Creative Color for the Oil Painter

by Wendon Blake

Rich illustrated book offers beginning and experienced artists step-by-step advice on how to analyze colors of nature, choose and mixing the right colors, creating effective color schemes and apply color with expressiveness and creativity. Also includes a wealth of pointers on observing local and atmospheric color, studying color perspective, developing an accurate eye for color and rending colors of such common subjects as trees, skies, clouds, water, sunrises and sunsets, faces, figures and more. Enhanced with works by such masters as Winslow Homer, Mary Cassatt, John Singer Sargent, James McNeill Whistler, and Edward Hopper. A comprehensive source of information for amateurs and professionals alike. 148 illus. (128 in color).

Genres: Art

160 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1983

Reviews

[Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes! this is one of my favorites. Very easy to read, takes apart classic paintings by color group and discovers the relations in their palettes. Also discuss's many different palettes and how they affect mood/contrast in a subject.
Also deals with stroke quality and detail work in paintings. Super nice to have around, i suggest trying some of the basic palettes the author speaks about to see how successful they are. From there it will lead you into a variety of painters books, like betts and taubes.
Well worth having.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has some really good information on oil color: how to use it, how to mix it, and how to make it do what you want it to do. There's lots of instruction on the various hues available and some good palette suggestions, as well as a great many exercises in color mixing that beginners, especially, might find helpful. I particularly enjoyed the many color photographs of classic paintings and Mr. Blake's discussion of each one. My favorite quote has to do with local color vs. atmospheric color: "What you know about the color of your subject often gets in the way of what you see." There were a few sections that bogged down a bit, and I found myself skipping whole paragraphs from time to time. I also think the author's painting examples would have been more effective if they had been in color.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far the best color book out there. How to see color, how to use it.

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

many good illustrations and techniques,