Chromatopia

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.

Illustrated in color throughout

About the Author

Chromatopia is the creation of David Coles, founder and master paintmaker at Langridge Artist Colours - 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."