Color Harmony for Artists

This is a lovely book bursting with ideas on different colour palettes for different subjects. It is more inspiration and idea based than instructional. But it is a real feast for the eyes and will get the creative juices flowing. It is an excellent book for inspiring beginners to see how a colour palette for a picture can be developed and used. It is a lovely book to browse through as the pictures used as examples were beautiful. It is one of those books to keep on your shelf and dip into.

This is a very simple and straightforward book about color composition. It will be great for anyone looking to demystify the process of taking colors from an existing image and using it to create a new composition. It will also serve as inspiration for color swatches to jumpstart new ideas. For more complex concepts, another source will be needed, but this book with serve it's purpose well within its limited scope.

Given that I've been following this artist for many years now, this book doesn't disappoint. The book covers loads of different colour palettes, but also gives a glimpse into ana's thought process. This will enable you to go off on your own finding colour inspiration of your own.
Wonderfully illustrated with not a word out of place. A wonderful read, and a great learning resource for both beginners and experienced painters alike,

This is an awesome book for helping the creative learn how to best utilize color as a medium in their creations. I found it to be very interesting and beneficial no matter what form of art you create. Definitely an awesome resource!

Color Harmony for Artists is a color and palette sourcebook by Ana Victoria Calderón. Due out 19th Nov 2019 from Quarto on their Quarry imprint, it's 144 pages and will be available in paperback format.

The introduction and basic color theory (color wheel, harmony, tone, temperature, some paints and supplies) take up about 18% of the page content. The writing is accessible and clear.There's a digestible amount of information for new watercolor artists, but probably little new info for intermediate and advanced artists.

The bulk of the page content is given over to specific palettes shown with an inspiration picture (See the book's cover). The book closes with an outline template with recommendations for utilization, resources and links for further exploration, an artist's statement, and a cross referenced index.

This is a graphically appealing book and there's a fair amount of usable info for the beginning to intermediate artist. It would also work for artists and crafters in other disciplines who need some help with picking out fibres and fabrics for embroidery, knitting, quilting, or other color heavy crafts.

Four stars.

Color Harmony for Artists
How to Transform Inspiration into Beautiful Watercolor Palettes and Paintings
by Ana Victoria Calderon
Quarto Publishing Group – Quarry

This book took me back to creating color swatches using the many watercolor paints I had. I would take the blues and put them down one side and mix them with yellows of all colors and paint them into grids with information beside them to keep and use in future painting projects. I learned a great deal creating color swatches like the ones mentioned in this book.

The interesting idea that I came away from while reading this book had more to do with looking at what surrounds me and then trying to recreate the colors I see. Each example included a photo example then a color swatch created from the photo and a design or painting that used the colors created in the swatch. Colors used by the artist with further information was also provided. I had never considered looking around my house, outside, in cities, at tiles, in historical sites and other places for palettes to create color swatches for paintings.

I believe this would be a great book to add to my library just for the ideas related to color. I am sitting here thinking of colors I would like to dabble with and what I would like to paint next and not having picked up and wet my watercolor brushes for a couple of years...that is rather contemplating to contemplate.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Quarry for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

Colour theory is pretty simple, but this book shows how to apply colour theory to paintings created from vibrantly coloured photographs. Each example shown comes with a large palette of colour combinations. It's a wonderful invitation to create your own colourful paintings.

This is a wonderful book full of creative and valuable ways to incorporate and improve color in your true. I highly recommend this book for new artists. It would make a wonderful gift. I highly enjoyed it. I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

I have always struggled with color harmony so thumbs up for this book. Lots of examples and interesting things to try out. It certainly brightened my life. I can now make better choices of color that make my art work zing.

This is a really beautiful book! I love all of the colors and swatches. The author really created a sense of harmony in this book and I think that is difficult to accomplish. I will be trying to look at my art in this way now with what colors I am using and trying to be more intentional! Wondeful book and thank you for giving me access to it! I'll be recommending this to all my art friends.

This book provided great examples of different moods you can create just by changing the colors of the same painting. The examples she provided were different from what I have seen in other color theory books.

The book provides the same information on color theory that you find in the majority of color books. This is a good painting reference book if you do not already have one.

I received this galley from NetGalley.

Good for those who want to learn more on colour theory and colour combinations. Take part of an painting or photograph and repaints it in the combinations (shows swatch above image). Really nice if you want to know what colours can be used well together.

A feast for the eyes. It is very helpful to have examples of color palettes and there were so many great ones.

Get your watercolors out
Ana Victoria Calderón presents her book "Color Harmony for Artists. How to Transform inspiration into Beautiful Watercolor Palettes and Paintings", published by Quarto Publishing Group - Quarry. She divides her book into two parts: 1) Hands-On color Theory, and 2) Inspirational Palettes. Calderón includes notes (e.g., color notes for techniques). She shows how a photo, or a part of it, or objects, or designs from an object can be adapted into a painting or used as an inspiration and which color palettes wold be needed to accomplish this task. Calderón has also included information about the resources that can be used to work such watercolor projects and an index for quick reference. Lastly she explains also how the template at the end of the book can be reproduced for exercises. I highly recommend this book. It not only makes a great present, but can be also very inspirational for artists, not only those who use watercolors, but also those who use other mediums such as acrylics or oils. It is very simple so it is also a good resource for beginners.
The complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley free of charge. I was under no obligation to offer a positive review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#ColorHarmonyForArtists #NetGalley

I found this not only very colourful but a very interesting concept of mixing watercolours. The book starts with a chapter on colour theory and then goes onto to talk about an inspired palette using visual inspirations such photos, surroundings, lighting, culture colour influence, and lots ore to become familiar with making new colours and capturing the senses.
There are some very interesting techniques and beautiful examples to wet ones appetite for colour.

This book is beautiful. I love how the author/artist took one photo, showed the palette she created and then a painting inspired by the photo. The colors are vivid and lovely, and the paintings are each unique and true to the palette of the photo. I do wish there was slightly more information about which exact colors she used to create her palettes as well as information about ht brushes and other tools used. But I would (will) buy this book and refer to it often.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

★★★☆☆ | Play with colours and let them inspire you

Honestly, this review has been in my drafts for some time now. 

I don't really have that much to say about this book?

It had all the basics of watercolours covered so you can start off with it with no prior knowledge and as a beginner, it's always good to go through it once again.

But!

It's just not very close to my art style.

I had a lot of paintings to chose from when I was writing the review of my last art book and while I like the idea of getting inspired by colours and the quick tour of the colour used in various art styles -- my art process is just not there yet.

I think this book would gain a lot if the author said a word or two on the techniques she was using as well because if this is aimed at beginners (I assume since it started with the basics) -- then it's important to know where to start from.

As an inspiration, it's certainly interesting and would be helpful to many struggling with art block or just trying to get better with colour composition. 

(Provided they 'click' with the art style or are okay with and have the time for exploring)

I'll update if I try out this process.

The author did a great job of showing how palettes can be created from other inspirations such as pictures, nature, art, etc. The book does not so give much on the way of techniques but mostly colors and combinations to create palettes.

I was provided with an electronic ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very good book for understanding how to look at objects and paint what you feel. It doesn’t have to be an exact copy of what you see, it can be just one small portion of the whole picture. I love how she gave examples at beautiful scenery or animals but painted what spoke to her. I really need to remember this because it's hard to push myself to paint or draw when I get inspired because I feel required to portray everything I see. I don’t need to do that. I can just capture the color, texture, or one item and use it to inspire me.

This book also discusses the breakdown of color schemes and color temperatures. This is important for understanding how to really make paintings pop and look natural. I also love that she discussed the different styles of art throughout the centuries and how it can teach you different things.

Overall, I enjoyed this perspective on painting and will be referring back to this book in the future.

*ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review.*

As I read this book, I really liked the idea of swatches/mini paintings very much but overall the book felt like it took the idea almost too far with so many pages of color swatches -- and although some of the paintings included were very inspirational, others seemed too simplistic. At the same time it did not feel there was enough detail included to try and recreate a similar set of swatches. Perhaps that was the point, to bring the reader to create on their own, but as implemented it left a feeling of missing something with no specific information on the color mixes shown.

This is a great book to add to any artist’s collection. It provides guidance for beginners and advanced artists. There are easy to follow instructions to get you started.

Touching base on the basics of color pallets and how to use them to compliment one another this book went on to show beautiful color pallets and their inspirations. Showing you how to draw inspiration from the world around you. I thought this was so inventive and beautiful.

An excellence balance of theory, practical advice and inspiration for watercolour painting.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Such a great, fun reference book. I'm sure I'll refer to this again and again both in my coloring and in my watercolors.

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

A great resource for artists, especially watercolorists looking for inspiration. Calderon shows examples of photographs, embroidery swatches, etc., and then breaks them each down into their color elements, and includes an example painting she has created with that color palette. You'll start to see colors everywhere. This is not a book for beginners--she doesn't have a how-to-paint introduction--but those with a basic knowledge of painting will find it very useful.

Informative book on colour swatching photographs in watercolour paint. Taken a wide selection of images the colour is dissected into paint swatches. Good book for teaching 1. looking at the colours in a photo and 2. recreating these in paint.

A very handy book for understanding the color wheel. As a watercolor artist, I found it to be highly useful.

Nice learning resource if you are a novice artist or just starting out with painting. I already knew this info so did not get as much out of it as I hooed to, but still recommend for those just starting out.

This book focuses mainly on color techniques with watercolor painting. You can certainly apply the color harmony principles to other art or design projects, but watercolor painters will benefit most here. The author shows you how to make vibrant and deep colors with watercolors, and even create watercolor takes on famous works of art (Monet, Mondrian) made in other media.

This book is accessible enough for older children, while still having plenty to keep an adult occupied as well. Order a set of watercolors and add this to your quarantine queue!

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for a digital ARC for the purpose of an unbiased review.