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Color Mixing Recipes for Oil & Acrylic: Mixing recipes for more than 450 color combinations
'The popular Color Mixing Recipe Cards by William F. Powell has served as a handy reference of essential color combinations for almost 10 years. And now this collection of recipes is available in an updated, convenient format developed with your needs in mind! Conveniently packaged in a concealed wire-o-bound book that lies flat when opened, the recipe cards will always stay in order with no risk of getting lost. The book also includes a Color Mixing Grid—the perfect guide for accurately measuring paints. With mixing recipes for more than 450 color combinations, along with instruction in a variety of painting techniques, Color Mixing Recipes is a valuable and practical resource for both oil and acrylic artists
- GenresArtNonfictionReference
48 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2000
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158 people want to read
About the author
William F. Powell
60 books10 followersWilliam F. Powell is an internationally recognized artist recognized as one of America's foremost colorists. He has written and illustrated more than 30 instructional art books.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 22, 2021
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book starts with a brief overview of color theory. Then, it progresses to a series of color swatches with instructions on how to mix them, according to the scale the author has developed. At the end of the book, there's a brief overview of mixing colors for portraiture, and then an index of all colors in the book.
As a painter, I find this moderately useful -- the colors included are good ones, and it is helpful to know what pigments are needed to mix each one without having to go through the process of creating fifteen muddy colors in order to get the one you want. I will likely use it for my paintings while I have access to the ARC.
However, I'm removing a couple of stars for two reasons:
1. The colors are named in the index but not on the swatches themselves. The book itself is short enough that having an index isn't necessarily helpful. If I'm thinking "Wow, I'd really like to have a blue-green shade", I'm going to turn to the page that has blue-green shades, not look in the index for "ocean green". I suppose it is neat to have a way to look up "I'd like to paint this! What color is it?" but then we run into the issue that everything will look different in every light...
2. The portrait section of the book includes some instructions for mixing colors for darker skin tones. However, the illustrations showing cool & warm colors as applied to facial features only include pale skin tones. I would like to see these same examples for darker skin tones.
Overall, I appreciate the craft and thought that went into making this book. The color mixing instructions are helpful, and would especially help a beginning painter discover colors without going through a wasteful process of paint mixing first. However, I would have liked it better had each color been given more space, with its associated name or objects that one might use that color to paint, and perhaps examples where the color has been used in the painting.
Verdict: A useful introduction, but could use more depth.
This book starts with a brief overview of color theory. Then, it progresses to a series of color swatches with instructions on how to mix them, according to the scale the author has developed. At the end of the book, there's a brief overview of mixing colors for portraiture, and then an index of all colors in the book.
As a painter, I find this moderately useful -- the colors included are good ones, and it is helpful to know what pigments are needed to mix each one without having to go through the process of creating fifteen muddy colors in order to get the one you want. I will likely use it for my paintings while I have access to the ARC.
However, I'm removing a couple of stars for two reasons:
1. The colors are named in the index but not on the swatches themselves. The book itself is short enough that having an index isn't necessarily helpful. If I'm thinking "Wow, I'd really like to have a blue-green shade", I'm going to turn to the page that has blue-green shades, not look in the index for "ocean green". I suppose it is neat to have a way to look up "I'd like to paint this! What color is it?" but then we run into the issue that everything will look different in every light...
2. The portrait section of the book includes some instructions for mixing colors for darker skin tones. However, the illustrations showing cool & warm colors as applied to facial features only include pale skin tones. I would like to see these same examples for darker skin tones.
Overall, I appreciate the craft and thought that went into making this book. The color mixing instructions are helpful, and would especially help a beginning painter discover colors without going through a wasteful process of paint mixing first. However, I would have liked it better had each color been given more space, with its associated name or objects that one might use that color to paint, and perhaps examples where the color has been used in the painting.
Verdict: A useful introduction, but could use more depth.
July 3, 2015
I bought this at quite a marked-up price, but the information given has proven far too useful for me to say it was not worth it.
August 24, 2021
Need help with mixing colors?
William F. Powell was an internationally recognized artist and colorist. His book "Color Mixing Recipes for Oil & Acrylic. Mixing recipes for more than 450 color combinations" published by Quarto Publishing Group – Walter Foster was published for the first time in 2004. Powell presents four simple steps to mix more than 450 color combinations. He touches Color Theory, Color Recipes, Value Recipes, Intensity Recipes, and Portrait Colors. Furthermore, the book contains a detailed color index and an oil/acrylic conversion chart. The recipes in the different sections include very many samples.
The book is presented with a great design and helpful illustrations. It includes the paint colors which are needed in order that artists can repeat the exercises of mixing the various colors. There is a reusable color mixing grid for oil and acrylic included at the end of the book (it would be helpful if this grid could also be downloaded so that artists could print it on paper for easier reference of their own mixing). I recommend the book for beginning, intermediate, and advanced artists, may they be artist who use oil or acrylics or both, and I recommend it also for mixed media artists, mainly for all those artists who want to learn and improve their oil or acrylic mixing skills as well as those who want to learn or improve their skills in mixing skin tones in those mediums.
It is important to note that it seems that this book is a part of William F. Powell's book "1,500 Color Mixing Recipes for Oil, Acrylic & Watercolor."
The complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley free of charge. I was under no obligation to offer a positive review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#ColorMixingRecipesForOilAcrylic #NetGalley
William F. Powell was an internationally recognized artist and colorist. His book "Color Mixing Recipes for Oil & Acrylic. Mixing recipes for more than 450 color combinations" published by Quarto Publishing Group – Walter Foster was published for the first time in 2004. Powell presents four simple steps to mix more than 450 color combinations. He touches Color Theory, Color Recipes, Value Recipes, Intensity Recipes, and Portrait Colors. Furthermore, the book contains a detailed color index and an oil/acrylic conversion chart. The recipes in the different sections include very many samples.
The book is presented with a great design and helpful illustrations. It includes the paint colors which are needed in order that artists can repeat the exercises of mixing the various colors. There is a reusable color mixing grid for oil and acrylic included at the end of the book (it would be helpful if this grid could also be downloaded so that artists could print it on paper for easier reference of their own mixing). I recommend the book for beginning, intermediate, and advanced artists, may they be artist who use oil or acrylics or both, and I recommend it also for mixed media artists, mainly for all those artists who want to learn and improve their oil or acrylic mixing skills as well as those who want to learn or improve their skills in mixing skin tones in those mediums.
It is important to note that it seems that this book is a part of William F. Powell's book "1,500 Color Mixing Recipes for Oil, Acrylic & Watercolor."
The complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley free of charge. I was under no obligation to offer a positive review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#ColorMixingRecipesForOilAcrylic #NetGalley
June 19, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
This is the latest edition of William F. Powell’s color mixing recipe book for oil and acrylic. It is a guidebook on mixing formulas to achieve specific colors with more than 450 to pick from.
This is a good starting point to color mixing for any painter, specifically a beginner. Included is a measuring card to use when portioning out the paints for each formula. The index names makes it easier to find the color you want to mix, specifically names of objects, foods, weather etc with a reference number that takes you to a specific page.
As an artist myself, I mix a lot of colors and books like these can help out in a pinch when you need a very specific color and you’re stumped on how to get it. I have the 2004 edition of this book and that’s how I’ve used it.
The author uses a few paints with names that I couldn’t find in any contemporary paint company. There is a section, however, that lists substitutions if certain colors cannot be found. Therefore, one should not assume they would be getting the EXACT color shown in the book, as each paint company has different pigment intensity’s. One company’s ultramarine blue may be warmer or cooler. Just those slight shifts from company to company can throw things off and not represent the color in the book.
Also, it’s good if you know you want to find a specific color by name, like the color of broccoli. Or maybe you need a specific yellow with tinges of orange so you find that swatch and make the color with the suggested formula. That seems to be the only way to use that book
This is the latest edition of William F. Powell’s color mixing recipe book for oil and acrylic. It is a guidebook on mixing formulas to achieve specific colors with more than 450 to pick from.
This is a good starting point to color mixing for any painter, specifically a beginner. Included is a measuring card to use when portioning out the paints for each formula. The index names makes it easier to find the color you want to mix, specifically names of objects, foods, weather etc with a reference number that takes you to a specific page.
As an artist myself, I mix a lot of colors and books like these can help out in a pinch when you need a very specific color and you’re stumped on how to get it. I have the 2004 edition of this book and that’s how I’ve used it.
The author uses a few paints with names that I couldn’t find in any contemporary paint company. There is a section, however, that lists substitutions if certain colors cannot be found. Therefore, one should not assume they would be getting the EXACT color shown in the book, as each paint company has different pigment intensity’s. One company’s ultramarine blue may be warmer or cooler. Just those slight shifts from company to company can throw things off and not represent the color in the book.
Also, it’s good if you know you want to find a specific color by name, like the color of broccoli. Or maybe you need a specific yellow with tinges of orange so you find that swatch and make the color with the suggested formula. That seems to be the only way to use that book
June 20, 2021
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Color Mixing Recipes for Oil & Acrylic is a tutorial guide with recipes for palette mixing by William F. Powell. Originally released in 1994 this reformat and re-release is due out 22nd June 2021 from Quarto on their Walter Foster imprint. It's 48 pages and will be available in paperback format.
This is a no-nonsense bare bones mixing guide for oil & acrylic paint. The mixing diagrams are specific and useful. The charts are arranged according to color and contain specific values and ranges for 450 colors from about 31 base colors (Burnt sienna, Burnt umber, Cadmium orange, Cadmium red light, Cadmium yellow, etc). The base color counts are different for oil and acrylic in this book and approximations are given as mixtures.
The author has also included a short tutorial on paint mixing specifically for portraiture with a good overview over values and tones for skin colors across a wide range of skins.The book also includes a short tutorial about color theory.
This is a very short booklet but a useful one. It would make a good reference for maker's spaces, studios, library acquisition, or the home studio.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Color Mixing Recipes for Oil & Acrylic is a tutorial guide with recipes for palette mixing by William F. Powell. Originally released in 1994 this reformat and re-release is due out 22nd June 2021 from Quarto on their Walter Foster imprint. It's 48 pages and will be available in paperback format.
This is a no-nonsense bare bones mixing guide for oil & acrylic paint. The mixing diagrams are specific and useful. The charts are arranged according to color and contain specific values and ranges for 450 colors from about 31 base colors (Burnt sienna, Burnt umber, Cadmium orange, Cadmium red light, Cadmium yellow, etc). The base color counts are different for oil and acrylic in this book and approximations are given as mixtures.
The author has also included a short tutorial on paint mixing specifically for portraiture with a good overview over values and tones for skin colors across a wide range of skins.The book also includes a short tutorial about color theory.
This is a very short booklet but a useful one. It would make a good reference for maker's spaces, studios, library acquisition, or the home studio.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
July 29, 2021
I found the first part of the book quite instructive, and will defo revisit when required.
But, will you need 450 recipes? While true there are more than that many different recipes por different color mixes on this book… will you have the money to try them? That’s all I kept thinking while looking color after color, and to be even more precise when colors were basically the same, just being slighty lighter or darker.
I found annoying how I could not really picture the color due to the paper gloss finish. Some colors wouldnt have a clue of what color it was, specially if very dark.
But definitely the color mixing grid will come handy, just not sure how long it would last, as I guess the black marks will dissapear after washing.
Not bad in terms of what’s promised. But I guess you would do without it just fine and get another similar book with more content, as the introduction to color, tints, tone and shade, warms and cools are pretty much included on any “how to paint” book and you will likely prefer to go into the adventure with your own mixes, trials and fails.
But, will you need 450 recipes? While true there are more than that many different recipes por different color mixes on this book… will you have the money to try them? That’s all I kept thinking while looking color after color, and to be even more precise when colors were basically the same, just being slighty lighter or darker.
I found annoying how I could not really picture the color due to the paper gloss finish. Some colors wouldnt have a clue of what color it was, specially if very dark.
But definitely the color mixing grid will come handy, just not sure how long it would last, as I guess the black marks will dissapear after washing.
Not bad in terms of what’s promised. But I guess you would do without it just fine and get another similar book with more content, as the introduction to color, tints, tone and shade, warms and cools are pretty much included on any “how to paint” book and you will likely prefer to go into the adventure with your own mixes, trials and fails.
February 15, 2021
Every artist should have at least one color mixing book. I have three of William Powell’s color mixing books. His are all very useful and I like his color mixing chart to measure out your paints. I have a print copy and electronic copy of 1500 color recipes. Some of the color swatches are different when you compare the book to the electronic version.
I would recommend 1500 color mixing recipes over the one for portraits and the one that is just oil and acrylic. The reason is there is so much more information in 1500. Not just the watercolor recipes, 1500 includes landscape recipes. I was surprised to find that it included all of the information from the portrait color mixing book.
I recommend William Powell’s 1500 color mixing recipes for oil, acrylic, and watercolor over his color mixing for oil and acrylic.
I received this galley from NetGalley.
I would recommend 1500 color mixing recipes over the one for portraits and the one that is just oil and acrylic. The reason is there is so much more information in 1500. Not just the watercolor recipes, 1500 includes landscape recipes. I was surprised to find that it included all of the information from the portrait color mixing book.
I recommend William Powell’s 1500 color mixing recipes for oil, acrylic, and watercolor over his color mixing for oil and acrylic.
I received this galley from NetGalley.
March 26, 2022
I have the whole series, and like the colour charts and find them useful, BUT some of the basic colours stated seem to be outdated now and have been replaced by modern alternatives. The books would benefit from an update, or at least adding the names of the alternatives. Otherwise a great resource for all artists.
Thanks to the publisher for a review copy.
Thanks to the publisher for a review copy.
August 1, 2021
Exceptional guide for mixing colors for both oil and acrylics. This book isn't very long but packed with information. I recommend this for anyone interested in mixing colors and painting. The artwork is beautiful as always.
February 21, 2020
Indispensable for novice or seasoned artist. A must have.
April 20, 2021
A decent starting point in a few mixing combinations of colour for the oil and acrylic artist. basic color theory like the other books and mixing grid.
July 5, 2024
Contains a short but helpful section on skin tones.
March 16, 2012
I am not sure how useful the mixing guide will turn out to be, but I will say that this book did give me an introduction to color-theory that I can actually believe. I am definitely going to be using this as I venture beyond the gray shades.
April 19, 2016
Great resource for all artists; includes a mixing grid which is helpful. The artist (reader) needs to know the equivalent colors to those listed in the mixtures, however, in order for these recipes to work.
Read
March 23, 2014,jhk,
January 11, 2016
its good book .
March 21, 2021
nice reference
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews