How to Mix Colors (Pocket Art Guides) - Hardcover

"Artists of beginning and intermediate experience levels can use this guide to develop and sharpen their color skills."
--Library Journal

"A pocket guide that's easy on the eyes and the budget, How to Mix Colors begins right off the bat with an indispensable lesson for students: "Mixing is the key to painting." The first third of the book is given over to the physics of paint (oils, watercolors, and acrylics). The second part is all about how colors interact with each other, as well as color problems and the possibilities of intensity and value. There are more than seven pages of color swatches, including high key colors, neutral mixes, brights, and others. The authors are meticulous and thorough. The final third is called "Interpreting Color on the Model." It presents techniques and ideas to try while imparting one's own perception to the work. Historical instruction is to be found in the pages on how to paint after the style of four artists. Many of us have asked students to create still life paintings in the manner of Gauguin or to dab colors as a Pointillist would. But how often does an assignment revolve around a beachscape similar to that of Peder Severin Kr yer or a landscape such as Thomas Moran's? School librarians should consider adding this reasonably priced little book to their collections."
--Arts & Activities

Art students and amateur painters alike will find advice and instruction in Barron's popular Pocket Art Guides series. Each title focuses on a specific aspect of painting or drawing, and includes tips that even experienced professionals will find helpful. These information-packed books are handy artists' companions for the reference shelf, but are also small enough to carry along with art supplies on field trips. How to Mix Colors explores the fundamentals of choosing and mixing colors as it applies to watercolors, acrylics, and oils. Includes captioned color illustrations and notes on how famous artists solved specific problems.