Related Research Guide
Also see the Design Media Arts: Color and Color Theory research guide. It includes a page titled "Selections from the Arts Library Cage" that lists items showcased during Design Media Arts new student orientations!
Color and Color Theory
Chromatic Algorithms: Synthetic Color, Computer Art, and Aesthetics After Code by Call Number: Arts Library ; ND1489 .K36 2014ISBN: 9780226002736Date: 2014Chromatic Algorithms reveals the fascinating history behind digital color, tracing it from the work of a few brilliant computer scientists and experimentally minded artists in the late 1960s and early '70s through to its appearance in commercial software in the early 1990s. Mixing philosophy of technology, aesthetics, and media analysis, Carolyn Kane shows how revolutionary the earliest computer-generated colors were.
Chromatopia: An Illustrated History of Colour by Call Number: Arts Library ; ND1488 .C65 2018ISBN: 9781760760021Date: 2019From 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.
Color: An Introduction to Practice and Principles by 
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ISBN: 9781118173848Date: 2013The fully updated Third Edition of Color: An Introduction to Practice and Principles continues to provide a truly comprehensive, non-mathematical introduction to color science, complete with historical, philosophical, and art-related topics. Geared to non-specialists and experts alike, Color clearly explains key technical concepts concerning light, human vision, and color perception phenomena.
Colour in the Making: From Old Wisdom to New Brilliance by Call Number: Arts Library ; ND1489 .B355 2013ISBN: 9781907317958Date: 2013Colour in the Making is a visual history of art and design told through the materials of color--from the discovery and use of early earth pigments through lakes to organic chemistry and into contemporary dyes, inks, printing techniques and manufacture. Throughout this sumptuously colorful book artists' and designers' projects illustrate the often behind the scenes inventions and processes of color-making.
Interaction of Color by - This link opens in a new window
Call Number: Arts Library ; ND1489 .A4 2013ISBN: 9780300179354Date: 2013The 50th anniversary edition of a classic text, featuring an expanded selection of color studies. Conceived as a handbook and teaching aid for artists, instructors, and students, this influential book presents Albers's singular explanation of complex color theory principles.
Also see The Interaction of Color: The Complete Digital Edition
On Colour... by Call Number: Arts Library ; QC495 .W525 2019ISBN: 9781912458080Date: 2019On Colour... extends the theories of color harmony that Joahnnes Itten taught at the Bauhaus and describes how "through perfect control of breath and color one will eventually be able to generate a luminous cloud of such purity and intensity that it renders all inside it invisible."
The Visual Biography of Color by Call Number: Arts Library ; NK1548 .J33 2017ISBN: 9781939621351Date: 2017The Visual Biography of Color reveals color through time by using information graphics and other forms of data visualization to visually describe color's cultural role. The book moves the reader through the visible spectrum, as they turn the pages they exist inside of red, then orange, then yellow. As they continue to move through the book they'll read about how artists, musicians, and other great thinkers have considered individual colors.
The World According to Color by Call Number: YRL ; QC495.8 .F69 2022ISBN: 9781250278517Date: 2022In The World According to Color, James Fox takes seven elemental colors--black, red, yellow, blue, white, purple, and green--and uncovers behind each a root idea, based on visual resemblances and common symbolism throughout history. Through a series of stories and vignettes, the book then traces these meanings to show how they morphed and multiplied and, ultimately, how they reveal a great deal about the societies that produced them: reflecting and shaping their hopes, fears, prejudices, and preoccupations.
Best Practices for Graphic Designers, Color Works by - This link opens in a new window
Call Number: Arts Library ; NK1548 .O63 2014ISBN: 9781592538355Date: 2014This is the go-to guide for designers as it outlines and details the essential color design skills needed to create successful, meaningful, and aesthetically compelling designs. Along with hands-on projects, it offers unique insights into strategy and business when working in the real world with real clients.
Color: A Workshop for Artists and Designers by Call Number: Arts Library ; ND1489 .H67 2021ISBN: 9781786276605Date: 2021Taking a practical approach to color, Color: A workshop for artists and designers is an invaluable resource for art students and professionals alike. With its sequence of specially designed assignments and in-depth discussions, it effectively bridges the gap between color theory and practice to inspire confidence and understanding in anyone working with color.
Color and Design by - This link opens in a new window
Call Number: Arts Library ; NK1548 .C64 2012ISBN: 9781847889522Date: 2012Color and Design addresses how we understand and experience colour, and through specific examples explores how colour is used in a spectrum of design-based disciplines including apparel design, graphic design, interior design, and product design.
The Color Bible: The Definitive Guide for Artists and Designers by Call Number: Arts Library ; NK1548 .P47 2021ISBN: 9783791387895Date: 2021This vibrant and prismatic exploration of 100 essential shades is an invaluable resource for designers, artists and content producers that will also delight nonprofessionals interested in learning about how color shapes our lives. This wide-ranging deep dive into the world of color guides readers through the origins, connotations, specs, brand associations and artistic use of colors throughout history.
Color Design Workbook: New, Revised Edition by Call Number: Arts Library ; NC1000 .S76 2017ISBN: 9781631592928Date: 2017From the meanings behind colours to working with colour in presentations, Color Design Workbook provides readers with the vital information needed to apply colour creatively and effectively to design work.
Colour: Design Principles, Planning Strategies, Visual Communication by Call Number: Arts Library Oversize* ; * NK1548 .B84 2014ISBN: 9783955532086Date: 2014Colours have the power to stir emotions and awaken memories. Artists are not unique in their use of colour; scientists, psychologists, designers, writers and others also understand the power of colour. Various examples of international projects realised in both interior and exterior spaces illustrate the successful implementation of architecture and can provide inspiration for your own work.
Colour Design: Theories and Applications by - This link opens in a new window
ISBN: 0081018894Date: 2017This is a multidisciplinary book that addresses the use of colour across a range of industries, with a particular focus on textile colouration. Bringing together the science of colouration and the more artistic elements of design, this book supports students, academics, and industry professionals in developing a deep knowledge of colour use.
Playing with Color: 50 Graphic Experiments for Exploring Color Design Principles by - This link opens in a new window
Call Number: Arts Library ; NK1548 .M45 2013ISBN: 9781592538089Date: 2013Playing with Color is a highly accessible, fun approach to learning color application and principles. This hands-on book begins with an introduction to the philosophy of learning through the process of play. It then leads to a series of experimental design projects with an emphasis on color, providing the reader with a "toolkit" of ideas and skills.
Search the UCLA Library Catalog under the following Subject Headings to locate sources related to color theory, color systems, and using color in design:
Color
Color computer graphics
Color decoration and ornament
Color guides
Color in advertising
Color in art
Color in design
Color -- study and teaching
Color perception
Color printing
Color -- psychological aspects
Color -- terminology
Colors
Each section of the stacks (Stacks, Oversize, Reference, Pictorial Reference, Current Periodicals, etc.) can be browsed by call number, as can the library catalog. The Arts Library has a closed stacks area called "The Cage" where delicate, fragile, and rare materials are shelved; you will discover these materials when searching or browsing the library catalog.
Try browing these call numbers:
BF789.C7
ND1280
ND1486-1493
NK1548
QC494-496.9
Z258