The New Color Mixing Companion.

Explore and create fresh and vibrant color palettes with paint, collage and mixed media

by Josie Lewis.

The New Color Mixing Companion Book Review

The New Color Mixing Companion is a modern, hands-on guide to working with color featuring approachable projects that each explore a different aspect of color mixing.

This book is so full of information! Just a quick look over the table of contents is enough to excite me about all that I am about to learn.

Although I received an unfinished preview of this book, which means, that final revision could have been made.

So let’s take a look at that promising list of what is included in this colorful book:

  • An introduction to color
  • Main color techniques
  • Studio supplies
  • Why I paint: My story
  • Starter projects
  • Glorious extravagance
  • Mini Mono
  • Flow: Not Just for Hippies
  • Collage Rainbow Wheel
  • The Classic Schmear
  • Flow Neuroscience: Turning Off
  • Value Gradient Primer
  • Tri Me
  • Loose Brain Mojo
  • The Freud
  • What Happens If
  • Whipped Rainbow
  • Q*bert
  • Failure
  • Bring Out Your Dead
  • Dots
  • Art Scars
  • Next Step Projects
  • Chevron Expectrum
  • Talet Doesn’t Exist
  • Waiting For The Diamond
  • Flat Diamond
  • Seed Of Life
  • Developing Your Fist
  • Diamond Crystals
  • Hex Addict
  • Mandala Hex
  • Hex Appeal
  • Sashiko
  • Enemies of Flow
  • Radiating Diamonds
  • Antagonistic Complements
  • Faded Hex
  • More Enemies Of Flow
  • Working With Neutrals
  • Final Thoughts: Painting Heaven
  • Practical Considerations For Sharing Your Work
  • Templates
  • Thanks
  • Credits
  • Resources

But as you can see in the image below, the table of contents has been adjusted and divided into 4 sections instead of only 2.

Image via:amazon.com

More about: The New Color Mixing Companion Book 

If you’ve been following my blog, you might know that I am just a beginner when it comes to painting, but I am eagerly learning, little by little, and thanks to resources like this, I can take my own time to do so.

As most painting books, this also has an introduction to color, using the color wheel and choosing colors that complement each other.

The author then proceeds to share studio supplies. And I have to say that I love her approach. She writes that her golden rule of studio supplies is “to start cheap”. So many authors stress the importance of supplies of professional quality, and although I agree that artist quality and student quality have a great difference; but it can be quite intimidating for a beginner to be told that the most expensive supplies are the way to go.

Following the general introduction about studio supplies, you will then find more specific information about each kind of materials the author uses in the projects presented in this book.

Acrylic Paints, collage paper and glue, watercolors, brushes, and palettes.

Before she starts sharing a wide variety of projects, the author writes about a very personal story about why she paints.

And finally, you’ll reach the starter projects!

A total of 17 starter projects, most of them extremely colorful, and a few monochrome projects as well. All of them designed for beginner artists to moderate skill levels required, but designed for beginners to start gaining new skills.

All of the projects list the skill level required (or suggested) to create the piece, the skills you will learn by following the instructions, materials needed, time to complete, and even the “mess level”.

From projects that will take 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes, and a few labeled “who knows”. Certainly, there is plenty to choose from.

My favorite projects are the watercolor ones, and although I find all of the beautiful, there is something about the watercolors that just sparks my inspiration.

Image via: amazon.com

 

The “Next Step Projects” follows, and they require medium skills.

Some of these projects take longer to finish, from 60 minutes to 2-3 hours and more. One project indicates it could take a week to finish.

After all the projects you’ll find a set of templates. Line guides to trace or copy to create the projects presented in this book.

And finally, a small list of resources is presented.

Overall I really liked this book. As a beginner is nice to have guidelines or ideas to start painting and creating.

Although my goal is to someday paint directly from my own imagination, I find resources like these very valuable, as they help me with the practice I need to get started. By following the projects I am able to experimental techniques and new materials, but with a project in mind, allowing me to have a final piece of art to be proud of, and to keep a visual proof of my evolution and progress.

PIN IT

( I received an unfinished digital copy of this book prior to its publication for reviewing purposes. This review reflects my own thoughts and is not compensated in any way.)

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