Here are 29 books that Color Charts fans have personally recommended if you like
Color Charts.
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As a mixed media artist, I use color every day. Color is my language and my Secret Decoder Ring. It allows me to create moods, tell stories, illuminate a message (or a mystery), and express/expound/explore. What’s my favorite color?–All of them! My approach is “more is more,” and I use color in abundance. Nothing is as lavish as a canvas or journal page slathered in bold colors, and nothing makes me happier than a color-soaked room full of vibrant textiles and collections. And books! Color rules.
Sometimes, restraint can be a good thing. As much as I normally advocate using the whole paint palette, I was enthralled by the story of a lone color: indigo.
Deceptively modest, this color is celebrated worldwide and has influenced designers, crafts people, artists, and more. From secret dye recipes to historic batik prints to skirts of one hundred pleats to distressed Japanese “boro,”–Indigo endures. Visuals abound in this encyclopedic and fascinating volume.
Gloriously pieced together, much like the fine garments it portrays, this colourful volume takes the reader on an international tour of indigo-coloured textiles, presenting a huge swathe of remarkable clothing, people and fabric. Catherine Legrand, who has spent over twenty years travelling and researching the subject, has a deep knowledge of the ancient techniques, patterns and clothing traditions that characterize ethnic textile design, knowledge that she deploys to great effect in seven chapters exploring the production of Indigo textiles throughout America, China, India, Africa, Central Asia, Japan and Laos/Vietnam, and the men and women behind them. This profusely illustrated photographic…
As a mixed media artist, I use color every day. Color is my language and my Secret Decoder Ring. It allows me to create moods, tell stories, illuminate a message (or a mystery), and express/expound/explore. What’s my favorite color?–All of them! My approach is “more is more,” and I use color in abundance. Nothing is as lavish as a canvas or journal page slathered in bold colors, and nothing makes me happier than a color-soaked room full of vibrant textiles and collections. And books! Color rules.
When a book has compelling content plus is a beautiful object, I call that “having it all.” This handsome volume takes us inside the nature-centric world of color and is an admirable, elegant treatise on the subject.
I enjoy sitting with this book, flipping through the pages, rewarded on every spread with engravings, etchings, color swatches, marbled end papers, and tasteful typography. I can either dig deep and explore an unrivaled tutorial on the subject, or I can focus on the endless visuals—either way, the enduring beauty of Nature is richly represented in this stately volume.
A gorgeous expanded edition of Werner's Nomenclature of Colours, a landmark reference book on color and its origins in nature
First published in 1814, Werner's Nomenclature of Colours is a taxonomically organized guide to color in the natural world. Compiled by German geologist Abraham Gottlob Werner, the book was expanded and enhanced in 1821 by Patrick Syme, who added color swatches and further color descriptions, bringing the total number of classified hues to 110. The resulting resource has been invaluable not only to artists and designers but also to zoologists, botanists, mineralogists, anatomists, and explorers, including Charles Darwin on the…
As a mixed media artist, I use color every day. Color is my language and my Secret Decoder Ring. It allows me to create moods, tell stories, illuminate a message (or a mystery), and express/expound/explore. What’s my favorite color?–All of them! My approach is “more is more,” and I use color in abundance. Nothing is as lavish as a canvas or journal page slathered in bold colors, and nothing makes me happier than a color-soaked room full of vibrant textiles and collections. And books! Color rules.
This impressive volume brings together two of my favorite topics: art journals and color. A unique idea sparked a round-robin collaboration between fifteen noted mixed-media artists: Each artist was invited to select a color and create a beginning for an art journal.
The volumes traveled throughout the United States for over a year and were worked on by all the participants. Eventually, each journal returned home, absolutely bursting with creativity. The inclusions ran the gamut of custom musical CDs, found objects, poetry, fold-outs, quilted textiles and embroidery, and more.
The lavish photography on each page makes this book a feast for the eyes, and the emotional stories from the artists provide insights into the healing nature of art journaling. From pure white to mysterious black (and every color in between), the true colors in this book lifted my spirits.
Somerset Studio Presents True Colors: A Palette of Collaborative Art Journals Reflective. Explosive. Playful. Heart Felt. Monochromatic. Riotous. No rules. No boundaries. No wonder the 16 extraordinary color journals black, white and all the colors in between burst out of their covers and into our imaginations.
Fifteen amazing artists wanted to see what they could do with a single color scheme. Each artist contributed a journal cover in her chosen palette and a page in each journal. The finished works are filled with page after page of techniques and mediums, including stamping, painting, sketching, fabric art, metalwork, transfers and layered…
As a mixed media artist, I use color every day. Color is my language and my Secret Decoder Ring. It allows me to create moods, tell stories, illuminate a message (or a mystery), and express/expound/explore. What’s my favorite color?–All of them! My approach is “more is more,” and I use color in abundance. Nothing is as lavish as a canvas or journal page slathered in bold colors, and nothing makes me happier than a color-soaked room full of vibrant textiles and collections. And books! Color rules.
Just call him “The Color King”! Vivid, vibrant color is Kaffe Fassett’s vocabulary, and he has brought his command of the entire spectrum to textiles, knitwear, ribbons and trims, quilts, and mosaics. And more!
I have every Kaffe Fassett book in my personal art library but his lavishly-illustrated autobiography is a favorite. This bountiful volume is full of remembrances, insights, revelations, and stories. It turns out that this incomparable designer is also a masterful storyteller, and I loved learning more about his lifelong creative journey.
Kaffe Fassett has led an extraordinary life and is a captivating storyteller with a vivid memory. Born in 1937 in San Francisco, he spent much of his youth in Big Sur, where his parents bought a log cabin from Orson Welles and transformed it into the world-famous Nepenthe restaurant, a gathering place of artists of all sorts (Kaffe has many stories to tell about mingling with the likes of Olivia de Havilland, Elizabeth Taylor, and Henry Miller). After attending a boarding school run by the disciples of Krishunamurti, an Indian guru, he studied painting on scholarship at the School of…
I am an award-winning art director, creative mentor, and print and pattern designer with nearly two decades of experience working successfully in the creative industries. As a young person, I loved drama, dance, and art, and was constantly bursting with creative passion. As I grew older, I faced doubt from the people around me about pursuing a creative career. I stubbornly pursued it anyway and ignored the naysayers who told me to “stop dreaming” or to “get a real job.” I am now described as a “powerhouse” in the design world and someone who fearlessly strives forward in her creative career and helps thousands around the world to believe in their own creative power.
As someone who is obsessed with colour, and I mean OBSESSED, diving into this book felt like a colourful dream come true.
Not only does this book delve into so many different colours it also shares stories about how they relate to cultures around the world, and it was so fascinating to learn about. Take my favourite colour, for example, orange. It blew my mind to find out where the word originated and when the term was first used as a colour.
I felt like I was soaking in knowledge at the turn of every page. I can’t tell you how inspired and motivated I felt to start exploring even more colour in my creative practice.
One of USA Today's "100 Books to Read While Stuck at Home During the Coronavirus Crisis"
A dazzling gift, the unforgettable, unknown history of colors and the vivid stories behind them in a beautiful multi-colored volume.
"Beautifully written . . . Full of anecdotes and fascinating research, this elegant compendium has all the answers." -NPR, Best Books of 2017
The Secret Lives of Color tells the unusual stories of seventy-five fascinating shades, dyes, and hues. From blonde to ginger, the brown that changed the way battles were fought to the white that protected against the plague, Picasso's blue period to…
I’ve written nonfiction books for children on topics ranging from daylight fluorescence to Reconstruction, from The Nutcracker to the invention of the Super Soaker. What all those topics have in common is that I didn’t know much about them when I got started. That’s definitely true for my book Glitter Everywhere! While getting familiar with more than 150 sources of information, I learned a lot about glitter. But there’s always more to know, and that also goes for the readers of my books. While mine may be the first books that someone reads about the topics I’ve explored, there’s no better feeling than knowing my books won’t be the last.
The main thing that people know about glitter is that it sparkles and shines in the light, and the main thing to know about that sparkle and shine is that they’re caused by the phenomenon of iridescence.
Walter Wick’s beautiful photography and brief, engaging text provide young readers with detailed explanations and examples of iridescence as well as many other aspects of color and light. This book was crucial to my figuring out how to convey the concept of iridescence in my nonfiction picture book about glitter.
A photographic exploration into the beauty and magic of light from the creator of the bestselling A Drop of Water and the Can You See What I See? series.
The wonder of light has fascinated readers for ages. Walter Wick's mesmerizing photographs paired with simple yet fascinating text and scientific observations help readers understand the secrets and complexity of light. You will learn what light is made of and how it fits alongside everything else in the world. Walter introduces readers into the mystery behind incandescence, light waves, the color spectrum, and iridescence as well as how we perceive light…
As a children’s writer I have to draw on my own creativity, celebrate my own ideas and quash self-doubt every time I work on a story. I teach creative writing, run workshops, and visit schools regularly – above all, I want to instill courage and the love of bold imagination in children. Picture book age children have such fantastic creativity and joyous wonder at the world around them. How wonderful to see that creative energy reflected back in a story which will hopefully spark more journeys into wonderful invented places, spaces, pictures, and tales. Imagination has brought me such great joy, I hope I can pass a spark of that onwards...
A glorious, mini rebellion of colour and newfound artistic freedom. This deservedly popular picture book is as smart and funny as the youngsters it is aimed at. Each new character we meet is wonderfully individual and uniquely creative. A rainbow of inspiration! Who knew we could care about crayons so much? Bliss!
Debut author Drew Daywalt and international bestseller Oliver Jeffers team up to create a colourful solution to a crayon-based crisis in this playful, imaginative story that will have children laughing and playing with their crayons in a whole new way.
Poor Duncan just wants to colour in. But when he opens his box of crayons, he only finds letters, all saying the same thing: We quit!
Beige is tired of playing second fiddle to Brown, Blue needs a break from colouring in all that water, while Pink just wants to be used. Green…
My journey into art began as a serendipitous discovery that unfolded through curiosity. As a “can’t-be-tamed” creative, I understand the tug-of-war artists feel – craving to learn skills and create “quality” pieces, while also thumbing the snooze-fest of sticking to one thing. Been there, done that, got the paint-splattered t-shirt. This has ignited a passion for encouraging others to find their own creative voice, as I've navigated the same path while building a multifaceted career in watercolor, gouache, line drawing, urban sketching, brush lettering, and calligraphy…need I go on? The thing is, I will because there is still so much to be explored.
Look, I know this says “for professional results” in the title. But out of sooo many color palette resources, this one is my favorite. I love the way color palettes are simply displayed. It sparks ideas beyond just color, too. Like, “what if I made an illustration of an octopus with these 3 colors? How fun would that be?”
What makes this book a cornerstone for me is its ability to demystify complex color concepts, making them accessible and engaging. I feel motivated when I open it up.
The only color guide a designer will ever need; The Complete Color Harmony, Pantone Edition has been completely updated with Pantone colors and new text.
The Complete Color Harmony: Pantone Edition is the latest in Rockport Publishers' best-selling Color series. This edition has been completely revised from start to finish, and now features new text by Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. And the color "moods" that she writes about in each chapter are based and matched with Pantone colors. The book expands on previous editions for the most comprehensive color reference to date.
I've been fascinated by the ocean and all of its inhabitants for as long as I can remember. When I was little, I discovered my dad’s SCUBA license and it blew my mind that I was related to someone who was allowed to explore the underwater world! Later, when I got to college, I took advantage of two exciting opportunities. First, I got my own scuba license. Second, I studied abroad in Belize, where I conducted manatee research by tagging, tracking, and rescuing manatees. I enjoyed the time I spent with the animals, but not the lab work. Now I express my passion for sea creatures in the books I write.
Another blobfish book? Indeed! Although this book is also full of facts about other interesting animals, all of whom are pink! There are some land-dwelling animals in this book, but there are also lots of water-dwelling animals including pygmy seahorses, Amazon river dolphins, Hopkins’ rose nudibranchs, pink sea stars, and hairy squat lobsters. What I especially love about this book is that it presents the animal facts in a very clear and simple way without making the reader feel overwhelmed by too much text.
It's Pinkalicious meets Fear Factor in this nonfiction picture book introducing the weirdest, wildest, pinkest critters in the animal kingdom!
Some people think pink is a pretty color. A fluffy, sparkly, princess-y color. But it's so much more. Sure, pink is the color of princesses and bubblegum, but it's also the color of monster slugs and poisonous insects. Not to mention ultra-intelligent dolphins, naked mole rats and bizarre, bloated blobfish.
Isn't it about time to rethink pink?
Slip on your rose-colored glasses and take a walk on the wild side with zoologist Jess Keating, whose other books in the World…
When I was little, I knew I would work with books in some way, and I did, for many years working for one of the major children’s book publishers. But it wasn’t rewarding in the way I had hoped. Some kids know they want to be a teacher when they grow up. I definitely did not, yet I became one. I love finding ways to make learning fun. In my teaching days I found ways to get the most reluctant students to find something they could enjoy about learning. And now as an author, I find myself doing the same, and as a parent, seeking out books like the ones I recommend here that teach without teaching.
I love how this book turns around what we typically think of colors and how they are associated with feelings. “My sister says that blue is sad like a lonely song. But my blue is happy like my favorite jeans and a splash in the pool on a hot day.” This calm, cheerful book has characters expressing opposing views on each page, and it’s never confrontational. The message of this book, without being teachy, is that we all see things in our own way, and that’s perfectly fine. It’s also another book that makes it fun to talk about feelings, which is tough for many kids.
What is your blue like? A lyrical ode to colors — and the unique ways we experience them — follows a little girl as she explores the world with her family and friends.
Your neighbor says red is angry like a dragon’s breath, but you think it’s brave like a fire truck. Or maybe your best friend likes pink because it’s pretty like a ballerina’s tutu, but you find it annoying — like a piece of gum stuck on your shoe. In a subtle, child-friendly narrative, art teacher and debut author Jessica Young suggests that colors may evoke as many…
