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Contemporary Color: Theory and Use
CONTEMPORARY COLOR is back with a beautifully produced and lavishly illustrated second edition! Combining a solid grounding in traditional color theory and a thorough exploration of effective color use in digital applications and 3D design work, this introduction to contemporary color text is a must have for all art students. Written by a leading design educator and artist whose work is widely exhibited, this text features a balanced examination of essential theory and its practical application using today's cutting-edge technology. Contemporary Color, second edition covers a wide range of topics including all the basics on color theory, while also examining the latest on digital color, 3D design, and variations in color across nations and cultures. To complement this inclusive content, the text features thought-provoking discussions of the psychological impact of color, the future of color, creativity, and best practices for students and working artists. A vast collection of vivid images, drawn from both classical and contemporary artists, rounds out the text with powerful examples to illustrate applied color theory in all of its dazzling diversity.
224 pages, Paperback
First published August 18, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 11, 2019
The book is very interesting and really does do a good job explaining scientific aspects of color. I have enjoyed all the parts that are actually concerned with theory and use. However, there have been a few instances where the book would go a little overboard with minute details about things that, I, as an individual, consider a little irrelevant or -at best - not that relevant to the meat of the book itself; like the details of the beliefs of indigenous peoples, for instance.
I do understand that these are indeed related to the "use" part of the book but I don't believe the reader would be negatively affected were these parts a little more concise.
There is another thing that we can only judge according to the type of reader—that is how the book is divided. This book is perfect for anyone who is studying art academically; that is to say they're going to be examined in it; since the book repeats certain statements, sometimes word for word, from introduction into the chapter and then again in the summary. For an amateur artist or someone who's reading this book chronologically (and not necessarily referring to it that frequently), this can get a little boring. But then again, I have no say in this, the original target audience of this book are probably art students.
The way the book presents itself fits perfectly with the content. There isn't any considerable dissonance between the title and the content— I found what I was looking for, having read the title.
Overall the book is great, and very useful for those interested in art since the writer evidently avoids jargons or incredibly esoteric terms, yet takes in consideration that the reader definitely has some basic knowledge of art, or else why would someone buy a book on "Color Theory."
This book is a strong 8 to a weak 9/10 and I definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to start understanding art academically.
In other words, this book gets you acquainted with the academic world of art and color.
I do understand that these are indeed related to the "use" part of the book but I don't believe the reader would be negatively affected were these parts a little more concise.
There is another thing that we can only judge according to the type of reader—that is how the book is divided. This book is perfect for anyone who is studying art academically; that is to say they're going to be examined in it; since the book repeats certain statements, sometimes word for word, from introduction into the chapter and then again in the summary. For an amateur artist or someone who's reading this book chronologically (and not necessarily referring to it that frequently), this can get a little boring. But then again, I have no say in this, the original target audience of this book are probably art students.
The way the book presents itself fits perfectly with the content. There isn't any considerable dissonance between the title and the content— I found what I was looking for, having read the title.
Overall the book is great, and very useful for those interested in art since the writer evidently avoids jargons or incredibly esoteric terms, yet takes in consideration that the reader definitely has some basic knowledge of art, or else why would someone buy a book on "Color Theory."
This book is a strong 8 to a weak 9/10 and I definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to start understanding art academically.
In other words, this book gets you acquainted with the academic world of art and color.
July 29, 2020
While looking for some additional literature on color regarding my bachelor thesis work, I stumbled upon this read and gave it a go.
I give this book a "Good" rating mainly because it didn't meet my slightly unrealistic expectations from the Web designer perspective.
Nevertheless, I really enjoy Bleicher's writing style and the flow of this book, starting from the inception of color and art, ending with the future of color. The book explores different color and art concepts as they appear throughout history, which is certainly and educative experience.
But, I cannot still say if this book taught me something practical. Only time will tell.
If you are an artist first, this book is a nice read to hype you up for the next work, or get additional perspective to what color may mean in your work.
I give this book a "Good" rating mainly because it didn't meet my slightly unrealistic expectations from the Web designer perspective.
Nevertheless, I really enjoy Bleicher's writing style and the flow of this book, starting from the inception of color and art, ending with the future of color. The book explores different color and art concepts as they appear throughout history, which is certainly and educative experience.
But, I cannot still say if this book taught me something practical. Only time will tell.
If you are an artist first, this book is a nice read to hype you up for the next work, or get additional perspective to what color may mean in your work.
July 3, 2022
Really great explanations and background information provided by this book. The version I have is very outdated (not a lot of accurate information on web colors here) but the sections on fine art and the color wheel were timeless. I enjoyed learning about the history of the color wheel and of color theory. Great beginner book.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews