Color Theory
Patti Mollica is an accomplished painter, and that practical experience shows throughout this compact but information-rich guide to colour theory. Aimed primarily at oil and acrylic painters, the book makes a convincing case that a genuine understanding of colour sits at the heart of any strong painting, whatever your preferred medium happens to be. Small in format but surprisingly thorough, the book opens with a grounded look at colour's role throughout art history before working through the fundamentals: the colour wheel, hue, saturation, value, temperature, relativity, and common colour schemes. It's a logical progression, and Mollica explains each concept with clarity rather than academic detachment. From there, she covers pigment characteristics and paint behaviour in useful detail, giving readers the kind of knowledge that actually transfers to the studio. The more interesting material arrives when she connects colour theory to composition and personal expression. There are step-by-step projects woven throughout, alongside practical tips on achieving vibrant mixes, convincing flesh tones, lively blacks, and naturalistic greens. These aren't abstract exercises. They're the sort of specific, focused guidance that painters genuinely struggle to find elsewhere. Illustrations support the discussions on colour as a communication tool, and a curated selection of contemporary artwork gives the whole thing a fresh, modern feel rather than the dusty, textbook quality that can plague this subject. Compact enough to keep close at hand, detailed enough to reward repeated reading, it's a reliable companion for painters looking to make more considered, purposeful colour decisions in their work.
- Author: Patti Mollica
- Publisher: Walter Foster Publishing
- Genre: Design & Fashion
- ISBN: 978-1600583025
- Pages: 64 pages