Color and Light

The book moves from the tradition of painting light, through the different sources of light such as sunlight, candlelight and window light, to how light falls on form and creates shadows and reflections. Later chapters explain the elements of color, paints and pigments, color relationships and the practice of mixing a limited range of colors in advance. Gurney also introduces a simple method for planning a painting's palette using shapes laid over a color wheel.

Further chapters cover visual perception, surfaces such as skin, water and foliage, and atmospheric effects such as haze, fog, rainbows and sunsets. Every point is illustrated with Gurney's own paintings and sketches, and short explanations of science sit alongside practical advice. The writing is friendly and free of jargon, and the book is equally useful for traditional and digital artists. It works best as a reference to return to while painting rather than a book to read once.

Clear, beautiful and genuinely useful, a companion to Gurney's earlier book Imaginative Realism. Many art teachers recommend it as one of the best modern guides on the subject. About 224 pages in the Andrews McMeel paperback.