Making Color Sing

In the 25th anniversary edition of Making Color Sing, Jeanne Dobie teaches you new ways to think about color and make it work for you, through 31 clear, easy-to-follow exercises. No color exists in isolation; colors are always interacting with one another. As this nationally recognized author explains, understanding color relationships is the key to successful painting.

Do you know how to use the push and pull of warm and cool colors to create a feeling of space? Can you generate exciting vibrations through the interplay of complements? Have you ever considered disguising one color in a scene to accent another color? All these possibilities—and more—are discussed and clarified with illustrations.

The lessons on color lead into another essential painting consideration: composition and design. Painting is much more than copying what you see. It involves finding a structure that allows you to organize and thus communicate your impressions and reactions. Dobie encourages artists to experiment with different arrangements of shapes and values to build a dynamic foundation in their paintings. This manual stimulates new ways to think about colour, generating responses that unlock personal creativity and allow artists to express themselves with paint.

Jeanne Dobie, a teacher and painter whose work is shown widely and often wins coveted awards, lives in Pennsylvania. She is an extremely talented watercolor painter who was a Juror of Award for the 2007 and 2014 American Watercolor Society International Exhibitions. Dobie’s work has been featured on various covers and articles.