All Color Matters

Even though this book is out-of-print, it's worth hunting down. An incredible amount of information is packed inside this small (just short of 5 X 7 inches) book. Boasting 150+ pages of beautiful color photos that range in subject matter from raw materials (used for pigment making) to illustrations on historical and present-day use in art, ceramics, and textiles. The content is packed full of amply illustrated facts which begin with pigments application during prehistoric times. Delamare and Guineauare continue the journey though a time line that notes political, cultural, socioeconomic and technological influences on dyes and pigments. This is a well organized and clearly written book that provides sources of information that anyone can use to better understand the development of color application through the centuries. Color: Making and Using Dyes and Pigments by Francois Delamare, Bernanrd Guineau

Pantone's Guide to Communicating with Color , gives the reader detailed physiological information, beyond common the primary colors. Eiseman uses consumerism as a point-of-reference for historical and present cultural color influences. The rest of the book presents samples of 3 color combinations (via the Pantone color library) that are grouped into chapters that reflect emotional moods such as serene, capricious, robust, etc. The book concludes with a very brief timeline of color symbolism and trend which is followed by color conversion ink formulas based on the Pantone library. Color theory principals are not extensive but this book does provide a basic understanding of how to direct color decisions to a specific audience for motivating product purchases. Pantone's Guide to Communicating with Color by Leatrice Eismann    

Not nearly as rare or as arduous to produce as imperial purple, red’s early history was fraught with just as many challenges. Many centuries and conquests passed before a practicable pigment could offer the desired vibrancy without noticeable fading. The first reds used by ancient civilizations were acquired directly from the soil. The earth’s crust during the Pangaea period had a red cast due to high concentrations of iron oxide (red ocher) and manganese. During the Upper Palaeolithic period (15,000 BC) cave paintings found in Lascaux France reinforces the theory that the color was taken from the local soil. The Egyptians were masters in creating a range of hues for their tombs, statues, papyrus and domestic objects. To create red pigment, they used realgar (ruby sulphur) and/or red ocher.  When it came to plants, vegetation like that of the madder plant was used for garment dying. Madder was a common source that was used up until the 19th century by Great Britain as an inexp...