temperature – with tips for putting knowledge into practice in a variety of disciplines, from painting and other fine arts to interior design, architecture, fashion design, textile design, and graphic design.
Making Color Sing, 25th Anniversary Edition: Practical Lessons in Color and Design (2011)
In the 25th anniversary edition of Making Color Sing, Jeanne Dobie teaches you new ways to think about color and make it work for you, through 31 clear, easy-to-follow exercises. No color exists in isolation; colors are always interacting with one another.
Best Color Theory Books That You Need
We highly recommend you to buy all paper or e-books in a legal way, for example, on Amazon. But sometimes it might be a need to dig deeper beyond the shiny book cover. Before making a purchase, you can visit resources like Library Genesis and download some color theory books mentioned below at your own risk. Once again, we do not host any illegal or copyrighted files, but simply give our visitors a choice and hope they will make a wise decision.
Seeing Color in Classical Art: Theory, Practice, and Reception, from Antiquity to the Present
Author(s): Jennifer M. S. Stager
ID: 3534973, Publisher: Cambridge University Press, Year: 2023, Size: 42 Mb, Format: pdf
Contemporary Color Theory: Watercolor Flowers: A Modern Exploration of the Color Wheel and Watercolor to Create Beautiful Floral Artwork
Author(s): Manushree Mishra
ID: 3318102, Publisher: Walter Foster Publishing, Year: 2022, Size: 20 Mb, Format: epub
Color theory for the make-up artist : understanding color and light for beauty and special effects
Author(s): (Writer on theatrical makeup) Katie Middleton
ID: 3345742, Publisher: , Year: 2022, Size: 316 Mb, Format: pdf
Please note that this booklist is not definite. Some books are truly hot items according to Los Angeles Times, others are drafted by unknown authors. On top of that, you can always find additional tutorials and courses on Coursera, Udemy or edX, for example. Are there any other relevant books you could recommend? Leave a comment if you have any feedback on the list.