Interaction of Color

“In my color book there is no new theory of color. But, in it, there is a way to learn to see.”

First published in 1963, Josef Alber’s Interaction of Color has forever changed the way we see, think and learn about color. Rather than presenting a standardized theory of color, it’s designed to teach the individual through direct perception and exploration. Each week in this class we’ll follow this format, reading Albers’ text, exploring concepts in class exercises, and critiquing each other’s work in a group discussion.

Class Details

Mondays, 6-8 at Spring Studio (91 Canal Street, 4th floor, NYC 10002) | March 2 – May 18, 2026
Instructor: Sharon Denning | Class Fee: $100
Open to all levels; no prior experience required.
To register, text 917-375-6086 or email springstudio@earthlink.net

Class Materials

The Interaction of Color: Book (can also be found used). An e-book can work as well | The Digital Edition is also useful
Color-Aid Paper (Optional, as we will have supplies in class but worthwhile if you want to dig deeper)

Resources

Information on Albers vocabulary, color models, and more sources on color

Color in Context

Week 1: The Relativity of Color

Introduction

I. Color recollection – visual memory

II. Color reading and contexture

III. Why color paper – instead of pigment and paint

IV. A color has many faces – the relativity of color

Extra

Who was Albers? MOMA | Wikipedia
Albers Foundation Workshop #1: One Color Becomes Two
Color Classification Systems: Ostwald and Munsell
Simultaneous Contrast: great short video showing how one color influences another
ismy.blue: Does your naming of colors match the general population?

For next week:

Bring B&W images from magazines etc.

Continue to explore Plate 4

Week 2: Understanding Light Intensity and Color Intensity

V. Lighter and/or dark – light intensity, lightness

In this class we will look at both light intensity and color intensity. One important goal is to become more aware and more sensitive to light intensity in both black and white, and in colors. We will also explore how light intensity is extremely relative and subject to influence by its surroundings.

Extra

Albers Foundation Workshop #3: Gradients
The difference in how we see color and value– Color/Cones/Center -Photopic vs B&W/Rods/Peripheral – Scotopic
Color and Value Illusion: Seahorse Color Illusion
The Checkerboard Illusion
If you need a little breather: A Visual Archive of Japan: 36 Traditional Blues and Traditional colors of Japan
What is Chroma?

For next week:

Continue work on graduation studies

and/or

Pick a color and gather 10 examples from either photos you take or from magazines. Sort them by brightness and which is the “truest” example of that color

Week 3: Using Light Intensity and Color Intensity together (1)

VI. 1 color appears as 2— looking like the reversed grounds

In this class we’re going to explore how we can make one color look like two different, specific, colors. We’ll use the color dimensions we looked at in previous classes: hue, light intensity (value), and color intensity (chroma) to find the “middle” between 2 colors.

Extra