Are you passionate about purple? Do you burn with the romantic radiance of rich reds? Do cheerful, energetic yellows brighten up your day? If so, you’re likely one of the color lovers that are so prevalent in the design world.
Color is what you make it: sensitive, explosive, dreamlike, atmospheric, somber, cheerful… the sky is the limit!
Those who dabble in the kaleidoscopic world of color possess a special flair for creativity and aesthetics—a creative streak that enlivens design across all media. From web design to print design, from interactive to paper folding, color illuminates our lives.
If taupes and turquoises tickle your fancy, check out these great resources for color lovers:
Design Books on Color
Confident Color: An Artist’s Guide to Harmony, Contrast and Unity
By Nita Leland
Nita Leland brings logic and intuition together to create a foundation for color selections that allow you to be more inventive, break out of old habits and experiment with new colors. Her approach eliminates time-wasting trial and error while giving you the freedom to use color in personal, meaningful and exciting ways.
Roy G. Biv: An Exceedingly Surprising Book About Color
by Jude Stewart
Roy G. Biv takes a clever look into the meaning of color and the emotional and social impact color has on our lives. Color is all around us every day. We use it to interpret the world—red means stop, blue means water, orange means construction. What color is the universe? We might say it’s black, but astrophysicists think it might be turquoise. Unless it’s beige. Jude Stewart unlocks a whole different way of looking at the world around us—and brings it all vividly to life in this bundle which includes her new book Roy G. Biv: An Exceedingly Surprising Book About Color.
BONUS: Free with your purchase of Roy G. Biv: A video of Jude Stewart’s Roy G. Biv presentation from the 2013 HOW Design Live Conference, held in San Francisco—a $49.99 value!
Color: Messages & Meanings — A Pantone Color Resource
By Leatrice Eiseman
Whether you’re looking to compare, contrast or choose just the right colors for your next design project, make sure you consult Pantone’s new Color: Messages and Meanings. Based on extensive research and filled with pages of luscious-to-subtle hues, photographs, and illustrations, this book by internationally renowned color expert Leatrice Eiseman will inspire you to try colors and combinations in new and exciting ways.
Ditigal Downloads on Color
Complete Color Index Swatch Library
By Jim Krause
The Complete Color Index Swatch Library is an indispensable tool for designers, illustrators, photographers and more. All the great color combinations from Color Index and Color Index 2 are now available as digital downloads. Each of the color combinations is directly importable into InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop for quick and easy use. With over 2600 combinations in both CMYK and RGB, you’ll be able to quickly find and utilize the perfect combination for your project.
Get this digital color resource here.
From Print Magazine
In this download from Print magazine, you’ll get a complete look at the fascinating world of color—from the rich history of the color wheel to an overview of contemporary color theory. Read some of the best articles by color expert Jude Stewart, and join Steven Heller as he explores the vast implications of the color red. From color trends and associations to the modern rainbow parade, this collection is sure to educate and inspire any color lover.
Print Singles: How Color Changes Over Time
By Jude Stewart | From Print Magazine
In this download from Print Magazine, color guru Jude Stewart takes you through the history of color, noting several color theories that have dominated design in the past and today. Use these insights to help you pick the right palette for each new project from now on.
by Bryn Smith | from Print Magazine
In the age of instagram, the work of Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii looks utterly contemporary. Never mind that the chemist-turned-photographer was documenting now-vanished scenes of rural agricultural life at the sunset of czarist Russia. The main subject of his travelogues was color, which he captured in a palette of saturated blues, searing pinks, and acid yellows. Nostalgia: The Russian Empire of Czar Nicholas II, published by Gestalten, erases any notion that the past is always black-and-white.
Both novices and professional designers will find this intro to color theory course useful. Beginner-level students will develop a strong foundation in color theory, and that foundation will assist them in their other design-related studies. This course is also ideal for designers needing a refresher on color theory.
