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

Color and Design

Not a book for light reading, Color and Design will satisfy any design practitioner, or scholar seeking to gain a more expanded view of how humans respond to color. Editors Marilyn DeLong and Barbara have curated a selection of essays which are organized into subjects ranging from color psychology to marketing and trend influences. Since these are essays, the reader should not expect this book to offer a cultural analysis of primary/secondary colors nor an explanation of basic color theory. What the text does offer is specific examinations on various topics that center around sociological approach of how color is assimilated within a culture, its art, folklore and consumerism. Outwardly this can seem to be a real bore. I did however find a pearl or two that can potentially be assigned as required reading for my students. For example in Part III: Markets and Trends , I found an informative essay by Alex Bitterman ( Color the World: Identifying Color Trends in Contemporary Ci...

Another Pinboard to Follow

Having resisted Pinterest for about a year now, I finally dipped my toes into the virtual pool of pinboards. My apprehension was truly misdirected and I've come to find that the concept of organizing visual images/links onto a virtual board has become a great teaching tool. After covering the typical graphic design topics such as typography, and history it was a natural move to include color among the related topics. So here is a link to my All Color Matters pinboard .

Red Goes on Tour

Graphic designers frequently encounter challenges to test their abilities when communicating to the masses. Barring Twitters or print ads, the theater poster still remains a viable promotional tool for stage productions. The Tony Award winning play Red is scheduled to appear in 30 regional playhouses for 2011-2012 season. So how does a designer interpret this Broadway hit (about the Abstract Expressionist painter Mark Rothko ) in a poster for each locale? The NY Times ran a sampling of some the unique approaches used to advertise the play's opening. Designs ran the gamut from representational figures (reminiscent of Saul Bass) to pure text treatments surounded by pulsating reds. Each solution is worth checking out for their visually compelling, yet restrained statement at tackling the complex intent of an artistic vision performed by this two man ensemble.

All Color Matters

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