Nothing is ever actually straightforward or simple.
Of course now buying Stephen Quiller’s books on color theory now falls into that category.
As far as I know he has the following two books on color theory:
Color Choices: Making Color Sense Out of Color. Note that this is a new edition.
I purchased my copy of this book in 1989. I know this because here’s a used copy with that publishing date, and I know I bought it right away when it came out. (I can’t look up the publication date in my copy because my books are all currently in storage—the ones I kept that is; and I kept all my Quiller books.)
Painter’s Guide to Color is the other color theory book. This link here going to a listing labeled “latest edition.”
My copy of this book is actually this one. It came out in 1999 and that’s when I got it.
What’s Going On?
Last week my friend Keiko let me know that her Color Choices book had poor color printing. (That’s the NEW/Latest edition.) On the color chart contained in the book magenta looked like purple, and there were other really odd “colors” throughout the book.
In Painter’s Guide the printing seemed to be OK, but the color chart had been reduced to fit on one page, not the fold out page like you’ve seen me deploy in our color chats if you’re on Patreon, or perhaps seen in a photo on this blog when I’m reviewing the book.
Before hearing from Keiko I didn’t even know that these books had been reprinted, let alone had differences from the original printings.
The fact that PG does not have a fold out page makes perfect sense to me. Fold outs add cost to a print run, and a re-issue doesn’t justify the cost. The good news is that the reduced chart is still readable, and the printing in that book seems to be fine.
Why Does Any of This Matter to You?
Perhaps none of this matters because you’ve had no intention of purchasing either of these books. You were always intending to get one out from the library, or simply not read up on color theory. (You know how I feel about the latter.)
But many of you are interested in adding to your art instruction library, so when Keiko told me this I decided I had better spread the word.
When a book goes out of print you’re pretty much out of luck, unless you find a used copy.
When a book is re-issued it’s usually good news and you expect the printing to be good. But even if the printing is bad, it can still be good news. The fact that a new edition has been issued means that the older editions won’t sky-rocket in price. (When a book falls out of print and isn’t reissued we find ourselves staring at prices of $100, and more; none of which is realistic for most of us.)
I mention this to all of you know because you might be about to purchase either or both of these books.
Be aware, when you purchase one of these books which edition you are buying. The publication date will be listed in the description of the book. The word “latest” edition might also be included as a selling point.
Above I’ve placed the links for the new/latest editions, followed by the link to the edition of the book that I own. If you want to buy the latter of either title you’re probably going to have to buy a used copy. It probably will run about $35. (That’s for now, prices could of course go up or down.)
What if I’ve Already Got the Latest Edition?
If you’ve already purchased one of the “latest” editions I wouldn’t sweat it. The text is there in those editions and Quiller’s discussion on color theory in both books is great. I have recommended both books for years because his discussion of color theory is clear and to the point. That hasn’t changed.
In the CC latest edition the color printing isn’t great, so that may confuse you at first. BUT since you know that’s the case going in, then you can get your own paints out right away and mix things so you’ll see what the color is supposed to be. Besides—I’m always telling you to do that anyway, so this just ensures that you’ll need to do that.
Note: On the color printing in CC, Keiko just has one copy; neither of us have seen other copies. Depending on which printing methods were used there may be variation between copies in the latest edition; which means you might get a copy with better quality color printing—I only mention this because on-demand printing has become so big in the last decade. I have no idea if that printing method is being used to reprint this book, but if it is being printed in one of several ways on-demand color books are printed then the color can vary from book to book.
For the PG latest edition book, there is nothing essential about having a fold out page.
I get asked all the time which book should be read first, or if only one is to be read which one should it be?
I really can’t answer that. My books are in storage at present. I can’t compare them side by side. I just have my memories of them and I might conflate what was in which book.
I can tell you the following:
I read them in publishing order.
I believe both books stand alone.
I believe both books have excellent examples and exercises.
I want you to start reading and working with color theory—so if you have to, flip a coin and just go for it. You won’t lose if you read either of these books.
Good advice! Studying “Color Choices” has been by far the best thing I’ve done to understand color theory. I’ve been using a “Quiller palette” as a watercolor painter for the past couple years, and it’s gotten me to a point where I can now intuitively mix anywhere on the color wheel. Highly recommended book!
Yes, Quiller is great on color theory and that book is fantastic. I’m glad you’ve been working with his palette to help you mix and have discovered how to mix intuitively. Understanding color theory opens so many doors for experimentation, and satisfaction. Thanks for stopping by.
I found two “new copies” one from 2021 and one from 2002 can your friend tell us which “new copy” she has?
Cece, if you look at the opening of this post there are links, labeled as to which edition I have, and which my friend purchased, you can read those sentences and click on the appropriate link to have the information you wish.
The new copy for 2021 will be different from mine which was purchased in the 1990s with a 1989 copyright. That would make the 2002 book you’re looking at probably a reprint or early revision. My friend doesn’t have that book and I don’t know anything about that printing.
Previous editions may be difficult for you to locate, so you may need to look for used books if you want the older editions. Check the copyright page for information on when an individual book was published and if it is a revision.
I wouldn’t jump through hoops to get a specific edition of any book unless it contained material excised from the book and you specifically what that info—e.g., Guptill published several revised versions of his “Color” book or painting in color, I don’t recall (my copies are in storage). I found this out from looking through a friend’s copy. There were interesting sections removed from the later editions, i.e., his book had sections mine didn’t. These changes were mostly because it was too expensive to provide tip-ins of color swatches for the later editions. As a graphic designer interested in printing history it was important to me to have a copy of that earlier book for printing history as much as for a sense of how color theory was presented. I found one through a used book seller.
In general, if you don’t have my publishing interests it isn’t important to get an earlier edition.
Remember that with all color printings of ANY color theory books there will be “issues.”
CMYK printing methods used to print these books are not exact, and can’t provide exact replicas of swatches or even actual artwork. Printed pieces are approximations.
Everything in the printed book will skew in about the same way, and what is important is that the information hasn’t changed, and the chart will still show you where a given paint, in this book example, will fall on the color wheel.
Ultimately that’s what you’re looking for—the information. You still need, as was needed before, to work with the actual colors on paper and train your eye.
The shifting of colors in the newest edition is not a flaw or “deal breaker,” it’s simply a bit inconvenient, even disappointing. People who already have trained eyes like my friend, will notice the color shift when they look at the book. They know that a warm red shouldn’t look magenta. People new to color theory won’t notice until they take the same pigments the author recommends and see that their swatches are different from what’s in the book. And anyone reading a color theory book needs to realize printing is not an exact representation. Trust the information in the text and the placement of the pigments, and then train your eye by using your pigments.
Remember that is true of any color printed book, again because of the CMYK printing methods being only an approximation. (And for people doing digital printing through online companies who use inkjet printing devices there are other issues with color shifts in printing depending on how their machines and inks are set up.)
Any book you purchase for color theory (or as representation of art in color) is going to have some issues with not getting close to the real color. (That’s one reason it’s important to see actual paintings of the masters in person so you can see what the camera and CMYK printing can’t capture.)
Read the books with that in mind. Chart with your pigments that you have on hand and see how they work on paper, using books like this for a guide to where the colors fall on the color wheel and approximations of how they will look mixed. Your in-person experiments will then give you an actual understanding of your colors. In other words, books like these can only ever be approximations.
The discussion of the different editions here is basically to give past students a heads up. If you read the post in its entirety I think you’ll feel more comfortable. Your time is better spent doing the exercises and mixing your paints, and not looking for a specific edition, if the original edition is no longer available.
Please don’t feel the need to go on a quest to find a particular out of print book unless it has some historically significant character (like those tip-ins I mentioned).