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Chromatopia: An Illustrated History of Colour (Hardback) /anglais
Did you know that the Egyptians created the first synthetic color and used it to create the famous blue crown of Queen Nefertiti? Or that the noblest purple comes from a predatory sea snail? In the Roman Empire, hundreds of thousands of snails had to be sacrificed to produce a single ounce of dye. Throughout history, pigments have been made from deadly metals, poisonous minerals, urine, cow dung, and even crushed insects. From grinding down beetles and burning animal bones to alchemy and pure luck, Chromatopia reveals the origin stories behind over fifty of history’s most vivid color pigments.
Featuring informative and detailed color histories, a section on working with monochromatic color, and “recipes” for paint-making, Chromatopia provides color enthusiasts with an eclectic story of how synthetic colors came to be. Red lead, for example, was invented by the ancient Greeks by roasting white lead, and it became the dominant red in medieval painting.
Spanning from the ancient world to modern leaps in technology, and vibrantly illustrated throughout, this book will add a little chroma to anyone’s understanding of the history of colors.
Featuring informative and detailed color histories, a section on working with monochromatic color, and “recipes” for paint-making, Chromatopia provides color enthusiasts with an eclectic story of how synthetic colors came to be. Red lead, for example, was invented by the ancient Greeks by roasting white lead, and it became the dominant red in medieval painting.
Spanning from the ancient world to modern leaps in technology, and vibrantly illustrated throughout, this book will add a little chroma to anyone’s understanding of the history of colors.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2019
29 people are currently reading
812 people want to read
About the author
David Coles
1 book4 followersChromatopia is the creation of David Coles, founder and master paintmaker at Langridge Artist Colours in Victoria - one of the world's most respected makers of artists' oil paints. David has been involved in the world of colour his whole life, both as a paintmaker and lecturer. By bringing art and science together, this book is the culmination of a life's work in the field.
Over the last twenty-five years, David has channelled this enthusiasm for colour into guest lectures for many of the world's leading art colleges. In the process, he has helped a generation of artists discover, select, and ultimately master the materials best suited to their artistic intentions."
Over the last twenty-five years, David has channelled this enthusiasm for colour into guest lectures for many of the world's leading art colleges. In the process, he has helped a generation of artists discover, select, and ultimately master the materials best suited to their artistic intentions."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
December 5, 2018
Absolutely beautiful to look at and fascinating to read, this is the kind of book that you'll want to really spend some time on. Unfortunately I've been reading a library copy, and it's in demand, so I had to prioritise the parts to savour. For me, that was mainly the colour profiles.
It's a real credit to the author for bringing together the details and history of so many colours, pigments and dyes, many of which have been 'lost' over the centuries, in a modern compendium. Cennini did it in the 14th century, and now Coles has brought it into the 21st!
Some of my favourites were Realgar, the 'ruby of arsenic' but also a useful rat poison and snake repellent, Tyrian purple, which needed 250,000 snails to produce just 1 ounce, and Dragon's Blood, a garnet red resin used by Stradivarius to tint the varnish on his violins. Then there's Gall Ink, a very intense black made from oak gall (the nest made by gall wasps on oak trees), which is apparently still used in the UK for all official BDM certificates. One of the creepiest and most sinister was Mummy Brown, made from the flesh, bones and wrappings of ancient Egyptian mummies! Or was it the beautiful Emerald Green - one of my favourite colours - developed in the 1800s, and used extensively in wallpapers? This deadly pigment produced poisonous vapours in damp weather, killing children in their beds!!
I could go on.
In the hardback edition that I read, all of the colours are reproduced in lavish photographs by Adrian Lander. There is also a more technical section that goes into the science and process of making paint (Coles is a lauded paint manufacturer as well as a visual artist), including some recipes for those inclined towards that side of things, and at the end a gallery of modern art showing colour in use.
Highly recommended for artists, art lovers, history buffs, trivia fans and coffeetable book collectors!
It's a real credit to the author for bringing together the details and history of so many colours, pigments and dyes, many of which have been 'lost' over the centuries, in a modern compendium. Cennini did it in the 14th century, and now Coles has brought it into the 21st!
Some of my favourites were Realgar, the 'ruby of arsenic' but also a useful rat poison and snake repellent, Tyrian purple, which needed 250,000 snails to produce just 1 ounce, and Dragon's Blood, a garnet red resin used by Stradivarius to tint the varnish on his violins. Then there's Gall Ink, a very intense black made from oak gall (the nest made by gall wasps on oak trees), which is apparently still used in the UK for all official BDM certificates. One of the creepiest and most sinister was Mummy Brown, made from the flesh, bones and wrappings of ancient Egyptian mummies! Or was it the beautiful Emerald Green - one of my favourite colours - developed in the 1800s, and used extensively in wallpapers? This deadly pigment produced poisonous vapours in damp weather, killing children in their beds!!
I could go on.
In the hardback edition that I read, all of the colours are reproduced in lavish photographs by Adrian Lander. There is also a more technical section that goes into the science and process of making paint (Coles is a lauded paint manufacturer as well as a visual artist), including some recipes for those inclined towards that side of things, and at the end a gallery of modern art showing colour in use.
Highly recommended for artists, art lovers, history buffs, trivia fans and coffeetable book collectors!
March 22, 2021
I've always been interested in the origin of colours and pigments and I'm still fascinated by the topic, nine years after reading and reviewing Color - A Natural History of the Palette by author Victoria Finlay back in 2012. Here in Chromatopia - An Illustrated History of Colour, Australian paint maker David Coles invites us into his world of colour and paint making.
Living in Melbourne, David is the owner of Australia's leading paint making company and Langridge paints are sold all around the world.
His choice to divide the book into the following chapters was inspired: The First Colours; Colour in the Time of the Ancients; Colour + The Classical World; Medieval Colours, Writing Inks; Dyes, Lakes + Pinkes; Mysterious Colours; The Explosion of Colours; A Brave New World of Colour and The Science of Modern Colour. Separating the colours by time and type was very helpful to this reader and the opposite approach to Victoria Finlay who divided her book by colour.
In Chromatopia, I was re-introduced to known favourites like cochineal, which requires 14,000 insects to produce just 100 grams of carmine lake pigment. However I went on to learn that cochineal production was one of the best-kept trade secrets of all time and became the third-greatest product from the New World, after gold and silver. Surprisingly, cochineal is making a comeback in cosmetics and food production given the increasing concern over artificial food additives. In this case what's old is new again.
I was interested to discover the process involved in making peach black was important in WWI when activated charcoal from peach stones was used inside gas masks to protect soldiers from deadly chlorine gas attacks. According to Coles: "The Red Cross organised the collection of millions of peach stones that were turned into charcoal, and consequently saved countless lives." Page 67
I enjoyed reading about the production of gall ink and the trivia fact that it's still used in the UK for all official certificates of birth, marriage and death was interesting. I shook my head when reading the section on mummy brown and struggled to understand how it ever became a 'thing'. Who came up with that idea? Honestly!
Another favourite, Tyrian purple was made from sea snails more than 3,000 years ago, with one snail yielding just one drop of dye. With 250,000 snails required to make just one ounce of dye, Tyrian purple was so expensive, that eventually it was only allowed to be worn by the Emperor of Rome.
If you've ever watched an episode of artist Bob Ross in action you'll know he loved his titanium white, but I didn't know 'it is the most widely used pigment of all time." Page 145
One of my favourite colours is the poisonous and deadly emerald green which contains arsenic and was extremely toxic and deadly in the right circumstances. I also remember it being one of the primary reasons for reading and reviewing Victims - The Dangers of Dress Past and Present by Alison Matthews David in 2016 so it was great to get a refresher here.
Another colour of interest is Prussian blue:
"Outside its artistic application [Prussian blue] has been used as a colourant to make blueprint paper, as a laundry blue, and in plastics, paper and cosmetics. There is even a pharmaceutical grade that is ingested to counteract radiation poisoning." Page 121
I love learning new things, and in this book David Coles introduced me to vantablack.
"Incredibly, it is the darkest material on the planet. Vantablack is an acronym of Vertically Aligned NanoTube Arrays. Made by a process of chemical vapour deposition, it absorbs up to 99.96 per cent of all visible light." Page 171
It's hard to imagine, but the accompanying photo of the colour vantablack applied to a three-dimensional object left me convinced this was an incredibly impressive - and slightly creepy - product. A quick Google left me gobsmacked as the details of bronze masks covered in vantablack completely disappeared. Looking at the colour has been likened to staring into a black hole and I completely agree. It's unnerving to say the least.
I'll admit struggling with some of the scientific processes in the book around colour and pigment creation although the glossary was a handy reference. While I'm sure the recipes at the end of the book were provided for paint makers and artists - of which I'm neither - I was at least able to marvel at the effort involved in producing the perfect pigment.
After reading Chromatopia - An Illustrated History of Colour by David Coles I'm left with a renewed appreciation for the effort and industry surrounding the production and trade of colour in the past and can't help but feel a little nostalgic about just how much has changed. That said, when I compare this to the excitement surrounding new developments like vantablack, I'm optimistic for future discoveries in the world of colour and art and I'm sure the author will be there for it.
Living in Melbourne, David is the owner of Australia's leading paint making company and Langridge paints are sold all around the world.
His choice to divide the book into the following chapters was inspired: The First Colours; Colour in the Time of the Ancients; Colour + The Classical World; Medieval Colours, Writing Inks; Dyes, Lakes + Pinkes; Mysterious Colours; The Explosion of Colours; A Brave New World of Colour and The Science of Modern Colour. Separating the colours by time and type was very helpful to this reader and the opposite approach to Victoria Finlay who divided her book by colour.
In Chromatopia, I was re-introduced to known favourites like cochineal, which requires 14,000 insects to produce just 100 grams of carmine lake pigment. However I went on to learn that cochineal production was one of the best-kept trade secrets of all time and became the third-greatest product from the New World, after gold and silver. Surprisingly, cochineal is making a comeback in cosmetics and food production given the increasing concern over artificial food additives. In this case what's old is new again.
I was interested to discover the process involved in making peach black was important in WWI when activated charcoal from peach stones was used inside gas masks to protect soldiers from deadly chlorine gas attacks. According to Coles: "The Red Cross organised the collection of millions of peach stones that were turned into charcoal, and consequently saved countless lives." Page 67
I enjoyed reading about the production of gall ink and the trivia fact that it's still used in the UK for all official certificates of birth, marriage and death was interesting. I shook my head when reading the section on mummy brown and struggled to understand how it ever became a 'thing'. Who came up with that idea? Honestly!
Another favourite, Tyrian purple was made from sea snails more than 3,000 years ago, with one snail yielding just one drop of dye. With 250,000 snails required to make just one ounce of dye, Tyrian purple was so expensive, that eventually it was only allowed to be worn by the Emperor of Rome.
If you've ever watched an episode of artist Bob Ross in action you'll know he loved his titanium white, but I didn't know 'it is the most widely used pigment of all time." Page 145
One of my favourite colours is the poisonous and deadly emerald green which contains arsenic and was extremely toxic and deadly in the right circumstances. I also remember it being one of the primary reasons for reading and reviewing Victims - The Dangers of Dress Past and Present by Alison Matthews David in 2016 so it was great to get a refresher here.
Another colour of interest is Prussian blue:
"Outside its artistic application [Prussian blue] has been used as a colourant to make blueprint paper, as a laundry blue, and in plastics, paper and cosmetics. There is even a pharmaceutical grade that is ingested to counteract radiation poisoning." Page 121
I love learning new things, and in this book David Coles introduced me to vantablack.
"Incredibly, it is the darkest material on the planet. Vantablack is an acronym of Vertically Aligned NanoTube Arrays. Made by a process of chemical vapour deposition, it absorbs up to 99.96 per cent of all visible light." Page 171
It's hard to imagine, but the accompanying photo of the colour vantablack applied to a three-dimensional object left me convinced this was an incredibly impressive - and slightly creepy - product. A quick Google left me gobsmacked as the details of bronze masks covered in vantablack completely disappeared. Looking at the colour has been likened to staring into a black hole and I completely agree. It's unnerving to say the least.
I'll admit struggling with some of the scientific processes in the book around colour and pigment creation although the glossary was a handy reference. While I'm sure the recipes at the end of the book were provided for paint makers and artists - of which I'm neither - I was at least able to marvel at the effort involved in producing the perfect pigment.
After reading Chromatopia - An Illustrated History of Colour by David Coles I'm left with a renewed appreciation for the effort and industry surrounding the production and trade of colour in the past and can't help but feel a little nostalgic about just how much has changed. That said, when I compare this to the excitement surrounding new developments like vantablack, I'm optimistic for future discoveries in the world of colour and art and I'm sure the author will be there for it.
January 5, 2020
This book is so cool. It's filled with the history, chemistry, physics, etymology, entomology, industry, commerce and art history of pigments, dyes and paints. A fascinating insight into the weird and wonderful world of colour - from ground up Egyptian mummies to specially managed cow urine to carefully farmed bugs. And so very many fabulously toxic chemicals, making the paints of history a gloriously poisonous set of hues.
The photos are magnificent, too, beautifully composed and shot, and exceedingly rich and vibrant, as suits a book about colour.
The only thing I could have asked for is more - the amount of information shared on each colour is long enough to be fascinating, but the few times the book goes into greater depth shows that there's a staggering wealth of fascinating information hidden in this subject. Mostly the book spends 3-5 paragraphs on each colour and then zooms on to the next one.
Nevertheless, from the rich images, to the curious histories, and even a few comically precise recipes for making, say, ultramarine or alizarin crimson from raw materials at home, this is a great book, and well worth a look!
The photos are magnificent, too, beautifully composed and shot, and exceedingly rich and vibrant, as suits a book about colour.
The only thing I could have asked for is more - the amount of information shared on each colour is long enough to be fascinating, but the few times the book goes into greater depth shows that there's a staggering wealth of fascinating information hidden in this subject. Mostly the book spends 3-5 paragraphs on each colour and then zooms on to the next one.
Nevertheless, from the rich images, to the curious histories, and even a few comically precise recipes for making, say, ultramarine or alizarin crimson from raw materials at home, this is a great book, and well worth a look!
October 29, 2021
Fantastic book about historical and current color pigments with stunning photographs.
October 16, 2022
I LOVED this book. The illustrations are breathtaking.
December 20, 2020
Nuostabi knyga apie tai, kaip gimsta dažai paveikslams. Pasirodo, "titanium white" ar "Prussian blue" pavadinimai sugalvoti ne tam, kad vieną atspalvį nuo kito būtų lengviau atskirti :)
September 2, 2020
This book is stunning. A gorgeous compendium of colour, so easy to dip into whenever you have a moment. Every page offers a history of a pigment or paint that captures the imagination and evokes so many emotions. Gorgeous!
September 13, 2021
As a painter who uses Daid Coles's Langridge paints there was everything to love about this well researched, beautifully designed and brilliantly illustrated book. Captive audience here, preaching to the converted and every other cliche about a perfect fit of a book and reader.
November 12, 2020
Fascinating book about colour and the history and creation of pigments.
I especially liked the description of how paint is made in the author’s factory.
Beautiful book, gorgeous photos.
I especially liked the description of how paint is made in the author’s factory.
Beautiful book, gorgeous photos.
May 8, 2022
As a visual artist who paints I found this book to be very interesting.
August 17, 2020
A story of a man who was fascinated by the construction of color and pigments used in painting, ceramic glazes, wallpaper, glass and even more. Color is a vibrant part of our world and it is interesting to see how it is basically captured for our use.
Color creation for industrial use - like structural painting and stains - is similar but the highly detailed and intense care taken with materials makes color makers of Coles' caliber a niche industry. You go to the art supply store - be it for oil paint or watercolors - you examine the shelves and choose a tube of the color you want. A brilliant ultramarine. A stark white. A deep black. A rich red. Maybe some colored ink for some sketches. And you likely would never think about the construction of what is in that tiny tube.
Coles gives overviews of many colors. From the ochres of pre-history through the Egyptian blue and orpiment in ancient empires. Tyrian purple, malachite and vertigris of the classic world. The medieval colors of Naples yellow, vine black, smalt and the writing inks of walnit and oak gall. Dyes and Pinkes and Lakes like brazilwood and cochineal. Colors that today's reader finds too bizarre like mummy brown and indian yellow. Then comes the explosion of brilliant blues, reds and greens before the stark whites created from modern chemistry. And what science can do like fluorescence, photoluminescence and Vantablack, the darkest material on the planet.
Each color has a full page illustration of the color, sometimes what it is made of - the roots, the stones, the sap, the leaves - and sometimes just piles of the powdery pigment. Gives a brief history of the color, it's origins along what it was used for as well as how toxic or dangerous it was. How colorfast and how opaque. Is it used today or has synthetics replaced it.
Quite interesting and there is a photo-montage as well as a written description of how to mixing paint. The open container of ultramarine pigment about to be put in the kettle is just more intense, more saturated with intense blue than most people would ever see.
I've read several books about the history of colors, of pigments but it seems there is always more to learn. Our world is full of color and each one has a story - even the ones we no longer use or even know how was created.
He even gives the reader some recipes for making 4 different colors - lead white, ultramarine, carmine lake and madder lake.
2020-159
Color creation for industrial use - like structural painting and stains - is similar but the highly detailed and intense care taken with materials makes color makers of Coles' caliber a niche industry. You go to the art supply store - be it for oil paint or watercolors - you examine the shelves and choose a tube of the color you want. A brilliant ultramarine. A stark white. A deep black. A rich red. Maybe some colored ink for some sketches. And you likely would never think about the construction of what is in that tiny tube.
Coles gives overviews of many colors. From the ochres of pre-history through the Egyptian blue and orpiment in ancient empires. Tyrian purple, malachite and vertigris of the classic world. The medieval colors of Naples yellow, vine black, smalt and the writing inks of walnit and oak gall. Dyes and Pinkes and Lakes like brazilwood and cochineal. Colors that today's reader finds too bizarre like mummy brown and indian yellow. Then comes the explosion of brilliant blues, reds and greens before the stark whites created from modern chemistry. And what science can do like fluorescence, photoluminescence and Vantablack, the darkest material on the planet.
Each color has a full page illustration of the color, sometimes what it is made of - the roots, the stones, the sap, the leaves - and sometimes just piles of the powdery pigment. Gives a brief history of the color, it's origins along what it was used for as well as how toxic or dangerous it was. How colorfast and how opaque. Is it used today or has synthetics replaced it.
Quite interesting and there is a photo-montage as well as a written description of how to mixing paint. The open container of ultramarine pigment about to be put in the kettle is just more intense, more saturated with intense blue than most people would ever see.
I've read several books about the history of colors, of pigments but it seems there is always more to learn. Our world is full of color and each one has a story - even the ones we no longer use or even know how was created.
He even gives the reader some recipes for making 4 different colors - lead white, ultramarine, carmine lake and madder lake.
2020-159
January 19, 2025
Very well written with brilliant photography. An informative read if one has an interest in the history of pigments and a bit of the technical side of their manufacture and use in paints (specifically oil paints). The book is broadly a survey of pigments, covering the basic concepts of colour theory, how they are made and used.
The majority of the book is taken up by an overview of the development of pigments through history, covering specific important pigments for each various time period discussed (prehistory, ancient, classical, medieval, etc). Each pigment in this section has a two page spread, the left hand being photography of the pigment, and the right a short essay on the history, significance, and production of the pigment.
Given the survey nature of the book there is limited space in these essays to delve into the details of any specific pigment, but each would make a good springboard point to go into a deeper diver in your own research. Additionally there is a through line narrative about the general development of techniques and processes, so once something like the lake process is introduced once, it can just be referenced in subsequent entries without needing to fully explain it again.
The one pigment that gets special attention is Carmine, which is derived from the New World insect Cochineal. There is an extensive discussion of the history, production, and importance of this pigment. I would have loved if all of the pigments had this detailed explanation, but I understand that this would have realistically made the book multiple times longer and really moved it out of the space being an art/coffee table book and more of an educational/technical book.
The pigment section focus more on traditional examples versus modern synthetics. This makes sense given that the target audience of the book I think is a general reader vs a technical reader, so extensive details of the subtle differences between organic chemistry processes are not really appropriate.
The remainder of the book covers the authors experience with becoming a master oil paint maker, the details of the process of using pigments in making oil paints, some basic recipes for making pigments, and examples of art showing off the use of pigments.
The majority of the book is taken up by an overview of the development of pigments through history, covering specific important pigments for each various time period discussed (prehistory, ancient, classical, medieval, etc). Each pigment in this section has a two page spread, the left hand being photography of the pigment, and the right a short essay on the history, significance, and production of the pigment.
Given the survey nature of the book there is limited space in these essays to delve into the details of any specific pigment, but each would make a good springboard point to go into a deeper diver in your own research. Additionally there is a through line narrative about the general development of techniques and processes, so once something like the lake process is introduced once, it can just be referenced in subsequent entries without needing to fully explain it again.
The one pigment that gets special attention is Carmine, which is derived from the New World insect Cochineal. There is an extensive discussion of the history, production, and importance of this pigment. I would have loved if all of the pigments had this detailed explanation, but I understand that this would have realistically made the book multiple times longer and really moved it out of the space being an art/coffee table book and more of an educational/technical book.
The pigment section focus more on traditional examples versus modern synthetics. This makes sense given that the target audience of the book I think is a general reader vs a technical reader, so extensive details of the subtle differences between organic chemistry processes are not really appropriate.
The remainder of the book covers the authors experience with becoming a master oil paint maker, the details of the process of using pigments in making oil paints, some basic recipes for making pigments, and examples of art showing off the use of pigments.
June 13, 2022
There have been a number of popular nonfiction titles about colour in recent years, exploring the history, geopolitics, and cultural significance of colour, amongst other topics. (The one I consider seminal remains Colour by Victoria Finlay). What sets this one apart is its focus on the history and chemistry of the pigments and dyes associated with various colours - perhaps a natural consequence of it being authored by a master paint-maker.
This book highlights the centuries-long connection between pigments (and dyes) and alchemy and chemistry. Many pigments require some sort of chemical reaction to purify them and make them usable; some raw materials can be made into a number of different colours or shades depending on different chemical reactions. Presumably most of this knowledge would have been discovered by chance but perfected through subsequent extensive experimentation. All this was before the birth of modern chemistry, and the subsequent systematic discovery and manufacturing of synthetic dyes and pigments!
The book divides colourants into historical periods (prehistory, classical history, mediaeval etc) which adds interesting context, though it makes searching somewhat difficult. There are also sections on inks, dyes and lake pigments, and one showcasing artistic works that focus on colour. These are interesting however they seem to muddy the chronological aspects.
If you have an interest in colour, then Chromatopia is worth reading, and it will complement other titles without overlapping them too much.
This book highlights the centuries-long connection between pigments (and dyes) and alchemy and chemistry. Many pigments require some sort of chemical reaction to purify them and make them usable; some raw materials can be made into a number of different colours or shades depending on different chemical reactions. Presumably most of this knowledge would have been discovered by chance but perfected through subsequent extensive experimentation. All this was before the birth of modern chemistry, and the subsequent systematic discovery and manufacturing of synthetic dyes and pigments!
The book divides colourants into historical periods (prehistory, classical history, mediaeval etc) which adds interesting context, though it makes searching somewhat difficult. There are also sections on inks, dyes and lake pigments, and one showcasing artistic works that focus on colour. These are interesting however they seem to muddy the chronological aspects.
If you have an interest in colour, then Chromatopia is worth reading, and it will complement other titles without overlapping them too much.
April 2, 2023
A fascinating topic presented in an incredibly appealing way. As an artist who is trying to be more mindful and intentional about the origin of my materials, I've been looking for a book like this for a long time. The dominant culture under industrial capitalism grows ever isolated from the production and origin of consumer goods. I take a lot of things for granted, and color is one of them. While I have access to any color at any time at an affordable price, I don't have to know what the paint is made of. My understanding of pigments and colors is in how a particular color behaves in a painting. I'd intuited that zinc white and titanium white had different applications, but it hardly occurred to me to question why.
The book gives me about as much information as I want — one page per color. It covers a lot of material efficiently, allowing the pictures to take the stage. The photographs are gorgeous and evocative.
I would highly recommend this to anyone with an art practice or curious folks who like to have an interesting fact on hand.
The book gives me about as much information as I want — one page per color. It covers a lot of material efficiently, allowing the pictures to take the stage. The photographs are gorgeous and evocative.
I would highly recommend this to anyone with an art practice or curious folks who like to have an interesting fact on hand.
Read
April 29, 2020I found this book to be almost intoxicating . I am not in any sense an artist and struggled with appreciating much conventional art until maybe I got into my 50s and began to have the time and leisure to learn more about artists and specific paintings . I found, however I had a very visceral response to the pigments and descriptions of their creation and use as I slowly read through this vibrant book. Coming at last to the gallery towards the end this quote jumped out at me.
“ if I could only work with one colour for the rest of my life, without question my “desert-island colour” would be indigo. ... because indigo contains such a range of shades and subtleties ...” Jeanne Heifetz quote linked to Mottainai 11.
The more I looked at this artwork the more I Was drawn to it. I feel like my eye for the complexity of colour has really be opened thanks to this book.
“ if I could only work with one colour for the rest of my life, without question my “desert-island colour” would be indigo. ... because indigo contains such a range of shades and subtleties ...” Jeanne Heifetz quote linked to Mottainai 11.
The more I looked at this artwork the more I Was drawn to it. I feel like my eye for the complexity of colour has really be opened thanks to this book.
March 6, 2019
STUNNING-ly presented book for the colour nerd in all of us. The photography is gorgeous and frankly the reason I picked this up. I'm a sucker for a gorgeous cover and bright illustrations.
The content is surprisingly diverse. I was expecting history but I also got science. And science experiments! Not only does David Coles take you through the how and why of colours but also their creation, their fall from favour, their cost, it's a fascinating look at something we don't often think about.
Gorgeous. Even if you're not that interested in it's content it's going to look great on your coffee table. And your guests will have something strangely compelling to read!
The content is surprisingly diverse. I was expecting history but I also got science. And science experiments! Not only does David Coles take you through the how and why of colours but also their creation, their fall from favour, their cost, it's a fascinating look at something we don't often think about.
Gorgeous. Even if you're not that interested in it's content it's going to look great on your coffee table. And your guests will have something strangely compelling to read!
September 17, 2018
A fascinating and wonderful book - a must read/have for any visual artist, or anyone interested in the history and development of the colour mediums that artists use. Each page features the story of a mineral or organic 'ingrediant' that creates a particular pigment. Stunning photography by Adrian Lander illustrates each. With concise and well written prose, this is a book you can dip in and out of at will, savouring the journey into each individual colour.
A stunning book that I will treasure and read again and again.
A stunning book that I will treasure and read again and again.
August 26, 2021
This was a beautiful book. Literally. The photos are amazing. This is, like, the 800th book I've read about Color lately, so the info here wasn't mind blowing. But I'd read it all again just to look at the pictures. It made me want to be able to play with some of these pigment. Not the ones that would kill me, though - looking at you emerald green. Also, Vantablack would probably eat me, so I'll pass on that one too.
Fun book.
Fun book.
February 10, 2022
Chromatopia details the history of color pigments and their origins. Absolutely fascinating, especially if you’re an artist or history buff. From the first page it becomes apparent that the author knows his stuff as a artisan and master paint maker. The information alone is worth it, but the photography, design and layout make it a joy. I found it hard to put this down. The best book on a subject you never knew you wanted to know about!
March 7, 2019
First of all, such a gorgeous book! Chromatopia is a great mixture of history, science, and straight up recipes for making and mixing colors. If you’re not interested in it, it would be a bit dry...but at least look at it for the amazing photos. ;) Colors are a big part of our world, and each one has such an interesting story.
September 2, 2019
This was an excellent book. The language was beautiful and each page was a gorgeous photo with 4-5 paragraphs about a particular pigment. At the end is several pages wherein the author shares the process he uses to create a high quality oil paint. He includes a few recipes for making a few pigments on your own.
July 23, 2022
Such an interesting book and for anyone discovering the joy of painting in oils - a must read. A celebration of the history of the colours in all their glory. I was doing a fundamentals in oil painting course and my tutor recommended this book. I had already bought the Langridge range of paints and so David Cole’s book opened my eyes to the delights of using colours .
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February 13, 2023super interesting! as usual, wish i weren’t battling a library due date because i read this in two sittings instead of a few sections at a time :/ but liked this overall and really appreciated the photography!
right up my alley as someone who has studied materials and chemistry pretty extensively but has also painted a lot in the past
right up my alley as someone who has studied materials and chemistry pretty extensively but has also painted a lot in the past
August 28, 2022
Could have had more examples of the colors actually being used in artwork to go along with the description of them. Only giving each pigment a single page also feels weird because it just gets you the most basic understanding of it.
March 7, 2023
A visually beautiful book. I personally would have loved to read more facts about the presented pigments. However, as it is not a scientific textbook, I guess the depth of the descriptions was suitable.
October 21, 2023
Colour and creating paint … this is such an excellent window into a history of not only the creation of paint but it’s impact on human history .. from toxicity to experimentation with making paint this coffee table book is well with dipping your brush into from time to time.
December 5, 2018
The author started up a locally (for me, in Melbourne Australia) based paint manufacturing company.
This book discusses some shades and hues of colours, their origins from plant or animal.
This book discusses some shades and hues of colours, their origins from plant or animal.
January 13, 2019
A very enjoyable book!
February 3, 2019
A thoroughly gorgeous and interesting book.
February 10, 2019
Outstanding!
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