Colour and Abstraction

Colour and Abstraction looks at how colour was liberated from its subservient role to drawing in developing pictorial space, and how - with traditional roles broken - abstraction was born, allowing a more vibrant use of colour. As a practical book, it explores how paint can determine the colour and drawing within a painting, especially in relation to how expressive, cool, gestural, tactile or intense the work will be. This, in turn, can determine the kind of pictorial space that the artist uses, moving both toward and away from depiction. This new book encourages you to understand how colour relates to abstraction, and create a method of painting that challenges and advances your own style. The book examines how with new freedom of expression artists can focus on the 'feeling' of the work; emphasizes the importance of unpredictable, rather than tasteful, discovery; and explains the use of colour space, mark making, and the three pictorial dynamics of tone, intensity and space. Examples are discussed to reveal the thought-processes behind abstract art, and exercises encourage artists to develop their own making style through 'purposeful play'. Aimed at students of all levels aspiring to understand the roles of colour and abstraction and beautifully illustrated with 194 colour images.

George Blacklock is an experienced art tutor and currently the Dean of Chelsea College of Arts. He has exhibited widely and is represented by Flowers Galleries.