Color Primer I and II

by Richard D. Zakia

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0871000210
• ISBN13: 9780871000217
• Release Date: January 1986
• Publisher: Morgan & Morgan
• Length: 150 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.8" x 0.5" x 5.3"

Customer Reviews

Neil W.

In my opinion, this may be the best basic book on additive and subtractive ever written for artists, photographers, painters web designers and printers. It's sheer clarity of presentation (in question and answer format) of both additive and subtractive theories takes the reader from the most basic concepts of color theory (hue, value and chroma) through increasingly complex ideas one step at a time. The format of the book is unique--divided into 2 parts. Color Primer I (subtractive color) is read in example->question->answer format, from the (front) cover to the middle of the book. The reader then turns the book upside down and over, reading Color Primer II (additive color) from the original back (now new front cover) to the middle in the same example->question->answer format. Or you can reverse the order. Each Primer is self-contained and complete. By the time the reader has read this deceptively simple book front to back and again back to front, (s)he has a basic understanding of the "mechanics" of the mixing of colors using light (computer screens, theatrical productions, TV) and pigments (painting, printing and textiles). Intentionally, this book does not touch on the aesthetics of color; rather, it purposefully avoids making any of the psychological or artistic judgments one invariably finds in most other works on color. This is a primer, after all. It teaches the the words, the definitions, the grammar of color, leaving their "literary interpretation" to other masters like Albers, Itten and Munsel. A small set of colored filters is included for use with some of the examples given in the book. Long out of print, this book deserves the effort of every artist who uses color as part of their everyday business to be ferretd out and included on their reference bookshelf. It is a one-of-a-kind work.