Honey of a Color - Pantone Color of the Year 2011

Meant to ...“bring a wave of nostalgia for its associated delicious scent reminiscent of the carefree days of spring and summer”, Pantone LLC the global authority on color has announced next year’s feature color.

Honeysuckle (Pantone 18-2120) takes its name from the deciduous (sometimes evergreen) climber and or vine. About 180 species are known to exist mainly in the Northern Hemisphere with China taking the lead in being home to over 100 of them.

Pantone appears to have been inspired by the reddish-pink unopened blossom of honeysuckle variety Lonicera periclymenum. Not unlike the hummingbirds that are attracted to the nectar of the flower, Pantone anticipates public reaction to be just as receptive to this hue which aspires to ...“instilling the confidence, courage and spirit to meet the exhaustive challenges that have become part of everyday life.”

It will be interesting to see if this color makes its way into mainstream fashion beyond the makeup blushes, women's apparel and accessories. I for one wouldn’t mind seeing men take up the baton for this eye-catching shade beyond the safe tie. How about some socks or a pocket square to match, emblazoned with this commanding chroma?

Munsell’s Crusade to Instruct the Masses

We often take for granted the past work done by pioneers such as Albert H. Munsell. Painter, teacher, and inventor, Munsell created the most influential color-modeling system for its time. His efforts devised a “rational way to describe color” through the of use clear decimal notation; using hue, value, and chroma into uniform yet independent dimensions within a three-dimensional space. This idea broke with the traditional approach of identifying colors through a naming scheme, which Munsell thought was “foolish” and “misleading”. Munsell Color System, Atlas of Color Charts. The color system Munsell built back in the 1900 ’ s continues to serve educators, visual artists, and the industries who depend on color matching technologies to produce their products and services. The Munsell Color Company website has a historical overview of Munsell’s legacy as well as examples of company projects that continue to advance the process of achieving accurate color. To peer inside the...

Colors: What They Mean and How To Make Them

It would appear on first glance at this book’s title, that it is a “how-to” text for the hobbyist or textile artist on dye recipes. Some information is given on where pigments are derived from; how to use sources on where to find and create pigments for dying fabric. The real value of the book is not in the recipes but in the cultural history of the pigment sources and the meanings of color, all packaged in a beautifully designed book. Each thought-out chapter highlights a color and is illustrated with photos and fine art reproductions to reinforce the text. Not book for color theorists–but offers a good general survey of color and it's uses throughout the centuries. Written and (visually) presented to hold the reader's attention with interesting facts without overwhelming. Colors: What They Mean and How to Make Them by Anne Varichon

A Perfect Red

A tour-de-force text that succeeds in weaving an illustrious red path through time. With an impressive mountain of scholarship, Greenfield provides little known facts that take us through the political and colonial upheavals in the West Indies and in Spain. Both locales were central to the intrigue the cultivation, importation and trade of cochineal (insect) red dye. The text also demonstrates how the color red has influenced and been integrated into fashion, culture, and mythology throughout the centuries. A few color plates are included which illustrate the progression of how the color was applied as a pigment while being used as an important compositional symbol. A great book that balances history, science and art found within a non-fiction format. A Perfect Red By Amy Butler Greenfield

All Color Matters

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