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Color Choices: Making Color Sense Out of Color Theory Paperback – February 1, 2002

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 845 ratings

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Internationally renowned artist and best selling author Stephen Quiller shows readers how to discover their own personal "color sense" in Color Choices, a book that offers readers a fresh perspective on perfecting their own color styles.

With the help of his own "Quiller Wheel," a special foldout wheel featuring 68 precisely placed colors, the author shows artists how they can develop their own unique color blends. First, Quiller demonstrates how to use the wheel to interpret color relationships and mix colors more clearly. Then he explains, step by step, how to develop five structured color schemes, apply underlays and overlays, and use color in striking, unusual ways. This book will bring out every artist's unique sense of color whether he or she works in oil, watercolor, acrylics, gouache, or casein.
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Stephen Quiller is an internationally recognized artist and teacher and is the author of the bestselling art guides Acrylic Painting Techniques and Painter's Guide to Color. He lives in Crede, Colorado.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Watson-Guptill; First Edition (February 1, 2002)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 144 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0823006972
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0823006977
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.37 x 0.41 x 10.97 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 845 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
845 global ratings
Practical color theory for painters
5 Stars
Practical color theory for painters
I’ve been taking deep dives into learning during this quarantine. One of the subjects I decided to go heavy on is color theory. I’ve been using color in painting and interiors since I was a kid and I “know” what colors I need to use instinctively...but not why and I didn’t ever think about the structure behind my choices. I decided it was time to learn all the rules. I’ve read about 4 books on color theory so far, and this is the best yet because it is written for painters.Despite many many years of painting & interiors classes, and a semester of color theory, I had only been taught the usual color theory based on the typical color wheel.As my painting progressed, I began to want to learn about pigments and as any painter can tell you, the regular color wheel doesn’t always apply when it comes to working with color in pigments.This color wheel Quiller developed is seriously brilliant...so practical! And he talks about which companies make which colors- slightly out of date but still helpful. Then he even displays what colors look like when you mix them with different ways of creating neutrals. It’s just a way of breaking down color, value and intensity that makes so much sense, and will save you a lot of time experimenting if you haven’t already done a lot of this.I also love how he breaks down each color scheme. I’m working now I’m laying more attention to what kind of color schemes I’m using along with values. I think the more I memorize what is what, the more time I will save from just intuiting what colors should be mixing up, and how.Definitely worth the read.
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Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2020
I’ve been taking deep dives into learning during this quarantine. One of the subjects I decided to go heavy on is color theory. I’ve been using color in painting and interiors since I was a kid and I “know” what colors I need to use instinctively...but not why and I didn’t ever think about the structure behind my choices. I decided it was time to learn all the rules. I’ve read about 4 books on color theory so far, and this is the best yet because it is written for painters.

Despite many many years of painting & interiors classes, and a semester of color theory, I had only been taught the usual color theory based on the typical color wheel.

As my painting progressed, I began to want to learn about pigments and as any painter can tell you, the regular color wheel doesn’t always apply when it comes to working with color in pigments.

This color wheel Quiller developed is seriously brilliant...so practical! And he talks about which companies make which colors- slightly out of date but still helpful. Then he even displays what colors look like when you mix them with different ways of creating neutrals. It’s just a way of breaking down color, value and intensity that makes so much sense, and will save you a lot of time experimenting if you haven’t already done a lot of this.

I also love how he breaks down each color scheme. I’m working now I’m laying more attention to what kind of color schemes I’m using along with values. I think the more I memorize what is what, the more time I will save from just intuiting what colors should be mixing up, and how.

Definitely worth the read.
Customer image
5.0 out of 5 stars Practical color theory for painters
Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2020
I’ve been taking deep dives into learning during this quarantine. One of the subjects I decided to go heavy on is color theory. I’ve been using color in painting and interiors since I was a kid and I “know” what colors I need to use instinctively...but not why and I didn’t ever think about the structure behind my choices. I decided it was time to learn all the rules. I’ve read about 4 books on color theory so far, and this is the best yet because it is written for painters.

Despite many many years of painting & interiors classes, and a semester of color theory, I had only been taught the usual color theory based on the typical color wheel.

As my painting progressed, I began to want to learn about pigments and as any painter can tell you, the regular color wheel doesn’t always apply when it comes to working with color in pigments.

This color wheel Quiller developed is seriously brilliant...so practical! And he talks about which companies make which colors- slightly out of date but still helpful. Then he even displays what colors look like when you mix them with different ways of creating neutrals. It’s just a way of breaking down color, value and intensity that makes so much sense, and will save you a lot of time experimenting if you haven’t already done a lot of this.

I also love how he breaks down each color scheme. I’m working now I’m laying more attention to what kind of color schemes I’m using along with values. I think the more I memorize what is what, the more time I will save from just intuiting what colors should be mixing up, and how.

Definitely worth the read.
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61 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2011
I've been searching for that perfect book which would deepen my understanding of color and the color wheel so that I can apply it to my quilt-making. Reading Stephen Quiller's 144-page book on color theory provided several ah-ha moments for me. The title says it all, "Color Choices - Making Color Sense Out Of Color Theory". He teaches workshops on color, so this book was extremely informative and simple to understand. I actually found it to be an enjoyable read.

My main question around color has always been, "So what? Yes, colors lay next to each other and opposite each other on the color wheel, so what?" It finally connected for me, thanks to Stephen's down-to-earth writing style that, "Color is magic! And what a gift it is to use color in a way that truly expresses what the artist feels."

It's difficult to articulate those ah-ha moments in a product review, but here's how one moment worked for me: to assist the reader, Stephen offers sections in the book called, "Six Studies". There are 6 of the same subjects painted differently 6 times using various color schemes and he asks you to, "Notice how each study differs in color emphasis, value, and intensity. Also look at how the various moods have been developed, ranging from calm and serene, to austere, to fantasy-like, to dynamic and powerful." Because of the 6 side-by-side comparisons, my eye traveled differently around each painting and I began to understand the theory of contrast. Or, I would like one painting and despise another connecting to the theories of intensity and color harmony. Wow! I actually get it!

Then he explains what the color is doing for you, for example, "The bright orange has been neutralized to create a distinct mood." He's an art instructor, so at the end of each chapter he offers a "Workshop" where he provides exercises for the painter. I continue to find great value in re-reading and experiencing this book and I don't even paint!
105 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2024
Great reference
Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2016
So which is the cool yellow, or for that matter the warm blue? A question many of us ask when faced with a dozen different tubes at the paint store.....well it all depends... and Quiller has some real answers.Informative, well thought out, very useful in providing the actual commercial names of the various colors and brands compared to each other. I highly recommend this book to anyone needing a little more precision in their approach to painting with color. The only thing that slightly let down the experience in my case was the faded condition of some of the reproductions.
2 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2012
If you have read books on color and the color wheel, you will already know what color theory is all about. The true value of this book is to give a more accurate description of where your paint tubes are on a color wheel and their relationships, so that you can confidently control how to get to the colors you want in your painting. For example, the primary colors on a color wheel are usually identified simply as red, blue and yellow. Here, on the author's own "Quiller Wheel" that is included as a tear-away foldout in the book, they are identified specifically as Permanent Alizarin Crimson, Winsor Blue and Cadmium Yellow Light. Around the Quiller wheel are other colors with their paint tube names and there are separate tables that show the different names a color might have from different paint manufacturers (for watercolor, acrylics and oils).

With the Quiller Wheel, you can understand why a violet made with Alizarin Crimson (pure red) and Cobalt Blue (blue with a touch of red) is more vivid than one made with Cadmium Red (red with some yellow) and Manganese Blue (blue with a touch of yellow): the yellow in the latter set "muddies" the red-blue combination of the violet. Need the exact complementary color to tone down Ultramarine Blue? That would be Cadmium Orange on the axis across the wheel. Raw Sienna and Raw Umber can also work because they are on the same axis, but their positions on the inside of the wheel also indicate that they will darken the value of the result.

This is a book about color and mapping the colors you have to the color wheel, and it works very well. If you wanted to paint a valley landscape in red, as the cover shows, you can now know which tubes of paint to use (and not use). Should the landscape be red? Well, that's a matter of your artistic sensibilities, and a subject for another book.
20 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Shelley
5.0 out of 5 stars I absolutely love this book, and recommend it to any artist.
Reviewed in Canada on October 17, 2023
This book goes pretty deep into colour theory. I’m only a few chapters in, and I’ve had a few “a ha“ moments.
Camilla Castro
5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente
Reviewed in Brazil on September 10, 2023
Livro incrível sobre cores! Fundamental para mim!
Rosario
5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente libro
Reviewed in Mexico on June 12, 2022
Llegó en perfectas condiciones y en el tiempo esperado. Es un excelente texto sobre el manejo del color en la pintura, lo súper recomiendo.
Patricia Kraenzel
5.0 out of 5 stars A good read & tool
Reviewed in Germany on May 1, 2024
Although the writer uses water colors the methods apply to acrylic and oil which i used. If you really want to know about color and color mixing this is the book to read. I recommend practicing a lot to get the idea.
roman
5.0 out of 5 stars Muy buen libro
Reviewed in Spain on February 8, 2024
Es un autor al q sigo desde hace tiempo. El libro es muy bueno, muy completo y muy bien explicado. S. Quiller juega muy bien con las paletas de color y aquí te enseña a entender nuevas posibilidades.
Recomendable 100%