Contemporary Color is a textbook written for first-year or foundation college level students. It has been and can be used in the traditional first semester 2-D design and color class. It can also be used in colleges, universities and art schools that have a separate introductory color course. In addition, because of the depth of coverage within the book it can also be used in advanced level color theory classes.

All students, regardless of their major, will have to work with digital color. Only Contemporary Color has a full chapter on digital color. It also covers gaming and animation and will appeal to a broad range of fine arts students, no matter what their major.

Written specifically for fine arts students, this edition includes a wealth of new pedagogical features:
- Richly illustrated with 245 color images, including many examples from contemporary artists as well as some more traditional examples from artists including Monet, Van Gogh, Albers and Rothko.
- Chapter previews at the beginning of each chapter cover the main topics to be discussed in each chapter. Each chapter ends with questions or activities for the student to consider and to encourage thinking conceptually about the elements in the chapter discussion questions Color Concepts.
- Contemporary Colorists - Each chapter has a special call-out feature presenting a contemporary artist or designer using the concepts detailed in the chapter as either the basis of their work or an important element in the work examined. They are an illustration of how these concepts are being used today by artist and designers.
- Color Glossary - a detailed list of some of the major vocabulary covered within the text.

Plus online resources for instructors at [...]

This fully revised and updated third edition offers students and artists valuable insights into traditional color theory and its practical application using today's cutting-edge technology.

The text is lavishly illustrated, stressing issues of contemporary color use and examining how today´s artists and designers are using color in a multitude of mediums in their work. It is the only book that has parity between the male and female artists and designers represented, while containing more multicultural and global examples of art and design than any other text. This book begins with how we see color and its biological basis, progressing to the various theories about color and delving into the psychological meaning of color and its use. There are individual chapters on color use in art and design, as well as global and multicultural color use. One chapter investigates cross cultural life events such as marriages and funerals, while examining the six major religions´ conceptual and psychological underpinnings of color use. The final chapter explores the future of color.

Contemporary Color is the ideal text for color theory courses, but also for beginning art and design students, no matter what their future major discipline or emphasis may be. It provides the foundation on which to build their career and develop their own personal artistic voice and vision.