Colour theory recommondations

[Chronos]

I've recently started learning about colour through this website: http://www.handprint.com/HP/WCL/color18a.html
Its pretty in depth and scientific about colour but it still pertains to art and all that. And thats the problem, its a little complicated for a primer and strays off into science a little too much. Not that its a bad thing. Just overwhelming.
Now I'd go the obvious route and pick up something simpler but from what I've read on that page, theres lots of misconceptions about colour and dogma. Such as colour mixing and the entirety of Betty Edwards book on colour (lol, no surprise).
Any other recommendations that I can look to that arent based on old traditional beliefs?

[briggsy@ashtons]

Not sure if you've seen my site, but if not please take a look at the first few pages (revised this year) and tell me how you get on. There are now some links at the bottom of the home page that might serve as credentials.

I don't like to be critical of the Handprint site as it has obviously been an enormous effort to produce, but I'll agree that as a teacher I can see room for improvement. Also if you read it you really need to read all of it or you may not realize that his use of quite a few terms is idiosyncratic.

[Lelinet]

You can also pick up James Gurney's "Color and Light". While it does not focus on color theory basics in particular it does provide a ton of useful lighting and color tips and information. And the book is written in a very understandable manner.

[Chronos]

Thanks, I'll go through the website and from what I've read so far its a lot better starting point.

[briggsy@ashtons]

Glad to hear it, though of course there's also plenty of room for improvement on my site as well. I've been slowly revising it this year and have just now put up the revisions to section 6 on colour mixing in paints:
http://www.huevaluechroma.com/061.php
http://www.huevaluechroma.com/062.php
http://www.huevaluechroma.com/063.php

Other revised sections already up include 1 (introduction and summary), 4 (additive mixing) and 5 (subtractive mixing).

[Mrianna]

I actually picked up "blue and yellow don't make green" from my library this past summer, reading the first few chapters in helped me out a lot, but it was a lot to take in all at once. I'm going to have to pick it up again or buy it. the guy who wrote the book did a bunch of articles in the International Artists magazine as well. Which is where I first learned about the book.

[briggsy@ashtons]

Well, before you buy it I recommend you read up on what paints actually reflect:
http://www.huevaluechroma.com/045.php

and some post-1850s understanding of primary colours and how they work:
http://www.huevaluechroma.com/062.php

[Elwell]

I'm not a big fan of Wilcox. The mixing advice (basically, how to use a split-complementary palette) is fine, but the actual color theory is outdated/incomplete, and he really, really oversells it, and himself.

EDIT: Here's Bruce MacEvoy's take on Wilcox: http://www.handprint.com/HP/WCL/book3.html#wilcox

[Mrianna]

Ah yeah makes sense. I read the first chapter or two and the split colour wheel put some things in perspective for me that I didn't know before. I haven't read the rest of it, but I flipped through it.