Colour Demystified: A complete guide to mixing and using watercolours - Softcover

Collins, Julie

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1782217975 ISBN 13: 9781782217978

Publisher: Search Press, 2021

Synopsis

Colour Demystified will banish the all-too-common confusion over the watercolour palette and give painters the confidence to experiment with colour mixing.

This book demystifies colour, and helps artists understand how colour works in a highly visual way through the use of colour charts accompanied by examples, practical exercises, and analyses of watercolour paintings.

Numerous artworks by a variety of contemporary artists are featured in the book, covering a broad range of subjects and palettes. Topics such as granulation, iridescence, staining strength, and transparent and opaque colours are explained clearly and simply, and there is practical guidance on colour relationships, using colour to create space, and how to be more creative with colour. 

Armed with a clearer understanding of colour and how it looks and behaves on paper, artists will be encouraged to be more bold and creative in their use of colour in their art. 

About this title

About the Author

Julie Collins studied Fine Art at the University of Reading and has been an artist, writer and teacher since then. She has written a number of colour mixing guides and artists’ problem‑solving books and has now sold over 80k books. Julie also writes for Leisure Painter & The Artist magazine. She works from her studio in Hampshire, UK, where she explores her passion for painting, drawing and crafts.

Julie has received numerous prestigious awards for her painting, including from the Royal Watercolour Society, the Royal West of England Academy and ING Discerning Eye. She was elected a Member of the Society of Women Artists and on to the SWA Council in 2022.

In 2025 Julie was made a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers and a member of the Painter-Stainer’s Art Society.

From the Back Cover

Unravel the riddles of watercolour palettes and learn how to use colour with confidence!

Julie Collins helps you understand how colour works in a highly visual way through the use of colour charts accompanied by numerous examples, practical exercises and studies of watercolour paintings, both her own works and those of contemporary artists.

Topics such as granulation, iridescence, transparency and opacity are explained clearly and simply, to encourage you to experiment with colour and be bolder and more creative in your art.

Edition details

• Publisher: Search Press
• Publication date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1782217975
• ISBN 13: 9781782217978
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 160