Summer Reading: Books About Color

Summer is here. NeoCon 2023 is over. It’s time for some relaxation, right? Last year we shared a few of our favorite books about textiles with you. Maybe it was Kristen’s 2022 Color Diary, but this year we have color on the brain. Summer is one of our favorite times of year to play with color because we can actually get out of the studio. It’s the perfect time to do some outdoor dyeing or just go outside with a sketchbook and paint set. Playing with color is not only helpful with our work, but it’s also relaxing and grounding. So, here are five of our favorite books about color.

Books About Color

First up, good color reference books.

The Secret Lives of Color • by Kassia St. Clair
This book can be used as a reference book or you can read it straight through if you are geeky about color. It begins with a look at how we see color, how color works with light, how we talk about color and even how color factors into our lives and politics. Then it starts with white and works its way through the spectrum, discussing each color in depth. And not just the basic ROYGBIV, but 75 different shades in between.

Color and Fiber • by Patricia Lambert, Barbara Staepelaere, Mary G. Fry
This is a valuable reference book for anyone who works with fiber. It is divided into three parts and begins with the basics of how color works with light and our eyeballs. Next, it goes into great detail about how it works with fiber and fabrics. Lastly, it talks about how fiber artists and designers can work with color and fiber to achieve the results they want. It’s a technical but fascinating book.

Next, a few books to get you working with color.

Local Color, Seeing Place Through Watercolor • by Mimi Robinson
I love this book for playing with color. I am an avid travel journal keeper and am always trying to record colors I’m seeing. In this book, the author walks you through her process for recording colors she sees and creating small palettes of a place. It’s full of beautiful photos for inspiration.

Wild Color, The Complete Guide to Making and Using Natural Dyes • by Jenny Dean
Anyone interested in natural dyeing would benefit from having this book on your shelf. It is a very approachable book about dyeing that gives easy instructions for getting started. Then, it catalogs numerous plants with instructions and information about each plant. You don’t need to know much about dyeing to get started with this book.

The Art and Science of Natural Dyes • by Joy Boutrup and Catharine Ellis
This is another valuable reference book, but for someone with more experience dyeing. Written as a collaboration between an artist and a scientist, this book goes into a lot of detail and a lot of the science of dyeing. It might be a bit intimidating for a beginner, but for someone with more experience, they will appreciate the science.

What are you reading this summer?

We are always looking for new books. What have you been reading lately? Love any books about color that I left out? Let us know in the comments or tag us on Instagram with your recommendations!