A Field Guide to Color: Watercolor Explorations in Hues, Tints, Shades, and Everything in Between

This is one of the most enjoyable painting activity books I’ve ever used. It’s beautifully thought out and genuinely fun from start to finish. The activities can be done either directly in the book or in your own sketchbook — I chose to work both on watercolour paper pieces and in the book itself, and the paper quality was absolutely good enough to do so. It handled paint well and never got in the way of the process. This isn’t a step-by-step guide on how to paint flowers or specific subjects. Instead, it offers a meditative and playful way to explore creativity and colour. You experiment, mix, and respond intuitively, and somehow the end results always feel satisfying and beautiful. You will learn how to mix basic colours to match any colour! I completed this book about a year ago (it took me roughly a month), and I still remember it fondly. I would happily do it again — which says a lot for an activity book. Overall: an excellent book for anyone who wants to experiment with colour, understand how colours work together, and enjoy the creative process without pressure. I would absolutely recommend it.

A Field Guide to Color: Watercolor Explorations is an exceptional book for anyone looking to deepen their understanding and appreciation of colour in watercolour painting. The book offers clear, easy-to-follow techniques and exercises that guide you through the process of mixing and applying colours in a way that truly enhances your art. The author does a wonderful job of explaining colour theory, providing step-by-step instructions, and encouraging creativity through various explorations. Whether you’re a beginner or more experienced in watercolour, this book provides insightful guidance that can help elevate your work. The practical exercises allow you to experiment with colour in a structured way, which is both educational and inspiring. What I particularly enjoyed was the book’s focus on personal exploration of colour. The exercises and prompts encourage you to push your boundaries and discover new ways of using colour in your paintings, all while developing a deeper understanding of how colour interacts. For anyone interested in improving their watercolour skills and truly mastering the use of colour, A Field Guide to Color is a fantastic and engaging read. Highly recommended for artists of all skill levels!

if you want a book to teach you about colors as you explore them through fun exercises, this is for you. you can paint directly on the book and exercises are prepared for you to paint straight away.

This is a fantastic book for artists beginner and experienced alike. It makes understanding color theory both practical and playful. I really enjoyed the practical demonstrations and will be referring to this book for a long while. I received an ARC from Netgalley for an honest review.

I am loving working with this book and my watercolour paints, the excercises and meditations are fun to do and I am getting to understand how my colours work together at the same time. The book is very well put together, the paper is good quality so that painting directly into the book makes it your own journey of discovery.

É um livro voltado para aquarela, porém as lições dele podem tranquilamente ser transpostas e aplicadas para outros meios a base de água, como tinta guache. Como sou iniciante, adoro livros que, além da teoria, incluem exemplos e exercícios. Cada capítulo deste livro traz propostas para praticar a teoria. As atividades práticas - para quem desejar -, podem ser realizadas no próprio livro, que tem páginas em gramatura adequada para suportar aquarela. Além disso, achei que as atividades propostas podem perfeitamente ser praticadas também com tinta a óleo e tinta acrílica, claro, considerando o tipo de tinta e o suporte adequado para elas, pois não é possível empregar essas tintas no papel do livro. Livro excelente.

All kinds of color mixing recipes

This is a Watercolour Workbook. Very in-depth. Showing colourcwheelsvof different shades. Also showing different colour schemes. Saturation etc. Very informative.

The colours theory in it is slightly inaccurate. Red is not a primary colour

I'm an adult beginner with watercolors because, um, the pandemic, of course. I've always just considered myself unartistic and was pretty sure I'd never understand color theory. I was getting so discouraged trying to mix paints like the youtubers I was following. This book, however, is amazing. The author seems highly experienced in teaching at all levels. She alternates "meditations" which are lovely no pressure painting projects with color theory exercises. I was completely shocked when my first color wheel turned out beautifully. She is very reassuring and promises that even if you mess up a lesson it will teach you a valuable experience. I can't recommend this enough. The best of any tutorial/book I've tried! I am so much more confident with making my own colors. Btw, this book can be done with watercolors or gouache.