Chromatopia: An Illustrated History of Color

Chromatopia: An Illustrated History of Color, by David Coles

Synopsis: This origin story of history’s most vivid color pigments is perfect for artists, history buffs, science lovers, and design fanatics.

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.

Published: August 2018 | ISBN: 978-1760760021

Mini-bio: David Coles is the founder and head paint-maker of Langridge Artist Colours, one of the world’s most respected makers of artists’ oil paints. With over two decades’ experience, he is widely respected within the artist community and is regularly a guest lecturer at leading art colleges. Google Books

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