I'll start by saying this, because I went entirely too long without reading this tutorial myself:
Do not be deceived by the overwhelming layers of cuteness and the author's pokemon obsession- she is a working pro who knows EXACTLY what she is talking about. Buried in between the (admittedly beautiful) lisa-frank-meets-studio-ghibli-in-pokemon-land images that crowd her dA gallery are some incredible realist illustrations and concepts if you don't believe me.
This is the single best and most useful tutorial on color theory I have ever found, period. In the span of a couple dozen panels of a free flash presentation I picked up more about actually USING color theory than I have from some of the books I paid for.
http://purplekecleon.deviantart.com/art/...-184642625
Starting from the basics the author walks you through a crash course in applied color theory, all the way up to clear and useful explantions of things like using harmony and discord and manipulating relative color perception! What makes this tutorial so brilliant is that it isn't just about the theory, but about how to put it all together, and then put it to
work. Seriously, Go read this now if you have the slightest interest in color. This info in this tutorial is worth exceeding the daily recommended chibi exposure.
