Colour: National Gallery Pocket Guide

A Closer Look

by David Bomford, Ashok Roy

It is not always obvious from looking at pictures what kinds of materials may be used by an artist to make colour. Through a selection of superb pictures from the National Gallery, London, this Pocket Guide explains how colored pigments are combined with a medium to form a paint layer, and how this affects our perception of colour.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Art History

80 pages, Paperback

First published February 9, 2000

Reviews

[Victoria Kitirattragarn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was okay. Fun and quick read but may be hard to understand if someone has never painted. But even as a painter, I wasn't very engaged.

[kimberly_rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intense! Slammed full of colour photos and precise, unpretentious teachings about colour and painting, this book is like sitting in on an lecture given by an enthusiastic, approachable art teacher. The only thing I'd add would be more chapters: briefly examining other painters up close and more topics on the colour theme. But it's a super start, which is what it is designed to be.

[Julie Bozza · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating and beautiful little book about the practical and creative use of colour in art over the centuries, illustrated with excellent examples from the treasures at the National Gallery in London.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Handy little introduction to color. It offers a nice overview, touching on science, color mixing, and analyzes a few pieces. Has a nice historical overview, and is short and sweet, yet also points to several other primary and secondary sources. Good if you are starting research into color.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting introduction to the many different colour pigments and theories used since the Renaissance