Colours are all around us and they affect our daily lives, but
what exactly are they and what is their function? A closer
look at colours raises many questions: Can colour be measured?
How does changing illumination affect the perception
of colours? What is colour harmony? Do colours affect our
emotions? Colours in the Visual World provides answers to
these and other questions. It inspires the reader to discover
and creatively use colour by tapping artistic knowledge and
recent findings of perceptual science.

Colours in the Visual World is a resource of colour facts and
phenomena for students of art, design, and architecture, as
well as all those interested in the world of colour. The book is
based on the author’s over 20 years of experience in teaching,
researching and creating with colour. Each chapter includes
assignments that serve as a starting point for independent
study and experimentation. A glossary helps to clarify colour
concepts and terminology.

Harald Arnkil was trained as a painter in the Finnish Academy
of Fine Art. He has published many articles on the perception
and experience of colour. Since 1990 Arnkil has worked
as a lecturer and researcher of colour in the Aalto University
School of Arts, Design and Architecture.