Interaction of Color

You think color is just color… that is, until you get a hold of Josef Alber’s Interaction of Color.

This design classic results from Alber’s years of color theory research and lectures at the Bauhaus, Black Mountain, and Yale. He shows that color is as much perceptual as it is literal. Surrounding colors can deceive the eye into seeing colors not present through simultaneous contrast. Vibrating boundaries, after-images, and other optical phenomenon are discussed.

I wouldn’t recommend this book as an introduction to color. It doesn’t talk about additive/subtractive models, RGB/CMYK, color spaces, or color harmonies. But while it may lack application, it’s still very intriguing. I’d recommend it to anyone looking to level-up their color knowledge.