I am not an artist, at least, that is not what I've gone to school for (I am a History professor). But Betty Edwards' books, over the past couple of decades, have helped me to draw like I know what I am doing. And now I know more about color and the art of mixing acrylics.

For those of you who have taken art classes or consider yourselves to be artists, I don't know how you take the book. But for those of us who yearn to express ourselves through art but were never instructed, this book is a godsend. No one ever explained color theory to me before, at least that I could grasp, but Edwards' no nonsense way of teaching as a step-by-step process explains color theory in excruciating detail.

I tried to paint before, but failed to mix the colors the way I wanted to, or to match what I was seeing. Edwards makes sure that this never happens to you again, at least that is what I got from the book. What I found the most helpful on an emotional level were the little blurbs in the margins, which some other "reviewers" criticized. Why do these help? Because now I know that Van Gogh, Da Vinci, and others had to LEARN color theory like I have to learn it. They didn't just pick up a paintbrush and oils and voila!, they were masters. They worked at it, just like me. I don't feel so stupid about art anymore.

Edwards will make you see color structures in a better way, an artists' way. You should be able to express what you see in front of you better after reading her instructions in this book and doing the lessons. Painting used to be mysterious to me, and now I know how to achieve the colors I want, how to balance out my paintings, and how to think like a painter. Like I said above, I no longer feel like an idiot where painting is concerned, I feel like I can paint, which is exactly what Edwards wants from her readers.

The only problem I have with the book is that my color mixes don't always come out looking the same as in the book, even though I do what she says to do, but it may be the limitations of color in printing a book that is the problem, maybe not, I don't know. But unlike some of the other "reviewers," I had no problem getting all the right materials. Just go to Dick Blick Art Supplies online and you will find all the materials she wants you to have, no problem, including all the right colors.

If you have never understood color theory before and want to understand it, and if you have never been taught to mix paint before but want to learn it now, I highly recommend this book. Maybe it should be called "Painting for Dummies," or something, because I am not so sure how much help it is for people who already call themselves artists, but it is helping this historian learn to express her creative side with confidence and in color.

I admit it: I was suckered into buying this book on the strength of Dr. Edwards' classic, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. So how does one repeat the success of a classic? Well, this book sure isn't it!
OK, there's some helpful advice, particularly for the new art student, but much of the book is worthless. Her "scientific" opinions seem spurious, like her opinion that we see after-images of colors because the brain has a preference for complements. She devotes an entire chapter to the worldwide meanings given to colors -- leading the reader exactly nowhere since the meanings are as different as the cultures. I get the sense that this entire chapter was simply book-filler. Finally and ultimately, she fails to answer the question most artists need: How do I create a working palette?
There are much better books on color theory: Exploring Color, Color Harmony in Your Paintings, and Blue and Yellow Don't Make Green, to name a few.

It is interesting to read the reviews on a book like this and then to finally get the book to decide its quality for myself. Sometimes, my opinion is so different from some of the reviews that I wonder if we were reading the same book! That is the case with this book. I think that it is outstanding!

I bought Betty Edwards' book "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" way back when it was first released and it improved the quality of my drawing enormously. This book on "Color" has done the same for me on seeing and mixing color pigments. I finally understand!

The book presents color theory with exercises on seeing and mixing colors in a very logical, step by step manner. Each chapter builds on the previous chapter, so that by the end of the book, you will have a thorough understanding of how color pigments work. More importently, you will understand how to mix any color your need. Of course, the mixing is a skill that must be practiced and if the exercises in the book are carefully followed, you will get plenty of very productive practice!

I have always had a lot of trouble mixing color pigments and often ended up with mud. I now understand why and how to correct it! I never understood how color complements really worked, and now I do. I never understood how to brighten and darken color pigments without ending up with strange looking "Stuff" on my pallette. Now I understand. I never understood how to create effective color harmony. I have read many books on color harmony that were just pictures of harmonious color arrengements with little instruction on how to arrive at them. Now I know how to start with one or two base colors and create a beautiful, harmonious palette of color ! Outstanding!!

If you need to understand any aspect of mixing color pigments, this is the book to get! Absolutely disregard the negative review on this site. As a matter of fact, don't even bother to read the review. It is a waste of time. The person who wrote it could not possibly have been reading the same book!!