The history of art is inseparable from the history of color. And what a fascinating story they tell together: one that brims with an all-star cast of characters, eye-opening details, and unexpected detours through the annals of human civilization and scientific discovery. Enter critically acclaimed writer and popular journalist Victoria Finlay, who here takes readers across the globe and over the centuries on an unforgettable tour through the brilliant history of color in art. Written for newcomers to the subject and aspiring young artists alike, Finlay’s quest to uncover the origins and science of color will beguile readers of all ages with its warm and conversational style. Her rich narrative is illustrated in full color throughout with 166 major works of art—most from the collections of the J. Paul Getty Museum. Readers of this book will revel in a treasure trove of fun-filled facts and anecdotes. Were it not for Cleopatra, for instance, purple might not have become the royal color of the Western world. Without Napoleon, the black graphite pencil might never have found its way into the hands of Cézanne. Without mango-eating cows, the sunsets of Turner might have lost their shimmering glow. And were it not for the pigment cobalt blue, the halls of museums worldwide might still be filled with forged Vermeers. Red ocher, green earth, Indian yellow, lead white—no pigment from the artist’s broad and diverse palette escapes Finlay’s shrewd eye in this breathtaking exploration.

Examines the variations and diverse meanings of the primary colors as seen in two hundred masterworks of painting from ancient times up to the present.

Unlike many other art books only give recipes for mixing colors or describe step-by-step painting techniques, *Color and Light* answers the questions that realist painters continually ask, such as: "What happens with sky colors at sunset?", "How do colors change with distance?", and "What makes a form look three-dimensional?" Author James Gurney draws on his experience as a plain-air painter and science illustrator to share a wealth of information about the realist painter's most fundamental tools: color and light. He bridges the gap between abstract theory and practical knowledge for traditional and digital artists of all levels of experience.

How to use and control color in your painting

Learn to see and mix any color with extraordinary precision! Many painters don't paint what they see, but what they expect to see, what they think they see, what they remember, or what they imagine things are supposed to look like. Since "the mind stands in the way of the eye," the purpose of this revolutionary book is to train you to paint what your eye actually sees. Arthur Stern claims that color is key to painting what you see. After working with three generations of students, he developed a program of 22 painting projects that teach the artist to observe, identify, mix, match, and paint the colors of the world with remarkable accuracy. Using a painting knife and oil paint, you learn to analyze every painting subject as a series of distinct color areas—called color spots—and place each spot on the canvas as a unique and vivid mixture. The fundamental lesson of the book is that if you put the right color spot in the right place, you create a realistic image of form, space, surface texture, atmosphere, light, and shade. As you follow the painting projects in this book, you'll make the dramatic discovery that everything in nature is filled with luminous color. You'll learn to see glowing color in the "blackest" shadow and the "whitest" linen. You'll learn when a green can appear red; how to use paint to replicate metal, glass, wood, paper, porcelain, and other opaque, transparent, or textured surfaces. Before long, you'll be seeing a multitude of colors in a slice of bread, apples and oranges, and a mass of green leaves. You'll learn how to paint quickly enough to capture a "live" still life—a flower that moves and slowly dies as you paint it. You'll even practice with a setup outdoors to see how sunlight and skylight affect color. How to See Color and Paint It is a must for beginners and a valuable asset for intermediate artists who want to develop a more subtle perception of color. A final section contains beautiful paintings of many subjects that have grown out of projects and ideas taught in this book. 130 color plates; 40 black & white illustrations

The Color Teil chronicles Teil Duncan's artistic journey, displaying over three hundred full-color images of her work. Her studies range from figure drawings and animals to beach and pool scenes. Inspiration comes in all sizes and shapes for Teil.She attributes her artistic talent and motivation largely to her Christian faith, which, while she lost touch with it during her young adult years, she now thrives within. Her walk with Jesus is Teil's top priority.Throughout this book, readers will become better acquainted with both the artist, as a person, and the art she creates. It is a vibrant, colorful journey that can only be described as: The Color Teil.

"John Gage's Color and Meaning is full of ideas. . .He is one of the best writers on art now alive."--A. S. Byatt, Booker Prize winner