Buyer beware

I'm a self-confessed bookaholic. I love my art books and I'm never happier than when I find myself in front of a big shelf of art books - which might just have some which I've never seen or read before. However, sad to say, I'm very often disappointed by the calibre of books in stock and on offer in a number of book shops and art shops.

Last night I came across an explanation of why that might be - hence this post today. First a preamble to state where I was at prior to last night.

Art instruction books I rate highly include:

• good examples of artwork by artists who are recognised leaders in their particular field. Basically, the artwork is excellent of its type, is a pleasure to look at, may well expand my horizons in terms of what's possible and provides visual stimulation for my own work. (eg see The Drawing Book - into the vivid heart of drawing)
• have a clear view as to the target audience (beginners / improvers / advanced) and differentiate the content and/or instruction appropriately
  
• books which don't short change beginners (eg see So you want to learn how to draw....... )
  
• focus on the main topic and don't pad the book out with information which is largely redundant given the audience it is aimed at. In fact they well may do the reverse and provide appendices which are really interesting, provide a lot of new knowledge and keep me up far too late at night!
  
• books which are written by people who are experts in their field rather than by jobbing authors who have been commissioned to fulfil a task. In other words books or articles which communicate and stimulate because they are written by people who can write well (or have a good editor) and have
  
• up to date knowledge of their topic
  
• extensive practical experience of their topic
• real enthusiasm for their topic
  
• a positive approach to learning and development - and the sharing of ideas and techniques, and
  
• sometimes a unique perspective and/or challenging ideas on their topic.
  

The above is the main reason why I will continue to recommend books which are out of print. They may not be easy to get hold of but they are very often well worth the effort.

In my view, art instruction books which disappoint tend to have:

• not a lot of content - lots of pictures to fill the space instead!
• artwork which hurts my eyes (I did try to find a number of different ways of saying this - but this is what it boils down to!)
  
• authors who fail to demonstrate any real skill in the media they are using. It's not their specialist area and a very generous description of the skill level of some would be 'serious hobby artist'.
  
• contain mistakes or have not been well researched - which tends to undermine the credibility of the rest of the content and any other books by that author
  
• content which starts to looks very familiar - and after flicking through a few more pages I realise it is old content being recycled with a new cover.

When I find too many disappointing books on a shelf, I tend to come to the conclusion that the bookshelves have been "dumbed down". I've almost always tended to blame this on the buyers/stockists - in other words the bookseller or art shop.

This is a conclusion which is frequently reinforced when I do hit a really good bookshop selling art books - such as the flagship Waterstones in Piccadilly or Hatchards, also on Piccadilly. (see Gardens in Art: 2 bookshops and 1001 Gardens)

An alternative perspective - and the need for a rethink......

However last night, I read Bruce MacEvoy's take on the economics of publishing and editing standards and the whole process of producing art instruction books - and I've concluded I need to rethink my perspective.

I have a huge amount of respect for Bruce and his website handprint. It is both an amazing endeavour and a stunning website. Part of the site is dedicated to watercolours (and pigments and paints, colour vision and book reviews among other things). This part of the site contains the most amazing amount of expert knowledge and detailed content which is of huge help to all those interested in watercolours - while also providing a wealth of information for all of us who are interested in, for example, lightfastness and colour vision and theories. It's the biproduct of both diligent research, extensive reading and a huge commitment to share and inform for free - and it now gets over 2,500 visitors a day.

The content of Bruce's article (see below) may well surprise some readers of this blog.

All I can say is that it surprised me. Then I realised it explained some of the particular ways in which some art instruction books tend to disappoint me. I confess I alternated between chortling in the way you do when somebody says something out loud that you've been thinking privately (it's an 'emperor's new clothes' thing!) and experiencing a sudden movement as my jaw dropped and my mouth gaped.

So - finally - here is buyer beware - which is Bruce's explanation of the background to the production of art books.

Buyer beware
A caution on the use of artist books and magazines: they are, after all, in a business.
handprint - books

It certainly explains why I am so often disappointed when looking at new art books - and also why some articles in some art magazines fall short in meeting my expectations. (I'd also add there are some articles in the same magazines which I find very helpful and interesting to read - I just think it's a very great pity that the standard slips at times).

'Buyer beware' also includes "five reliable earmarks of art books to avoid". I agree with and endorse every statement he makes in this section.

I recommend you also read some of his book reviews and his comments on factual errors and misunderstandings of basic concepts contained in some books - such as very loose use of the term 'color'. Not being a watercolour expert, I've just had to revise my opinion of one or two - hence why you're not seeing a post about books which focus on mixing colours today!

For me, his perspective was reinforced when I also realised that Bruce shares my views on some of the books which I recommend. Here are his links to his reviews of books also recommended by me in the last two days (see links below):

• Color Choices by Stephen Quiller - a Handprint review
• Color in Contemporary Painting by Charles LeClair - a Handprint review
• Making Colour Sing by Jeanne Dobie - a Handprint review
  
• Color - Right from the Start by Hilary Page - a Handprint review

If you have the time, for those who paint using watercolour, I also recommend a thorough exploration of his site - when you have a spare week or two! You can find the site map here - which is also worth checking out even if you don't use watercolour. (Note - click the blue swirly icon to go up a level to the previous page)

Links:

• Learning about Colour - Art Book Reviews for Artists #1
• Using Colour - Art Book Reviews for Artists #2
• handprint
  

Using Colour - Art Book Reviews for Artists #2

Following on from yesterday's post about books which promote Learning about Colour, today's post is going to highlight some books which help to understand how to use colour. I want to emphasise that these aren't necessarily the best books - these are just five of the ones I own. As yesterday:

• I'm asking all my readers to tell us all what they have found to be the books which have they have found most useful in helping them to USE colour.
• below you will find a synopsis of five books that I own. This covers:
• what the book is about
• what sort of audience it's aimed at
• whether it is a favourite of mine and whether I recommend it

All the books are listed on both of my two related information sites Colour - Resources for Artists and Colour - Art Book Reviews for Artists. Anybody recommending or reviewing books related to USING Colour please let me know by commenting on this blog post and I'll look to include your recommendation and your review on the book review site. I've already been doing some updates as a result of recommendations on the main colour resources site!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Color Choices: Making Color Sense Out of Color Theory by Stephen Quiller

BUY THIS BOOK from Amazon.com | Amazon UK (Associate links)

Color Choices by Stephen Quiller - Far and away the best book to explain and use a mixing color wheel. Handprint book review

My second Stephen Quiller book - although this was the one I bought first. I want to emphasise that this is one of the books which always makes me feel good! Here's Stephen Quiller's synopsis of what it's about.

This book has been in print since 1989, and I have revised and updated the gatefold color wheel and colors in the book. This book provides a foundation on color mixing, color relationships and standard color schemes. Chapters on monochromatic, complementary, analogous, split-complementary and the triad are examined and developed thoroughly. This book provides a foundation for any artist who is interested in color.
Stephen Quiller

This book is essentially about a systematic approach to making colour make sense. With the help of his own "Quiller Wheel," (which is a special foldout wheel on A3 paper featuring 68 precisely placed colors), 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 (as described above), how to apply underlays and overlays, and use color in striking, unusual ways. It also has a very useful section at the end which reviews the Master Colorists. I will be reviewing the two Stephen Quiller books in more detail in a subsequent post.

This book is for people who want to grow in terms of personal expression and to learn more about how to use colour.

Some painters have a natural color sense. They "feel" by instinct what colours harmonize, without understanding the theory behind it. But most painters can only become colorists after a long process of growth. This process involves reading about color, studying master painters and how they used color and then applying these ideas to their own work
Stephen Quiller - Introduction to Color Choices

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Color in Contemporary Painting: Integrating Practice and Theory by Charles LeClair

Published in 1997 by Watson Guptill Publications; 224 pages; ISBN-10: 0823007413 ISBN-13: 978-0823007417

BUY THIS BOOK from Amazon.com | Amazon UK (Associate links)

Charles LeClair, author of The Art of Watercolor, takes an in-depth look at the many ways colour can be used in various types of painting. This is a book for those who learn by looking at how others use colour and want to know more about colour contributes to design and pictorial structure. It shows how colour relationships actually function in picture-making and no other book has such a diverse range of examples of contemporary art.

Colour theories are outlined and the book's thesis is that the reader must become acquainted with colour principles to use it spontaneously. A number of approaches to colour are set forth as a guide, including building a picture with colour blocks, enriching colour with shadows, heightening colour intensity, achieving freshness with broken colour, painting with sunlight, experimenting with abstract colour systems, fantasizing with colour and creating space with colour. Each of the sections of this book are illustrated by the work of artists of historical importance as well as by the work of contemporary artists. There are also a number of development studies of the author's own work. Each section closes with a group of suggested exercises.

The main emphasis of the book is on the way contemporary artists actually use colour - with examples of work by Milton Avery, Janet Fish, Richard Diebenkorn, Hans Hofman, Helen Frankenthaler, Jasper Johns, Wolf Kahn, Robert Rauschenberg, Harriet Shorr, Frank Stella, Wayne Thiebaud, and other artists whose style and subject matter cover a wide spectrum

LeClair uses the format of a slide show art lecture to present over 150 works by 70 artists, embracing both the new themes of the '80s and artists (such as Rivers, Albers and Mitchell) in the active tradition. LeClair's selection is a very good overview of the decade's art ideas: both eclectic and appreciative of the variety he has found.
He does a good job of presenting art concepts, including a stripped down "color theory," in simple and natural terms.
Handprint

This book will interest everybody from art students to professional artists - to people who just enjoy art and want to learn more about it. Even his editor still uses and refers to it! However it's difficult to get hold of - and Charles LeClair died in 2007. Read the Amazon reviews here.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Making Colour Sing by Jeanne Dobie AWS NWS

Hardback published 1986, new edition in paperback published 2000 by Watson Guptill Publications; 160 pages; ISBN-10: 0823029921 ISBN-13: 978-0823029921

BUY THIS BOOK from Amazon.com | Amazon UK (Associate links)

Everybody who has ever read this this best-selling book seems to recommend it - which might explain why it's sold over 100,000 copies in hardback and is now available in paperback. My copy is a hardback of 1986 vintage! This book is for those who are prepared to shift their thinking, exercise their brain and leave behind old habits and 'copying' photos. I know at least one teacher who makes this book mandatory reading for her students!

Mind-benders is the nickname my students have given my lessons - and for good reason. They are designed to stimulate new ways of approaching paintings; to challenge old habits cliches and mental blocks; in short to exercise the mind.
Jeanne Dobie - Introduction to Make Color Sing

Jeanne Dobie is an award-winning watercolourist who demonstrates in detail how to mix any colour and how to control colour and composition so everything works together to produce any effect desired. Her book, in no-nonsense plain English, sets out to stimulate new ways of thinking about colour in order to generate responses which stimulate personal creativity. Readers are provided with numerous exercises which show how the interplay of complementary hues can trigger vibrations; how the push and pull of warm and cool colours can create a feeling of space; how to disguise one colour in a scene to accent another plus many more tips about colour. The book has two parts - the first focuses on the colour exercises. The second part is about composition - on using colour as part of the process of creating compositions. For those wanting to know more about thinking in terms of 'big shapes' don't miss her 12 shapes exercise.

Read more reviews of this book on Google which also recommend this book. One is very critical about her paint recommendations on the basis of lightfastness. Note the updated palette from her website. This book and her approach will be reviewed in more detail later in this project.

Color Right from the Start: Progressive Lessons in Seeing and Understanding Color by Hilary Page

Published 2001 by Watson-Guptill; 144 pages; ISBN-10: 0823007529 ISBN-13: 978-0823007523

BUY THIS BOOK from Amazon.com | Amazon UK (Associate links)

Color Right from the Start carefully explains some sophisticated concepts and it is written to give artists just the depth of knowledge they need to be well-informed. This is a book for those who like their books in the 'how to' and 'step by step' format.

It provides a familiar foundation for lessons on the colour spectrum, why colours produce certain optical effects, what paints are made of, why they behave as they do when they're wet, when they're dry - and much more. If you want to construct your own colour charts - colour wheels for light and for pigments, and colour-mixing "maps" - Hilary Page shows you how. If you want to test your pigments for their special properties - how the pigment particles settle on paper, how well the paint serves as a glaze or in wet-on-wet application - she tells you exactly how to proceed. In subsequent lessons, she focuses on each major hue, from gray to yellow and on through red and blue to green - primary colors, secondary colors, and neutrals.

One of the unusual aspects of this books is that she provides reflectance curves for different colour shades.

New and more lightfast pigments have been introduced into the market since "Color Right from the Start" was first published in 1994. Manufacturers have upgraded and re-named their paints to reflect the use of the improved pigments - and Hilary Page has provided a conversion chart of the paints that have been changed on her website for all the paints which have changed. She also provides a complete reappraisal of watercolour colours on the website for her other book Hilary Page's Guide to Watercolor Paints. It looks very useful.

Painting the Impressionist Landscape: Lessons in Interpreting Light and Color by Lois Griffel

Published in 1994 by Watson-Guptill; 144 pages; ISBN-10: 082303643X ISBN-13: 978-0823036431

BUY THIS BOOK from Amazon.com | Amazon UK (Associate links)

This is the lady who teaches how to paint light using colour blocks and colour notes. In theory the book is about the secrets behind the dazzling color of the impressionists. In reality Monet influenced William Merritt Chase, who taught Charles Hawthorne - who founded the Cape Cod School of Art in 1899 which was the first American school dedicated solely to the ideals of Impressionist painting. Hawthorne then taught Henry Hensche who became his teaching assistant and then Director of the School who latterly taught Lois Griffel - who then became the third Director of the School.

Although this book has got a number of useful tips I have to confess I've never been able to finish it. I 'get' sections of it and then get 'stuck' at other points. It's interesting to note that one student reviewing it on on Amazon commented that explanations are maybe not as clear as they could be - and I think that's a fair summary. I've got a feeling that there is a much simpler book in there somewhere. The author also teaches workshop and this is the Painting the Impressionist Landscape Workshop 2008 Schedule. You can also read the 47 customer reviews on Amazon - most of which are very favourable.

Some tips for those buying books about using colourTIP #1:
When looking at books about the use of colour by artist/authors to try and see which one you'll buy, do remember to take a look at the artist's own paintings. You'll pay much more attention to the words of those who produce paintings which excite your brain. I've included links to the websites of the artist/authors named above where that's possible.

Tip #2
Take a look at the book reviews of books about colour science and colour theory on the Handprint website. This link - and links to each of the individual reviews - are being bookmarked as resource links on the Colour - Art Book Reviews for Artists site.

Tomorrow - an overview of five books about mixing colours.

NOTE: This post was updated in relation to book links on 4 September 2019

Learning about Colour - Art Book Reviews for Artists #1

During my project on Colour during June and July I'm producing book reviews of as many of my books about colour as I can. I'm also inviting other bloggers to contribute book reviews. Books reviews by me, participating artist bloggers and others found on the Internet will be listed on a new lens - published today - called Colour - Art Book Reviews for Artists (now titled The Best Art Books - Colour)I hope this will provide helpful guidance and advice for those wanting to choose an art book about colour which suits their needs.

This week, I'm producing a very brief synopsis of each book that I own. This which will cover:

• what the book is about (list rather than evaluation)
• what sort of audience it's aimed at
• whether it is a favourite of mine and whether I recommend it

A note about links:

• Links in the titles are to Amazon. For those which aren't available on Amazon I've also included links to Google Books which provides useful information about where to find a book and links to Google Books where they provide a 'look see' functionality for the book
• ISBN links are to Alibris who I am finding come up on a regular basis with good information about where to find a book - although I have to say I haven't used them.

Today we're focusing on Learning about Colour - and books which are primarily devoted to explaining about colour and/or provide an overview.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Colour by Edith Anderson Feisner

How to use colour in art and design
Published 2001 Laurence King ISBN-13: 9781856693004
ISBN: 1856693007

BUY THIS BOOK from Amazon.com (3rd edition) | Amazon UK (Associate links)

This is the most comprehensive book about colour that I've come across to date. It's accessible but I think it likely that it would be of most interest to colour nerds (like me)! Preview this book and the full contents guide on Google Books.

This is what it provides:

• explanation of the five main colour wheels and their application
• a historical account of colour theory plus a chronological list of colour theorists (unique?)
• a historical account of pigments and their use in fine and applied art plus a list of historical colour palettes linked to current colour code.
• analysis of the four dimensions of colour - hue, value intensity and temperature
• colour in composition - in relation to the principles and elements of design
• colour symbolism - including colour symbols in religion
• a thorough glossary of colour terms

Intervaled scale
A color scale that forms a smooth equal visual transition from one component of the scale to the next
Glossary - Colour by Edith Anderson Feisner

• over 75 colour charts
• over 100 works by students and well known artists
• coloring agents:
• dry binders
• liquid binders
• pigment origins and characteristics of common colours
• hue - various art media (eg Liquitex Acrylic Paints) matched to colour-aid paper pure hues
• color legibility rankings (background colors and lettering/line colors) Did you know that the most legible background colour is yellow?
• a very comprehensive bibliography

RECOMMENDED

Color: A Course in Mastering the Art of Mixing Colors by Betty Edwards

Published 2004 Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin ISBN-13: 9781585422197 ISBN: 1585422193

BUY THIS BOOK from Amazon.com | Amazon UK (Associate links)

This guide published in 2004 is by the bestselling author of Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain.

This is a primer for people wanting to learn more about colour written an author who focuses on making art theory and practice accessible. Of all the books concerned with learning about colour it's probably most suitable for those who are just starting to learn about colour.

It reduces the enormous existing knowledge about colour theory into a practical method of working with colour to produce harmonious combinations. Its focus is on practical exercises with 125 step by step images - and will suit those who learn by doing.

RECOMMENDED

Painter's Guide to Color By Stephen Quiller

Published 1999 Watson Guptill Publications 144 pages, ISBN-10: 0823039137 ISBN-13: 978-0823039135

BUY THIS BOOK from Amazon.com | Amazon UK (Associate links)

This book is good for people who want to produce coloured greys rather than mud! It's written by a well known contemporary artist who is also a very popular instructor. He provides an analysis of the painter's ideal palette and how it is organized with primary, secondary, and intermediate hues.

The guide explores value and intensity, complementary and analogous colors, harmonious and discordant colours and the ways in which color can be used to evoke moods and express atmospheric conditions and six colour families. A review of a range of master colorists' work completes the book. A color wheel is included with the book - bound-in but removable.

RECOMMENDED

Artist's Color Manual: The Complete Guide to Working with Color by Simon Jennings

Published 2003 by Chronicle Books, 192 pages ISBN:081184143X

BUY THIS BOOK from Amazon.com | Amazon UK (Associate links)

This is one of those books I'm glad I have and it's nicely laid (Think Dorling Kindersley) - but it is absorbing rather than stimulating . It won 'Artist's Choice' art instruction book of the year in 1995. There is a mini version also.

The publishers state that the Collins Artist's Colour Manual is aimed at painters in particular and creative people in general, but will also appeal to designers, art students and educators and all those with a creative interest in the visual world.

It has over 1,000 pages and 192 pages. Main topics include

• what is colour - information of paints, pigments and a condensed and simplified introduction to the theory of colour
• colour by colour - a tour around the paintbox and an exploration of different 'core' colours
• creative directions - interviews on the practical application of colour theory with practising artists (lots of pictures!)
• index of colour - a visual synopsis of over 450 colours from the world's leading manufacturers.

You can view the contents page and some of the pages from the Artists Colour Manual in Google Books and yet more here. It's a good introduction to colours for those who don't want all the in-depth theory.

What Every Artist Needs to Know about Paints & Colors By David Pyle

Published 2000 by Krause Publications ISBN:087341831X

BUY THIS BOOK from Amazon.com | Amazon UK (Associate links)

This book covers

• the history of color from the history of pigments through trading through colourmen, the new chemistry for paint production and modern-day computer applications for measuring the colormetric properties of pigments,
• the emotional impact of colour
• how paints and colors are made (he's listed as directing the communication and education dept. for Winsow and Newton)
• pigment characteristics, permanence and stability.
• information about how pigments perform in different media - acrylics, oils, and watercolor.

I'd say it's a good book for "improvers" who want to know more about the technical characteristics of pigments, paint production and paint characteristics. As I'm a dry media rather than a 'brush' artist, it's of less interest to me.

Tomorrow I'm looking at books which are more about Using Colour.

NOTE: This post was updated in relation to book links on 4 September 2019

Colour and Color - an online project

St. James's Parrot
8" x 10", coloured pencil on Arches HP
copyright Katherine Tyrrell

I like colour, I respond to colour and people frequently compliment me on my use of colour in my drawings. But do I know enough about colour? I don't think so!

For the next two months I'm going to be focusing on colour with a view to becoming better at understanding and using colour. The idea is that I will:

• remind myself of what I do know - so it gets bedded down even further into the braincells
  
• then work out what I don't know and find out about as much of that as possible in the time.
  
• Plus along the way I hopefully identify all the things which currently I don't know I don't know about - and learn about those too!!!
• 
  

[UPDATE:  Most of the links are to posts generated by this project]

What I've done so far

I've set up a site Colour - Resources for Artists for the various links to different resources on the internet and have been collecting and sorting these for months and months!

I still need to try and work out what should be final order of all the information and resource links that are now included. Never before have I had an information site which has caused as much pondering as this one has! What comes before what? Colour feels to me like it's going to be one of those hub subjects where the topics are like spokes spinning out from the centre and they are all committed to the wheel but they don't have a hierarchy. (I think I just created my first colour joke!)

I keep changing the order of colour topics and I don't think I've quite got it right yet. Let me know what you think. If you take a look at the list of contents near the top of the page and then click a link it will take you straight to that topic.

Learning about colour is something I've been doing for years and I've bought a small mountain of books about colour in the process. So I'm definitely going to be doing some book reviews. I have a confession to make - books about colour make me feel good. Just turning the pages is a turn on. For that reason I can't promise that these will be the most objective book reviews you've ever read!

What topics am I going to cover?

Here's a list of topics associated with colour which will inform the plan for the plan for the project - which hopefully will emerge this week. I hope most of them will be covered - but I'm still not sure. Check them out below - can you see what I mean about now knowing quite where to start?

Colour Basics

• three attributes:
  
• hue - introduction to the colour wheel and analogous colours
  
• value -impact on design
  
• intensity - complementaries and coloured greys
  
• colour temperature
• colour moods
• where does colour in art media come from? 
• Pigments and chemistry basics
• lightfastness and colour
  
• colour - useful tools and websites
• Book reviews re books about the basics of colour
• see Making a Mark: Colour - a materials perspective #1 - pigments and dyes and Making a Mark: Colour - pigments and related colours and Making a Mark: Colour - naming dyes, pigments and paints

Colour is my day long obsession, joy and torment
Claude Monet

The science of colour - ways of seeing colour

• what is colour? 
• How colour works
• Additive and subtractive colour
• How we experience colour
• using software to adjust colour
• book reviews about the books which do the science well
• see Making a Mark: Colour - a scientific perspective

Colour vocabulary

• naming colours and colour names
• classification systems
  

Colour Systems and Theory

• the colour wheel - see Making a Mark: Describing a colour space - there's more than one colour wheel!
• an overview of the main theories (leaning heavily on Edith Feisner's book) - see Making a Mark: Hues - a systems perspective
• the pigment wheel
• the process wheel
• the munsell wheel
• the light wheel
• the visual wheel
  
• investigation of colour theorists eg Goethe, Munsell, Albers

Mixing colours

• optical mixing of colours - what is it, how do you do it
• how to avoid making mud
• how to make colourful greys  - 
• book reviews re books on Mixing Colours
• see Making a Mark: Complementary Colours and mixing neutral colours

Colour in the History of Art

• colours used in different periods
  
• colour symbolism - see Making a Mark: Symbolic Colour
• see Making a Mark: Local Colour and Realism

Colour in composition

• the impact of colour on composition
• colour and the principles of design and composition
• colour and the elements of design and composition
  
• monochrome
• limited palettes - see Making a Mark: Analogous Colours; Making a Mark: Colour Schemes: Split Complementaries, Triads and Tetrads
• optical effects
• book reviews about books which focus on using colour
  

Colourist painters

• individual artists and their approach to colour
• art movements and their approach to colour
• Impressionists
  
• Fauves
• Scottish colourists

Quotations

I'm going to be dropping quotations about colour into the colour project blog posts - I'll probably be raiding Robert Genn's 337 quotations about colour for some of them. Interestingly I've already learned one thing. The Monet quote about the little square of blue, an oblong of pink and a streak of yellow isn't being picked up by some of those who are indexing quotations - which makes me wonder did he ever really say it. (Have you ever noticed that quotations are frequently not attributed to a source?). Anyway, I've come across lots that are stimulating - and will be using them this month.

Book Reviews

These are the books which will be informing this project - along with the information contained in Colour - Resources for Artists. There are links to the books below on this site.

[UPDATE:  see Making a Mark: Learning about Colour - Art Book Reviews for Artists #1 and
Making a Mark: Using Colour - Art Book Reviews for Artists #2]

• Learning about colour
• Colour by Edith Anderson Feisner
  
• Color by Betty Edwards
• Painters Guide to Colour by Stephen Quiller
  
• Paints and Colours by David Pyle
• Color - right from the start by Hilary Page
  
• Artists Colour Manual by Simon Jennings
• Using colour
• Making Colour Sing by Jeanne Dobie
• Color Choices by Stephen Quiller
• Color in Contemporary painting by Charles Le Clair
• Watercolour Colour by Ray Smith
• Colour - how to see it, how to paint it by Judy Martin
  
• Colour Mixing
  
• Blue and Yellow don't make Green by Michael Wilcox
• Choosing and Mixing colours for painting by Jeremy Galton
• How to mix and use colour by Tony Paul
• Transparent watercolour Wheel by Jim Kosvanec

I'll probably find a few more which I've put back on the wrong book case!

I'm going to be publishing another squidoo lens devoted to book reviews for books about colour - Colour - Art Book Reviews for Artists. This is already in draft and I'll see if I can publish it tomorrow. [Update - now published] This can also include links to book reviews done by other people [Update: Both bloggers participating in the project and reviews I find through blog searches]

An invitation

You are invited to join in with this projects and to learn more about colour. I'm going to suggest that you work out for yourself what you want to know more about - and that you pursue that line. Hopefully you'll get a few ideas from the above list. I've found in the past that people finding their own path through a subject - while also reviewing what others are learning - often leads to greater learning for all of us.

You're welcome to use any of the links to information I've collected - and to signal any great new ones you find.

If you want to join in please let me know below and give me the URL for your blog. I'll then do a round-up at the end of each month - and will link to blogs and blog posts which have been participating in the project. Obviously if you keep an eye on any names which pop up below you can have a look at what's emerging before that.

I've also started a site for book reviews linked to this project - and you're very welcome to alert me to any of your own book reviews of any and all books on colour that you have posted on your blog.

I'm going to start tomorrow with a quick overview of the various books - so that if anybody wants to go out an buy one you've got an idea what it's about. I'll be saying which are my favourite books and the ones I recommend - because I know which ones stand out at the moment.

Finally - I think you can expect the emphasis to be on colourful images from me in the next couple of months - hopefully putting learning into practice. I hope to also try and explore colourful greys at some point.

1st June 2008 - Who's made a mark this week?

Making A Mark - Katherine Tyrrell - Drawing, Writing, Sharing
copyright Katherine Tyrrell

Last week I published my new website which is called Making A Mark (http://makingamark.co.uk) I was wondering what to do for the feature item on my Sunday post and decided I probably better make it that! However I'm at that funny phase where I still feel like I want to keep quiet about it as it's still very much at the "beta" stage.

This site will become the 'hub' website over time for my various art-related activities within the three themes of drawing, writing and sharing. I've been working on it for some time and I think it's at the 'just about acceptable to go on view' stage. The basic pages are 'good enough' for the time being - but I do want to refine them and do welcome any comments. Please pay a visit and let me know what you think.

My plan for how it will develop needs a proper dedicated post once I've got a little of that started so you can see what it will become. My efforts under the 'Making A Mark Publications' banner on my portfolio site will transfer over here and my portfolio website, Pastels and Pencils, will then go back to being much more of a portfolio again.

A little anecdote for those who build websites before I move on to who's made a mark this week.

I always get domain names registered as soon as I've identified a reason for wanting it because I just KNOW that otherwise I'll regret it as it will be gone by the time I decide to do something with it. I've had www.makingamark.co.uk for a long time now - and was very glad I made that acquisition when I saw who else decided to use Making A Mark for their website. This is my competition - the National Assessment Agency - a resource that provides support and information to all markers throughout the 2008 marking cycle! I think I can live with them knocking me off my perch of being #1 in the Google search - and a few extra searches for a certain keyword will do me no harm! ;) :D

Art Business and Marketing

A major item this week is the Orphan Artwork and the copyright debate which is relevant to ALL ARTISTS whether living in the USA or Overseas. This has shunted a lot of the normal links but read on to find out why I'm giving it prominence this week.

What I hadn't realised before is that there are in fact two different bills about orphan works - one in the House of Representatives and one in the Senate, that the first bill has passed the House of Reps on 9th May and that the final content of any proposed merged bill going before the President won't ever get voted on by either house!

• The Orphan Works Opposition Headquarters is dedicated to opposing the Orphan Works legislation. (The Shawn Bentley Orphan Acts of 2008 (S. 2913) and The Orphan Works Act of 2008 (H.R. 5889). It provides a succinct page of:
  
• links to the bills - link to a PDF of H.R. 5889 and link to a PDF of S.2913
• latest news
  
• the current action plan (NOTE THE DATES in this next week)
  

Creative professionals-- photographers, painters, illustrators, quilters, calligraphers, art licensors, cartoonists and crafters among others— will be travelling to Washington DC on Tuesday, June 3^rd, and meeting with our Senators and Representatives Wednesday, June 4^th and Thursday, June 5^th to share our concerns about this legislation.
Orphan Works Oppostition Headquarters - Lobbying Effort

• this is the current list of creative and visual arts organisations which currently oppose the bill
• I found Little Orphan Artworks by Lawrence Lessig, a Law Professor at Stanford University for the New York Times (20th May 2008) to be very useful.
  
• He addresses the practical issues for creative artists and I think I like his suggested solution - it's certainly seems to me to be the most practical one suggested to date.
  
• His website also looks very interesting and you can also read his blog - both seem to have quite a lot to say about cyberspace law.
  
• Here's an extract from what he has to say about orphan artworks - and I recommend you ALL read the full article (my bold below) - no matter where you live.
  

The solution before Congress, however, is both unfair and unwise. The bill would excuse copyright infringers from significant damages if they can prove that they made a “diligent effort” to find the copyright owner. A “diligent effort” is defined as one that is “reasonable and appropriate,” as determined by a set of “best practices” maintained by the government.

But precisely what must be done by either the “infringer” or the copyright owner seeking to avoid infringement is not specified upfront...........
The bill makes no distinction between old and new works, or between foreign and domestic works. All work, whether old or new, whether created in America or Ukraine, is governed by the same slippery standard
Lawrence Lessig

• Award-winning animation producer/director Mark Simon wrote an article Mind Your Business: You Will Lose All The Rights to Your Own Art for Animation World Magazine which is reproduced on their website. He highlights a number of issues - including the benefits for Bill Gates of current proposals - and what he sees as some of the problems.
  
• Leonard D. DuBoff and Christy O. King were commissioned by The Artist's Magazine to write an article Understanding the Orphan Works Controversy which has been published on its website. While explaining the current situation and highlighting the fact that economic redress for infringement is likely to be impractical and thus unobtainable it seems to me that it still doesn't address the issues of
  
• how the proposed legislation will apply to the copyright of images generated by people living outside the USA. Just how exactly will those seeking to use images establish where we all live?
  
• the extreme likelihood that thieves and fraudsters aren't going to pay much attention to any best practice statement for how to conduct a copyright search! It would be really nice to some input from the police who deal with art fraud.
• I'm less happy with the perspectives offered by the blogs of both the Artist's Magazine and the Pastel Journal that some people are being alarmist about this. While undoubtedly some people are being alarmist, the reality is that the situation is very alarming for all practitioners - and the comment in the New York Times from the Law Professor from Stanford is that proposed solutions are unfair and unwise!
• The DuBoff/King article highlights the March 2008 Statement of Marybeth Peters, The Register of Copyrights before the Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property Committee on the Judiciary on The “Orphan Works” Problem and Proposed Legislation. I've scanned it twice and it seems to me that she completely ducks the issue of works generated by overseas artists despite earlier recognising that such works had to be taken out of the requirement to register with the Copyright Office! I'm beginning to think that current proposed solutions to the acknowledged problem are designed to provide work for copyright experts and funding for libraries involved in the copyright searches - and is arrogant beyond belief in relation to the rights of those living outside the USA!
• For those of you who blog rather than read blogs - Jonathan Bailey's article on BlogHerald sets out What Orphan Works Could Mean to Bloggers - and why this is so important for people living outside the USA.
  
• The Wikipedia article on Orphan Works - although not up to date - provides a lot of links at the bottom to the positions of various groups - with a lot of visual art groups adding their links.
  
• the Public Knowledge site provides an outline and a useful timeline in Orphan Works - with links of what has happened so far and proposes a solution.
  
• The message from all sites considering the orphan artwork issue is to write to your Representative or Senator and let them know what you think. However the latter might be better as the bill passed through the House of Representatives on 9th May! What do you think?
  
• This is the Illustrators Partnership of America suggested framework for such letters. This is their action site.
  
• Given this applies to all artworks I think it's would be reasonable for artists living outside the USA to write too - but who to? Note this link for overseas artists from the Illustrators Partnership - with framework letter and addresses to contact. Suggestions please as to e-mail addresses - as I'm trying to remember how to fax!
• Tammy L. Browning-Smith, J.D., LL.M (artsandcraftslaw) who identifies in Orphan Works - House of Representatives that letters to the House and the Senate need to be different because the bills are different. She provides a draft of what to say.
• Have you checked whether your art society has sent in a response?
  

In the meantime folks, I suggest you review your current policy and practice on marking the copyright of your images and consider practical options. It's occurred to me that actually having a website of all digital images curiously might actually provide some security around establishing ownership of copyright.

• One option is creating a note or tag that notes your copyright ownership of every image you put on the internet. Read the Jonathan Bailey article listed above for more specific suggestions about how to create an identity for a digital image. I've certainly started trying to be a bit more methodical about using the tags and comments functionality for my images and documents. I'm now wondering about including my nationality as well.......
  
• This is advice from Creative Commons on how to mark work so it benefits from any creative commons licence - and this is how to go about marking images.

On the wider economy and art business generally............

• Thanks to Sue Smith for pointing me in the direction of the Art Business News print version of the Gallery Roundtable about trends in the art market, economic challenges and changes in the art industry and technology which was taken from the live event held at Artexpo New York 2008. Sue neatly summarised the main trends in Trends and the Changing Art Market
• Art Business News also has a very helpful section of links to articles about Marketing in a Virtual World. Here are links to some of them
• 6 Online Techniques to Make Your Gallery Event a Success: Part 3 – E-Mail Campaigns By Lance Trebesch
• 10 Reasons Why Every Business Owner Should Have A Blog By Lance Trebesch and Taylor Robinson
• Tina Mammoser has written about Networking? - and reminds us that friends are also part of our business networks.

The friends of friends cliche isn't a myth. Yes we need to network at focused events, with gallery owners, collectors and other business people generally. But someone you know or could know might know someone else who works in a gallery. Another Etsian's good friend might have a jewellery shop. Someone's partner may work at a creative institution. Best friends might have done a lot of art fairs. Grown kids might live in another city and know some trendy spots with great boutiques and galleries. Of course no one may think to mention it for ages.
Tina Mammoser

Art Blogs

• Clive Powsey in Canada commented on one of my blog posts this week and I went to look at his art blog as I always do when somebody comments. He has some great watercolours of British Columbia - including some really stunning paintings of moving water - on his blog Watercolour Painting by Clive Powsey plus what look like some interesting links to other Canadian artists.
• Jeanette Jobson at the other end of Canada in Newfoundland had a stimulating post about "Which came first? The drawing or the painting?" on her blog Illustrated Life which drew some interesting comments too.
  
• Sue Smith (Ancient Artist) has interviewed Linda Blondheim (Linda Blondheim Art Notes) for today's Sunday Salon: Sitting Down With Linda Blondheim.
  
• Sue's had some other memorable posts recently including:
  
• another good Sunday Salon recently on When You feel the pain
• and How to Read an Art Book

• Casey Klahn in Washington State was out sketching a civil war reenactment on Memorial Day and recorded his efforts on his Pastels blog in Battle Sketching! with further comments on his other blog which are reproduced below!
  

Physical and moral courage is the stuff of battle. Artistic courage is going into a holiday crowd and doing pastels en plein air of something you've never done before. New subjects, unusual environment, subjects you intentionally avoid (horses) and fast moving action!
Casey Klahn

• Mr Zip (Boogie Street) in Gateshead explains in More Drawing Angst that he is looking to do more drawing and sketching and to get involved with the Moleskine Exchange and other projects but isn't sure how to start - and I'm sure the same sentiment applies to others. I've suggested making sure to visit lots of blogs - sooner or later you spot a project!. Getting involved always seems to be linked to making comments on blogs - so that people can get to know you. What's your view? Do you have any helpful hints? Maybe people who participate in projects can provide their perspective?
  
• I've been charmed by Helen Percy Lystra's new blog with no name at http://www.helenlystra.blogspot.com/. She's well past the three month mark now - so this looks like it could run and run!
  

Artists

• enjoy an audio slideshow by the BBC about the wonderful Beryl Cook who has died aged 81 and her delightful paintings - always great fun! The Times have also got a good obituary/article of this engaging lady artist who didn't start painting until she was 40! Check out her website to see why her work was much loved and never out of production as licensed images.
  
• Thanks to Casey Klahn for reminding me about the Pastel Masters article by Naomi Ekperigin published by American Artist in their June edition and on their website. It covers Edgar Degas, Mary Cassatt, Wlliam Merritt Chase, Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin (1699 – 1779) and Jean-François Millet (1814-1875). It's always good to see attention being given to artists who have been influential in the use of pastel and I've added this article to my information site Pastels - Resources for Artists
  

Art exhibitions

• The Times has announced in Is there a Price to pay for free art? that museums and art galleries in London are packed! I was tickled by the idea that Tate Modern was beginning to look like a creche last weekend!

South East Open Studios 6th-22nd June 2008 (www.seo-art.org)

• We seem to have reached Open Studios Season
• South East Open Studios runs from 6th-22nd June in the South East of England. I found the map fascinating (see above) - there are big concentrations around Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells which rather bucks the usual pattern of where artists live!
• Greenwich Open Studios is on 14th/15th June and 21st/22nd June and promotes the work of visual artists living and working in the London Borough of Greenwich. It is preceded by Greenwich Open Studio Artists @ RENEWAL - A special preview exhibition of artworks by local artists sponsored by RENEWAL. Exhibition open every day Sat 31st May to Thurs 12th June, open 12-6pm 31st May to 12th June, 22 Bardsley Lane, Greenwich SE10 9RF. One of the participating artists in this event is Tina Mammoser (the Cycling Artist) - and I have an invite to the Private View of 3rd June!
  
• For those who live near Linda Blondheim (see above) Linda's Annual Hot Dog Picnic in Gainesville Florida - featuring artwork as well as hot dogs - is on June 12, 2008 from 10am-8pm
• Let me know if you have an annual annual open studios event for a group of artists in your area and I'll post in my Sunday blog post. People - like Linda - who feature in this weekly post from time to time can have an individual mention!
  

Art Holidays and artists who teach

• I've been writing about painting holidays all this week - of which more below - and it seems like a good time to highlight Adam Cope's project Paintings of Painters Painting : Drawings of Draughts-Persons Drawing on his blog Dordogne Painting Days
• I wondered when I started my mini-series on painting holidays what might happen in terms of people who read this blog and who also teach. I'm really pleased to see Jeanette Jobson's comment. She is relatively new to teaching - but you just know from this post Learning and teaching that she cares about how she teaches, reflects on her task and seeks improvement.
  

The mini series on painting holidays is in the process of being converted into articles which will live on the new Painting Holidays page on my new website. In the meantime, if you missed any of the articles they're listed below. There's lots of interesting comments to read as well.

• Making A Mark - Why choose a painting holiday?
• Making A Mark - How to choose a painting holiday
• Making A Mark - How to make the most of a painting holiday
• Making A Mark - The big gap in the painting holiday market
• Making A Mark - A checklist for painting holiday hosts
• Making A Mark - How to find a painting holiday website

Art Materials and Supplies

• I'm in severe danger of making this week's post a rehash of Jeanette Jobson's blog! She's also written recently about goose quills and quill pens - and I'm just wondering whether we can all persuade her to start thinking seriously about a micro-industry in her farmyard!
  

and finally....

I start my project on Colour tomorrow. This will last for the next couple of months. I'm doing this because I love colour, think I know about colour - and then every time I start to look in more depth at particular closely at particular aspects of colour I find I am no longer sure any more!!!

What I am certain of is this project will turn out to be a journey of discovery for me - and for anybody else who cares to join in. Do stop by to take a look at an outline of ways I might go forward from tomorrow.

At the moment, the trick seems to be knowing where to start! I started gathering links to information many months ago but still can't find a satisfactory way of ordering the infomation on Colour - Resources for Artists. Please make any suggestions below - plus I'd be interested to hear what aspects of colour puzzle you.

PS Have you ever visited Making A Mark on Squidoo?