Sensational Color

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Book Reviews: Interaction of Color by Josef Albers

The Interaction of Color by Josef Albers in its original form is a masterwork of a brilliant colorist and artist.  The original hardcover edition has 150 color plates to illustrate the often complex explanations of the characteristics of color and as the title implies the interaction between colors.

When the book was revised and put out in softcover it only included 10 color plates.     If the book is used in conjunction with a color theory class the missing examples aren't as much of an issue since an instructor could explain or illustrate a particular phenomena of color to help the student grasp the theory.  For the independent reader  however the reduced number of illustrations may make it difficult to fully understand some of the concepts Albers reveals. 

This spring a new softcover edition of the book was released and it includes more color plates than the original softcover which was a step in the right direction.  Recently I was delighted to learn that the originally published Interaction of Color is soon to be available for the first time in a CD-ROM edition, "extending Josef Albers`s color teaching into the realm of the computer and revealing a range of miraculous color effects in a new medium, including the way that one color can appear as two and how disparate colors can appear alike in varying settings," according to the publisher. 

I spoke to Jessica Csoma, Curatorial Assistant at the Josef and Annie Albers Foundation and she confirmed that the CD-ROM edition will include all of the original color plates.  At $39.95 the cost is considerably higher than the revised paperback edition but far less expensive than the going price for a used copy of the original edition if you can even find one.  This book(CD) is packed with information that is invaluable it you truly want to understand how color works.

The Interaction of Color CD-Rom Edition is not scheduled for release until next summer but you can place a pre-order from Amazon so that you can be among the first to secure a copy. 

Tee With a Color Sense of Humor

If only mixing blue and red did always produce purple.  Anyone that has mixed color whether with paint or dye or clay knows that what when you mix two colors the result may not always be what you expect but that's a post for another day.

The design shown above is blue ink printed on a red tee visually producing purple.  The designer's tongue-in-cheek saying cleverly plays on a phrase that is often over used by the media when talking about color.

Technorati Tags: threadless, tee, purple, color, colour

Play the Color Sort Game

I may be the color expert in the family but when it comes to wood finishes I completely trust David to make the decisions.  He has an uncanny ability to see the natural beauty in wood whether he's working on a carpentary project or shaping a bonsai.

When the time came to clean and coat the wood on on the well-crafted deck he designed for our home he chose to use a product from Sikkens.  I didn't pay too much attention until I saw the spectacular results.  The wood on the deck had always looked great but now it looked outstanding.

The color and finish were so perfect I needed to learn more about Sikken's DEK Finish and while I was poking around their site I found a challenging game that I thought you might enjoy. 

The game tests your ability to distinguish values of paint colors.  It is fun but be careful because once you decide where the paint can goes you don't get to move it.  Give it a try yourself: Color Sort Game.   Let me know how you do.

Technorati Tags: color value, paint, color, colour

Converting Pantone to CMYK

This is a question that has come up before and I think that Creative Guy gives very easy to follow instructions on how to convert a Pantone color into a CMYK color.  Check out his instructions.

Technorati Tags: pantone, cmyk, color, colour

Artist and Master Colorist Michael James

Michael James, a world-renowned quilt artist, has a well honed sense of color that is  expressed in each of his quilts examples of which are included in the collections of the Smithsonian Institute, the American Craft Museum and the International Quilt Study Center.

Michael left painting behind to pursue artistic expression through quiltmaking.  A bold move into a medium that wasn't at that point considered art and was traditionally thought to be a female pursuit.

Following his passion paid off as Michael has not only produced an amazing body of work but has also been credited with almost singlehandly moving quilts from home craft into the world of fine art.  The quilt pictured here is an example of the style that he is most recognized for.

Many years ago as a students in one of his workshop I had what I consider to be one of my great "color moments".  Each student had painted a color wheel that included twelve colors that resonated with them personally.  Michael picked my palette out from a wall full of wheels and commented that whoever painted it had a "sophistocated sense of color".  What  unexpected and wonderful recognition from the master himself.

A fascinating artist that has often ruffled the feathers of fellow artist and quilters with his views Michael continues to push himself and his art beyond accepted boundaries.  In the last few years his art has undergone a radical shift and you can view his current work on his website. 

If youre interested in learning more about Michael and his art there is a book that includes many of the earlier quilts that I recommend:  Michael James: Art and Inspiration

Picture from the Smithsonian Institute's Renwick Gallery website

Technorati Tags: michael james, quilts, art, artist, color, colour