Color: A Natural History of the Palette

You'll be taken on an intense journey through time and around the globe by Victoria Finaly as she reveals little known information about the origins and sources of color pigments.

This personal account navigates though seldom discussed topics written in a manner that demonstrates an enthusiasm and curiosity—countering any opportunity for this to be a dry account of facts about chemicals. Do not expect to sit and read this book for any length of time. The information (while fascinating) can be overwhelming. This is one of those reads to chip away at chapter-by-chapter; nor is it meant to be used (alone) as a text in a color course.

Finaly takes us through her search to reveal exotic tidbits about how pigments are (and were) made. From beetle bug blood (used to create the color carmine red) to ingested mango leaves (via a cow) for the color Indian Yellow watercolor, Finaly documents her travels to find, see, and touch while noting important cultural and historical facts along the way. The only disappointing section in the book is of the few photos. With Finaly’s ability to transport you to different environments one would hope that she would have included more visual examples of her experiences taken from her wanderings. Overall a wonderful book that allows the curious to finally discover the secrets of how color is acquired.

Color: A Natural History of the Palette

by Victoria Finlay

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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