Even though we tend to take color for granted because we experience it with no mental efort, it is a very individual subject. Not all of us like the same colors. We show our preferences in the ways we decorate our homes and the clothing we select to wear.

Color also creates emotion and can be either soothing or exciting, stirring or calming. You would never see a hospital room painted red. On a cold winter day we think of the warmth of the red/orange flames in a fireplace. During the heat of summer we imagine the cool blue-green of a pool of water. Light and pastel colors are usually more comfortable. A room painted with dark color can be heavy, suppressive and suffocating (?) We see and use color daily without giving it a thought. If there happens to be a dramatic and unusual sunset, however, all eyes are turned skyward, art lovers or not.


In your study of color, I would like to suggest that you do not skip around in this book, but follow it thoroughly, step by step as it has been very carefully organized into a study progression. Hope you enjoy it. COLOR And How To Use It By William F. Powell Walter Foster Publishing