Artist Resources: Color Guides

Last week I had an artist contact me about mixing color.  The question prompted me to look more closely at the online resources for artists around mixing color, and I thought that putting together a list would be an ideal post for this blog.  

This is not yet comprehensive.  I'm still collecting resources, so if you know of one that needs to be listed, please let me know so that I can add it.  

Color Theory

• Munsell Color:  Munsell is likely the leading expert on communicating color and color theory.  The site is filled with tools and guides explaining color.  Thorough and technical explanations on how to mix color for an artist:  Mixing Paint
• Handprint:  Thorough explanations of color theory, color in design, color temperature and the color basics.
• Gamblin Color:  Robert Gamblin's Navigating Color Space color theory.  An excellent tool and video for artists to get started in mixing color. 
• Amien Forum Articles Amien is a website dedicated to helping artists understand art materials.  Contains two articles, one on color theory and the other on understanding color.  
• Kremer Pigments Blog:  Technical article on primary color and color theory. 

Tools

• Design Seeds:  Web Resource to create palettes based on everyday objects and images. 
  
• Virtual Color Mixer by Golden Artist Colors:  This is a digital color mixer based on the selection of hues manufactured by Golden.  Each color and the amount can be entered to create new hues.
• About.com color mixer:  An online color mixer based on the 3 primary colors and 3 secondary colors.
• Color with Leo:  An application for children to understand color mixing
• Digital Color:  A color mixing tool for digital artists

Pigments

• Pigment Definitions:  Very complete resource for identifying pigments in paint hues along with chemical composition, CI name and number and historical name. 
• Pigment Chart:  A catalogue of pigments, showing properties, historical notes and images.

Understanding Color Mixing

• Artists Network:  Article on mixing color by Joe Bucci 
• About.com:  List of articles on color mixing for artists
• Winsor Newton:  Articles on color theory from paint manufacturer, Winsor Newton
• Color Wheel Tips:  Mixing color as it relates to light.  
• Tone/Shade/Tint Descriptions:  Article by Derivan on the differences in color mixing and creating tones, shades and tints  
• Additive and Subtractive Mixing:  A basic article on mixing color and the difference between mixing light or mixing pigments
• Artists Network:  Article on mixing color by Joe Bucci
• Bill Martin's Guide to oil painting:  A look at the oil painter's perspective on paint choices to use for mixing color
• Wiki:  A basic tutorial on mixing paint; Note: This doesn't take into account pigment opacity.
• WetCanvas!:  A series of articles on color theory, history and mixing
• Watercolor Mixing:  Article for painters, watercolorists in particular on mixing paint

 
Keep Painting,
Karyn

For more brush information, check out the Dynasty Brush website.