Blue and Yellow Don't Make Green

If you're an artist who's had problems mixing just the right shade of purple or green or anything else, this book can help by explaining why. The first 35 pages is where you'll find the theory, while the rest of the book is a series of mixing exercises so you can learn through practice how to get your desired colors. Admittedly, it may take a couple reads of the theory for it to really sink in.

At its core, Wilcox explains how the three-primaries color method misleads learning artists because it works on the premise of “pure” pigments, but pure reds, yellows, and blues don't exist. Instead it's better to use his bias color wheel uses pairs of red, yellow, and blue made of a combination of pairs that lean in opposite directions on the color wheel. You may find this information shared online in the form split-primary color wheels, which is the same idea as Wilcox's but explained as warm and cool pairings.

You might find similar information on color theory and mixing a bit more easily online and in video tutorials, but if you like reading your information and want guided exercises to help you dig into making the colors, Wilcox's book is for you. He gives around 50 color-mixing exercises in his book for you to follow along with.