by Kami Mendlik
Kami has become one of today’s most sought-after painting instructors; her unique strategy creates the illusion of light and form through color relativity with a simple limited palette. Her emphasis on teaching the properties of color and how they relate to one another in an approachable, understandable way has been a game changer for both new and experienced painters.
Testimonials
“If you allow yourself only one instructional book this year, make sure it is Color Relativity by Kami Mendlik. I shudder to think how much time and money I have spent on art books over the years. This one is truly worth every penny! It is clear and precise, with step-by-step instructions through many useful exercises. It has changed the way I think about light, value, and color.” - Nan
“Looking to level up your color skills? This book can set the foundation for your self study and it should be a text used for university courses. Plenty of artists publish beautiful books of their work, but few have the ability to teach you the skills you need grow in your artistic journey.” - Ena
“I purchased Kami Mendlik’s helpful art instruction AND beautiful coffee table book and I could not be happier with the book and results! The book is packed with helpful tips, knowledgeable insights, and useful techniques that make it easy to learn not only the basics of drawing but also how to improve your painting. It provides clear, step-by-step instructions, and the illustrations are beautiful and easy to follow. The book also includes a lot of helpful advice on composition, color theory, and other important topics that are essential for any artist. I'm confident that this book will help me and so many others become better artists and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to improve their skills. The beautiful paintings are a gift from a master painter and I will happily use them as reference pieces as I improve my skills by applying these techniques.” -Terri V
Book Description:
Learn to paint anything you desire—with no limits—by understanding and seeing color relativity.
Do your colors often turn out muddy, chalky, or flat? Do they look great on your mixing palette but dull on canvas? Have you ever felt terrified to scrape away a color because you weren’t confident you could mix it again?
You’re not alone. Achieving rich, luminous colors that dance against each other is the stuff of painters’ dreams, but it’s not easy without a process. We see the color in our mind, but how we do mix and apply it in harmony with the rest of the painting?
The answer is color relativity. By realizing that a color only appears a certain way because of the color next to it, you unlock a whole new world. No color stands alone, whether in real life or on canvas.
In this book, master painter Kami Mendlik distills color relativity into a simple, yet transformative, step-by-step strategy that will imbue your paintings with radiant light and atmosphere.
You’ll learn how to:
· Use the primary palette to create stronger color harmony
· Simplify shapes into color averages to create dynamic color relationships
· Avoid common color dilemmas
· Identify and use the properties of color to create the illusion of light
· Mix primary, secondary, and tertiary colors in a systematic, intentional way
Say goodbye to fear, confusion, and frustration when it comes to color. By applying Kami’s unique strategy for both seeing and mixing any color, you’ll soon be able to paint color relativity with confidence and bring your paintings to life.
Author and Illustrator - Kami Mendlik
Editor - Molly McCowan
Designer - Paul Nylander
Published by The St. Croix River School of Painting
