A Field Guide to Color: A Watercolor Workbook

by Lisa Solomon

Play with paint, get creative with color, and discover your personal palette--a joyful, interactive workbook for creativity, self-expression, and deepening your understanding of how color works.

Color is one of the most profound ways we have to express ourselves. In this lively workbook for artists, graphic designers, hobbyists, and creators of all types, you will journal your way through fresh and enriching ways to develop a more personal connection to color in your art and life. Using watercolors, gouache, or any other water-based medium, dive into color theory and explore your personal style while playing with a balanced blend of experiments and color meditations. Discover a personal color wheel while exploring tints and shades. Experiment with color mixing while you make as many of one color as you can - and then name them all (honeydew green, avocado green, mint ice cream...). Through playful prompts and inspiring examples, and with lots of room for painting, this book will guide you to a new or expanded relationship with color and deepen your understanding of what color can do for you.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Reference, How To, Design, Art and Photography

144 pages, Paperback

Published August 27, 2019

About the author

Lisa Solomon is a studio artist that moonlights as a college professor and graphic designer. She received her BA in Art Practice from UC Berkeley in 1995 and her MFA from Mills College in 2003. She is an adjunct professor at San Francisco State University, and has also taught at other Bay Area Colleges including UC Berkeley, Mills College, CCA, and Cal State East Bay.

Profoundly interested in the idea of hybridization (sparked from her Hapa heritage), Solomon's mixed-media works and large installations revolve thematically around domesticity, craft, and personal histories. She often fuses "wrong" things together--recontextualizing their original purposes, and incorporating materials that question the line between ART and CRAFT.

She has exhibited and works with galleries both nationally and internationally, is in numerous private and public collections, and is continually tweeking artworks in her backyard studio. She resides in Oakland, California with her husband, daughter, two three-legged cats, a pit-bull, a dachshund mutt and many, many spools of thread. Follow her along on instagram: @lisasolomon to get peeks into her studio and practice.

Reviews

[Literary Redhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used to be drawn to placid earth tones, but as I’ve become more sure of my unique style, I find bright hues magnetic, hence my request to review A FIELD GUIDE TO COLOR by one of my fave publishers, Roost Books.

And gee whiz, does this color Bible make me happy, with prompts and ideas for using hues creatively and confidently. You will learn color theory, explore preferences, play with color mixing (fun!), and create a personalized color wheel. I can’t wait to do all the exercises and believe it will spark creativity beyond the painting page. 5 of 5 of the Most Colorful Stars!

Pub Date 27 Aug 2019

Thanks to the author, Roost Books and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

#AFieldGuideToColor #NetGalley

[Dominika Žáková · Rating 5 out of 5]

Výborná kniha pre tých, ktorí chcú preskúmať a spoznať farby nielen v teórii, ale aj v jednoduchých praktických cvičeniach (s pridanou meditatívnou kvalitou). Nákazlivo entuziastická. Vhodná najmä pre začiatočníkov, no nepochybujem, že aj pokročilejší si v nej nájdu podnety. Aj ja som si!

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

*An e-copy was given to me through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I learnt more through about colours through this book than I had in my last two semesters learning art in college (just to clarify, I’m not in a school for art but we do learn a little about it, graphite drawing mostly but a little of painting). A lot of this I wish I knew back when I was doing my assignments since it would’ve helped me to understand water-based colours better. I remember for one activity, we had to paint an avocado from reference and it was difficult to match the colours. I didn’t know which colours to mix together hence I mixed a whole bunch of colours together just to find out it wasn’t what I wanted at all and ended up wasting it.

It begins with Solomon reminding that this is just to experiment around with colour. Hence, there were many pages that were left blank for us to test out our paints. She began explaining the different types of paint, the materials needed for the exercises and gave helpful tips all around.

The book was able to clarify what hues, tints and shades are (which I can now confidently say I know) and had exercises where we learn about colour schemes, one of my weak points. Solomon also encouraged the readers to have fun and experiment through the many different exercises like making your own black, paint chart box and mixing your favourite and least favourite colours together to see what colour it makes.

I really liked the exercises since it encourages to explore the paints ourselves and giving us ideas to do so. I would’ve never thought to make as many shades or tints or variations of colour and it would definitely help me understand colour mixing more.

If you are someone who is interested in painting, do pick this up as it is easy for a beginner to understand and a beginner might even be able to understand and use paint easier after reading this. I know I would’ve been making fewer mistakes if I had a book like this to guide me when I first started.

[Janall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Roost Books and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I really loved this book. I have read other books before on color theory, but what is so different about this one is the author’s sense of playfulness.
She encourages the reader to play with the colors and experiment with how they react to one another. She continuously coaches that there is no wrong, and no matter the results, you are learning.
Each section has information about the properties of color e.g. hue, tint, shade, monochromatic, complementary etc then a set of practice exercises to use the information and practice techniques to create your own color ( example matching the color of starburst candies) , and finally a mediation exercise to just have fun. She even provides worksheets and blank pages within the book to practice what you have learned.

Recommend this book highly to those who are self taught and have just been winging it. Understanding the science of how colors work together will help me to create more interesting art. Some tips I learned- 1) Never use black that comes in a paint kit- always make your own, it will be much more interesting.
2) add your color to white, to make a tint, instead of adding white to a color.

[Nicolet Groen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Field Guide to Color is an inspirational way to learn more about color, mixing different colors, creating hues and shades through fun exercises. I read a pdf version of the book as an advanced reader so I could not use the book itself. I took out my watercolor paper and did a lot of the prompts and meditations. They challenged me to finally use watercolor and add it to my arsenal of mixed media tools.
Hopefully, the print version will have the right paper quality to use the book itself for the exercises. If not, I advise you to buy a bottle of clear gesso to prepare the pages and actually work in the book to create your own color reference guide!

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a practical guide to watercolor painting. Concise and complete, A Field Guide to Color introduces you to different mediums and materials and encourages the reader to explore their personal style using these mediums. This book gives you all you need to know on getting started and rules to remember. Illustrations and diagrams are easy to follow and remember. Very inspiring.

Many thanks to Lisa Solomon, NetGalley, and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

[Lila · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, this book feels great in hand with the thick paper and is meant to allow for you to follow along with the exercises in book. There are some really great insights in here about color and how to go about learning what your color palette is capable of producing. The exercises were unique and very helpful.

[Joann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book. In fact, I began reading it and could not stop until the end. The exercises are very clear and yield results which only enhance the understanding of color.

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so fantastic. An absolute joy to work through with meaningful practices and just an absolute pleasure. I got this after getting a nice water color palette and this has absolutely broken it in! All my love to the author, this was so much fun and so meaningful!!

[Elizabeth Grieve · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely, modern, practical book for those wishing to experiment with colour mixing, this explains the basic terminology of colour, then goes on to provide fun exercises in mixing, with space in the book to do so. Sadly I was not able to do so as I had a digital copy, but this is a book well worth buying for those just starting out, or even more experienced painters as it gives a fresh viewpoint on the topic of colour.
Thanks to the publisher for a digital review copy.

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book for a beginning artist as well as an advanced artist. The value for a more experienced painter is that the exercises encourage moving beyond your comfort zone. They are playful and fun but instructive. I believe this would be a good book for an artist who is experiencing a block in creativity. The exercises encourage explorations and can stimulate creativity

[Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title would be much better if it were simply called ”Watercolor Explorations” because that is what this book is all about. ”A Field Guide to Color” suggests something far more scientifically inclined. Aside from that, this was a book that encouraged and and suggested playful exploration to become more acquainted with both color mixing and whatever colors happen to be in the paintbox. The connection between meditation through art was discussed and several exercises/opportunities were presented on blank pages within the book, though the author suggests using watercolor paper for those not wanting buckled pages. Anybody looking for an actual field guide to color will be a little disappointed, but people looking for both art as meditation as well as anyone looking for guidance in learning how to become more comfortable with color mixing and usage through happy accidents and play will love this book.

[Carissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an incredibly fun, very interactive color exploration guide. It doesn't matter where you fall on the spectrum of experience with paint, it'll still be helpful. Even for the non-painters, this is a lovely book that explores just how varied and nuanced colors can be! If nothing else, it gives you something to paint on those days you're drawing blanks. Never hurts to get back to the basics!

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Loren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an awesome workbook. It gives good advice about watercolor techniques and gives space in which to practice those techniques. It also gives a good overview of the tools required to use watercolors appropriately.

[Maxine Anders · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that speaks to the reader like a friend! Reading this was as enjoyable as it was instructive. Solomon invites color enthusiasts of all levels to dive in, learning or relearning the basics followed by more advanced color theory. The author is able to keep her energetic and endearing tone while presenting material in an easy-to-understand format. As a 20-year veteran art teacher, I plan on purchasing this for my next color theory class.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lisa Solomon has done a superb job in creating a fun, educational, coloring book. Well, maybe not a coloring book in the sense we think of. The book begins with some basic instructions and the ability to paint on the pages of the book itself. What a wonderful idea!

I really like the way the author builds up your knowledge and skills. What better way to actually learn something than by hands-on learning? She encourages the reader to paint in the book, thus creating an art journal of sorts. Brilliant.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in watercolor. Great for all kinds of ages.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am SO glad to be able to say how beautiful this book is. I always worry that a book on colour won't utilise its topic within the layout but this book really doesn't disappoint.
Beginning with explaining terms that are commonly used when talking about colour, the author expertly guides us through the world of colour through words, images and exercises. Whilst this book is written from a watercolour perspective of colour, the same principles could be used an applied to your chosen medium (whether paint, paper, fabric or something else entirely). A truly beautiful book.

[Lizbeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advanced digital copy of this book from Netgalley.com and the publisher, Roost Books.

Pure and simple, Ms. Solomon has written an excellent color theory workbook for the experienced and novice watercolorist. The theories learned in this book can easily be applied to any other media with color. Relationships are taught and worked through, leading the reader to create new colors and palettes.

Painters can go beyond what they think of watercolors, the soft washed painting and create bright, vibrant colors to express themselves!

5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended.

[Cherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a breath of fresh air! The author has done a fabulous job of presenting colour theory in a fun. cheery, lighthearted way which encourages the reader to have a go at the practical exercises without worrying about how good or perfect their results are. Child-like play to learn really useful theory. I love this approach, but it is usually missing from these colour theory reference books! I highly recommend this book!
Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy. The opinions expressed are my own.

[Erica Robbin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun, hands-on way to learn about watercolor from a book!

I'd recommend this to anyone, whether you're new to watercolor painting or a seasoned artist. It would make a great gift and an excellent time at a paint party, family time, and group crafting clubs.

I would like to thank Roost Books for providing me with an advance reader copy via access to the galley for free through the NetGalley program. 

The Story
I have only recently started to pick up painting about a year ago, something I hadn't done since probably high school. I'd classify myself as more of a novice, especially when it comes to watercolor and understanding color specifically. I learned a lot going through all the color exercises.

This book is well organized with fun activities and clear instruction. The overall content of the book as far as communication of color concept and application was intriguing and easy to follow.

I enjoyed the author's methods, pacing, and personality that she brought into the book. It was wonderful to experience learning from art book from someone who conveys as much enthusiasm as she did.

It really felt like I was taking a class in person, built on solid theory with personal experiences and touches on topics such as color meditation exercises which I had never heard of before. It was really good practice for me, especially the color matching and graduated color exercises which also incorporated learning shapes and lines.

The Writing
Because it's set up like a workbook and I received a digital ARC, I was not able to try painting on the pages that are included in the published book, so I used my own watercolor paper and therefore, I cannot comment on that neat feature of the book other than it's a really wonderful idea!

There were a lot of amazing resources in the back including additional book recommendations, tools, supplies, and shops. I am excited to check out the classes offered as recommended by the book which can be found at Creativebug.

My Favorite Lines
"My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky:
So was it when my life began;
So is it now I am a man;
So be it when I shall grow old,
Or let me die!
The Child is father of the Man;
And I could wish my days to be
Bound each to each by natural piety."

~My Heart Leaps Up, a poem by William Wordsworth

Blog post

[Seema Rao · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty ~ Detailed ~ Doable
tl; dr: Approachable way to think about color theory.

I am a sucker for pretty. It's just who I am. So, this book was already a winner just based on the cover. But, reading the book makes me want to own it. Color theory is one of those easy, hard things. Red and blue theoretically make purple but try it, and you can easily get yuck grey. Solomon lays out many simple exercises, with cute graphic illustrations. I will be buying this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Sharon Mensing · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in digital version, which is NOT the way to read it! After providing some color theory background and some information about how to choose paints, the book moves on to color meditations. After guidance on how to the author came up with that particular meditation (or exercise), she gives an example and then leaves a page blank for you to do your own. Obviously not possible digitally.

What I will say is that the meditations look interesting and like a lot of fun, and this seems to be a book that will guide the reader/user to a clearer feel for color. I gave it 5 stars because now that I've looked through it, I really, really want to buy it and do the meditations.

[Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into this book with only a very basic knowledge of warercolour painting, I have done this a lot when I was younger and recently decided to pick it up again because it is awesome combined with handlettering. And for me, this book was perfect. It also will be very much for more experienced painters, because it offers so much insights, but as a beginner, this is absolutely gold! Well, all colors including gold. I learned so much, by simply doing the excercises! The author teaches you how to make the most use of your paints by just painting, and some basic color teachings, but mostly you need to experience it - and that method works amazingly! Honestly, you can only learn this by doing it, and the book has many examples, and it’s even encouraged to make the excercises inside the book (which I totally wanted to do but alas, an e-copy is not water resistant). Can really recommend this different approach to learning about (water)colour and actually get what you want.

[JCS · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Welcome to the beautiful rabbit hole of colour" is how Lisa Solomon introduces her wonderful book on colour mixing. It is always good to have new ideas promoting wellness and this is a great example. The author refers to 'colour meditation', explaining how it can be a good way to clear your mind and refocus.
As well as a thorough explanation of colour, there are fifteen exercises for you to experiment with colour mixing yourself. It is a fun, and as you would expect, colourful book and encourages you to find your paints and brushes and give it a go. I'm sure there are plenty of books explaining colour and mixing, but this has a slightly different and more personal slant, which I like. Thank you to Net galley and the publisher, Roost Books for an ARC.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 3.5 of 5

Painting is one of my most enjoyable hobbies - and it is just a hobby - and except for my high school years, I have not had any formal training (which probably shows). Because of this, I often enjoy art books that provide some training and lessons. A Field Guide to Color by Lisa Solomon is a beginner's guide to color in painting.

But note that I write it's a "beginner's" guide ... this is not mentioned in the title or the descriptions I've read.

Solomon does a really great job of reminding us of the essentials of color (in paint) and goes on to explain how the combining of colors creates different colors. This is some pretty basic information, though I recognize that some who come to this book may be doing so as relative new-comers to painting. And if you already know your colors, it's a handy refresher.

What I appreciated the most was the topic of tints and shades and the chapter on saturation. These are both topics that I haven't seen covered enough in art help books. Knowing what tints and shades are and knowing how to apply them in the course of mixing paints are two very different things and I definitely learned something here. So, too, with the topic of saturation.

The book features a lot of practice opportunities. A lot. Solomon explains the different exercises and what each one is meant to accomplish, and the book features blank pages for the reader to try the exercises themselves without delay (though book paper is not nearly as conducive for these sorts of practices as good art paper).

But as I got further along in the book I was finding the exercises to be a bit repetitive. While they were meant to bring me to a different understanding of the way in which the blending of paints (and water) worked, I started skipping the exercises because it just felt as though it was keeping me from wanting to experiment by actually painting.

Looking for a good book? The information in A Field Guide to Color by Lisa Solomon is nice quality, but it's tad thin and the bulk of the book is taken up with exercises that feel a little repetitive by the end.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

[Mechthild · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have courage to practice
Lisa Solomon, an artist of mixed-media works and grand-sized installations, who uses often unconventional mediums presents "A Field Guide to Color. A Watercolor Workbook", published by Roost Books. Solomon gives an introduction what color is and explains that the perception of color is also influenced by culture. She includes the terminologies as well as the color systems in this book. Furthermore, the book includes an introduction into paints and their qualities as well as which paints she as an artist uses. She also informs the readers about paper, brushes and palettes. The book contains fifteen exercises (e.g., "Make a traditional color wheel with tints and shades", "Four Ways to Black", and "Paint Chip Matching Exercise") and sixteen color meditations (E.g., "Squares", "Half Circles", and "Washes that Overlap"). Furthermore the various chapters occasional contain "Pro Tips" to deepen the discussed topic.
Solomon has written the book in a very personal and interactive style - from artist to artist - which makes the book alive. She provides space, prompts, and shapes to help paint directly on the page with watercolor or water-based color and is aware that the book will truly turn into a workbook if the reader is using the book in this way. The book also includes some art that inspires and fits with the topic of the corresponding chapter. Solomon also lists resources which is a help if the readers want to do further studies and if they want to find appropriate supplies. I highly recommend this book of artists who are interested in watercolor, may they be beginners or advanced artists.
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.
#AFieldGuideToColor #NetGalley

[Ramie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for helping you to play around with colors (specifically watercolor though most of the theories will work with other mediums). The paper quality is very good. If you want to actually do the lessons in the book, you can. If you’re the type who prefers to scan something and do it on your own paper, that would work too. But this is one of those rare books that takes into account the medium at play and provides paper that is actually useable for the lessons at hand.

It starts with a couple page introduction that explains the author’s love of color

Next up is a section called “What is Color?”. It explains how our brains process color, terms related to color (hue, value, warm, cool, etc). It also briefly covers different color systems (RGB, CMYK, Hex Colors, Pantone Matching system).

That is followed up with a look at common watercolor tools. Paints, paper, brushes, palettes, blending tools are all covered.

Next up is the heart of the book “Exercises and Color Meditation”.
It contains things like making color wheels, working with color schemes, charting your paint box, saturation, mixing up colors (and naming them), working with black and white, mixing complementary colors, working with your fave and not so fave colors, color matching, organizing by colors, using color around you, etc.

This is a quality book for those already familiar with watercolors and colors in general, but especially helpful for beginners.

* Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost in order to review it. I offered no guarantee of a positive review, though I only request books I think I’ll like because why read a book you think you’ll hate?

[April Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This would be a great book for anyone interested in painting, whether you're a beginner or a pro. The author takes you through lots of experimental exercises to learn more about how color works using a water-based medium, such as watercolors or gouache, how they blend, how to recreate colors from real life, how to play around and see what happens. Also covered are things like how different types of paper affect the colors, whether the paper is wet or dry, different lighting, etc. Anyone who reads this book and goes through the exercises will come out a better artist afterward, as they will have a much better understanding of color.

#AFieldGuideToColor #NetGalley

[Remy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book from the library, but for once I feel like this was a disservice to the book. It's designed as a workbook for you to actually paint in. The information is a good basic overview of color theory without going into too much detail, perfect for a beginner. There are a lot of exercises, too. The book looks really thick and daunting, but so much of it is blank space for painting and due to the paper's thickness. Which I love. The paper in this book is just a dream. I know they did it to withstand the paint, but I'd love to see more art books printed on this stock as it does so much for the images and feel while handling the book.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Solomon takes us into the beginning world of watercolors by explaining color theory. She has designed and left spaces to ‘practice’ the lessons and experiment with watercolor paints.
The explanations are quite simple and are directed at an audience that has very little painting experience. . The photos are colorful and lively, adding to the appeal of this book. Artists just beginning, might want to add this book to their shelf as a color reference.