The Elements of Color - Softcover

Itten, Johannes

Softcover

ISBN 10: 041238390X ISBN 13: 9780412383908

Publisher: Spon Press, 1990

Synopsis

This is a condensation of Itten's major work, "The Art of Color", published in Germany in 1961. It calls attention to the outstanding visual effects of simultaneous contrast and offers several dramatic examples. It also describes and illustrates Itten's famous twelve-part star for colour organization, designed in Weimer, 1921. Suggested exercises throughout the book develop the essential skills of colour control.

About this title

From the Back Cover

BY THE SAME AUTHOR: Color Star Johannes has long been considered the definitive color theorist of the twentieth century. His books on color theory and application are standards throughout the world. Now his Color Star helps designers explore a myriad of harmonious colors. The Star consists of eight stencil like disks that can be placed over Itten's color wheel. Designers and artists can selectively examine the relationships of primary, secondary, and tertiary colors by using this unique system. Cool and warm values, complementary colors, and different hues and intensities can all be compared individually, as the designer uses the stencils to see the stencils to see only the wanted colors while masking the rest of the wheel. The Color Star is a useful and innovative tool for everyone who works with color, including students graphic designers, industrial designers, advertising designers, artists, illustrators, color theorists, interior designers, and architects.

Design and Forum

This is the most complete document of one of the landmarks of modern education in art-the famous Basic Course at the Bauhaus in Weimar, Germany. Itten was the teacher who organized it at the invitation of Walter Gropius. First published in 1963 when Itten was still alive, the book has been revised and updated by Itten's widow, Anneliese Itten and includes new material from the basic course at the Bauhaus, as well as visual examples and descriptions of the refinements made by Itten in later courses in Berlin (1926-1932), Krefeld (1932-1938), and Zurich (1938-1960). The basic course at the Bauhaus was designed as a trial to judge students with varying education, to help them in their choice of a career in the arts, Each of the over 200 illustrations reproduced is described in detail to help the reader understand the purpose of art teaching. The student's original works include studies if nature, pure forms and abstractions, three-dimensional work, and projects in the applied arts. In addition the book includes exciting material on the evaluation of modern art education. The book has universal appeal for a basic course as a means for individual creative growth and it can be used today by students and art teachers as a foundation for their own basic courses.

The Art of Color Nearly 160 full-color charts, diagrams, and paintings illustrates this first publication of the color theories of the famous Bauhaus teacher and painter. Both the physical and emotional nature of color is studies. The seven basic color contrasts are examined in detail, and clarified with 28 full-color reproductions of painting masterpieces, from the stained-glass art of Chartres to the glowing canvasses of Picasso and Klee. The psychological, symbolic, and intellectual effects of color are explored in detail. Included also are an exposition of compositional order, a discussion of color effects in nature, and valuable demonstrations of techniques for bringing two or more colors harmoniously together.

Language Notes

Text: English, German (translation)

Edition details

• Publisher: Spon Press
• Publication date: 1990
• ISBN 10: 041238390X
• ISBN 13: 9780412383908
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 96