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Books on Color and Design

This is a list of books and articles that I have found interesting in my research on color and design as it relates to needlework. As you can see, I have eclectic taste. Some of these books are out of print, but I still list them because you can generally find them through interlibrary loan. For purchases, contact Ruth Kern or search at The Advanced Book Exchange. In some cases, more recent editions may be available what is listed is the edition on my bookshelf. If I've missed a book you think fits in this category, I'd love to hear from you (My name is Carole and I'm addicted to books!). Email me to let me know!

• Adcock, Carol Pracna. Geometric Maze Designs. Stemmer House Publications, MD: 1984.
• Ames, Jim. Color Theory Made Easy. Watson-Guptill Publications, NY: 1996.
• Armstrong, Tim.
  • Make Moving Patterns. Tarquin Publications, Norfolk: 1982.
  • Colour Perception. Tarquin Publications, Italy: 1996.
• Bang, Molly.
  • Picture This: Perception and Composition. Bullfinch Press, Boston: 1991.
  • Picture This: How Pictures Work. Sea Star Books, NY: 2000.
• Barnes, Christine. Color: A Quilter’s Guild. A Patchwork Place, Bothel, WA: 1997.
• Bates, Kenneth. Basic Design: Principles and Practice. Barnes and Noble, NY: 1960.
• Beitler, Ethel and Bill Lockhart. Design for You. John Wiley and Sons, NY: 1961.
• Best, Muriel. Design Sources for Embroidery. BT Batsford, London, 1988.
• Bevlin, Marjorie Elliott. Design Through Discovery. Holt, Rinehart, Winston, NY: 1977.
• Beyer, Jinny. Jinny Beyer’s Color Confidence for Quilters. Quilt Digest Press, San Francisco: 1992.
• Birren, Faber.
  • Creative Color. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., NY: 1961.
  • Principles of Color. Schiffer Publishing, Westchester, PA: 1969.
  • The Symbolism of Color. Citadel Press, Secaucus, NJ: 1988.
• Bloomer, Carolyn. Principles of Visual Perception. Design Press, NY: 1990.
• Box, Richard. Drawing and Design for Embroidery: A Course for the Fearful. BT Batsford, London: 1988.
• Brod, Fritzi. Deorative Design. Grosset and Dunlap, NY: 1958.
• Brusatin, Manlio. A History of Colors. Shambhala Publications, Boston: 1983.
• Chevreul, M. E. The Principles of Harmony and Contrast of Colors. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., NY: 1967.
• Chicken, Betty. Introducing Design in Embroidery. BT Batsford, London: 1971.
• Clark, Paul and Julian Freeman. Design: A Crash Course. Watson-Guptill, NY: 2000.
• Crockett, Syvia. Angels in Traditional Design. Stemmer House, MD: 1987.
• Davis, Courtney. The Celtic Art Source Book. Landford Press, London: 1988.
• de Sausmarez, Maurice. Basic Design: The Dynamics of Visual Form. Van Nostrand Reinhold, NY: 1964.
• Edwards, Betty.
  • Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. Putnam, NY: 1989.
  • Drawing on the Artist Within. Simon and Schuster, NY: 1986.
• Endicott, Violet. Design in Embroidery. Bonanza Books, NY: 1968.
• Ernst, Bruno. Adventures with Impossible Figures. Tarquin Publications, England: 1986.
• Farrant, Penelope. Color in Nature. Blandford Books, London: 1995.
• Feisner, Edith Anderson. Color Studies. Fairchild Publications, NY: 2001.
• Fenn, Amor. Abstract Design and How to Create It. Dover, NY: 1993.
• Gage, John.
  • Color and Meaning: Art, Science and Symbolism. University of California Press, Berkeley: 1999.
  • Color and Culture: Practice and Meaning from Antiquity to Abstraction. University of California Press, Berkeley: 1993.
• Gallimard Jeunesse Press. Colors. Scholastic Inc, NY: 1989.
• Garnett, Oliver. Colour, A Social History. The National Trust, London: 2000.
• Garfield, Simon. Mauve. Faber and Faber, London: 2000.
• Gerritson, Franz. Evolution in Color. Schiffer Publishing, PA: 1988.
• Gillon, Edmund V., Jr.
  • Geometric Ornament and Design. Dover, NY: 1969.
  • Decorative Frames and Borders. Dover, NY: 1973.
• Gittins, Ann, and Jennie Petersen. Design Your Own Needlepoint. BT Batsford, London: 1995.
• Graves, Maitland.
  • The Art of Color and Design. McGraw Hill, NY: 1951.
  • Color Fundamentals. McGraw Hill, NY: 1952.
• Harris, Ann. All About Design. Self-published, 1990.
• Heller, Ruth. Color. Puffin Books, NY: 1995.
• Higgins, Walter. A Second Book of Pattern Design. A&C Black, Ltd., London: 1931.
• Holtzschue, Linda. Understanding Color: An Introduction for Designers. John Wiley & Sons, NY: 1997.
• Hope, Augustine and Margaret Walch. The Color Compendium. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., NY: 1990.
• Horemis, Spyros.
  • Visual Illusions Coloring Book. Dover, NY: 1973.
  • Optical and Geometric Patterns and Designs. Dover, NY: 1970.
• Howard, Constance. Embroidery and Color. Batsford, London: 1976.
• Johnston, Meda Parker and Glen Kaufman. Design on Fabrics. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., NY: 1981.
• Justema, William. Pattern: A Historical Panorama. New York Graphic Society, Boston: 1976.
• Issett, Ruth. Color on Paper and Fabric. Handbooks Press, Madison, WI: 1998.
• Itten, Johannes.
  • The Color Star. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., NY: 1985.
  • The Art of Color. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., NY: 1973.
  • The Elements of Color. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., NY: 1970.
  • Design and Form. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., NY: 1975.
• Kaye, Joyce Rutter. Color. Rockport Publishers, Gloucester, MA: 1998.
• Kobayashi, Shigenobu. A Book of Colors. Nippon Color, Kodansha, and Tokyo: 1987.
• Lambert, Patricia, Barbara Staepelaere, and Mary Fry. Color and Fiber. Schiffer Publishing, Westchester, PA: 1986.
• Lambert, Patricia. Controlling Color. Design Press, NY: 1991.
• Landa, Robin. An Introduction to Design. Prentice-Hall, NJ: 1983.
• Lauer, David. Design Basics. Holt, Reinhart, Winston, NY: 1979.
• Laury, Jean Ray. Imagery on Fabric. C&T Publishing, Lafayette, CA: 1997.
• Lehman, Libby. Threadplay. That Patchwork Place, Bothell, WA: 1997.
• Leland, Nita. Exploring Color. North Light Books, Cincinnati, Ohio: 1998.
• Martinez, Benjamin and Jacqueline Block. Perception, Design and Practice. Prentice-Hall, NJ: 1985.
• McDowell, Ruth. Symmetry. C & T Publishing, CA: 1994.
• McGehee, Linda. Creating Texture with Textiles. Krause Publications, WI: 1998.
• Messent, Jan.
  • Designs from Historic Textiles. Crochet Design, London: 1998
  • Designing with Motifs and Borders. Crochet Design, London: 1998.
  • Design Sources for Pattern. Crochet Design, London: 1992.
  • Designing with Pattern. Crochet Design, London: 1992.
  • Design Sources for Symbolism. Crochet Design, London: 1993.
• Murray, Aileen. Design in Fabric and Thread. Watson-Guptill, NY: 1969.
• Ocvirk, Otto, Robert Bone, Robert Stinson, and Philip Wigg. Art Fundamentals: Theory and Practice. Wm. C. Brown Publishers, Dubuque, IA: 1981.
• Oei, Loan and Cecile de Kegel. The Elements of Design. Thames and Hudson, NY: 2002.
• Oliver, June. Polysymetrics. Tarquin Publications, England: 1990.
• Paque, Joan Michaels. Design Principles and Fiber Techniques. Self-published. 1973.
• Pastoureau, Michel. Blue: the History of a Color. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ: 2001.
• Perry, Gai. Color from the Heart. C&T Publishing, Lafayette, CA: 1999.
• Petschek, Joyce. Beautiful Bargello. Trafalgar Square, North Pomfret, VT: 1997.
• Phillips, Peter and Gillian Bunce. Repeat Patterns. Thames and Hudson, NY: 1993.
• Porcella, Yvonne.
  • Art and Inspirations. C&T Publishing, Lafayette, CA: 1998.
  • A Colorful Book. C&T Publishing, Martinez, CA: 1996.
  • Six Color World. C&T Publishing, Lafayette, CA: 1997.
• Proctor, Richard. Principles of Pattern Design. Dover, NY: 1969.
• Proctor, Richard and Jennifer F. Lew. Surface Design for Fabric. University of Washington Press, Seattle: 1985.
• Quiller, Stephen. Color Choices, Making Sense Out of Color Theory. Watson-Guptill Publications, NY: 1989.
• Rice, Stanley. Getting Started in Prints and Patterns. The Bruce Publishing Co., NY: 1971.
• Sargent, Walter. The Enjoyment and Use of Color. Dover Publications, New York: 1964.
• Senechal, Marjorie and George Fleck. Patterns of Symmetry. University of Massachusetts Press, Amherst: 1977.
• Shipp, Mary D.
  • Color for Embroiderers. Stitches by Shipp, Bath, NY: 1998.
  • Design for Embroidery. Stitches by Shipp, Bath, NY: 1999.
• Sibbett, Ed, Jr.
  • Art Deco Stained Glass Pattern Book. Dover, NY: 1977.
  • Art Nouveau Stained Glass Pattern Book. Dover, NY: 1978.
  • Floral Stained Glass Pattern Book. Dover, NY: 1982.
• Singer Designs. Color and Design on Fabric. Creative Publishing, MN: 2000.
• Sipley, Louis Watson. A Half Century of Color. The MacMillan Co., NY: 1951.
• Sloane, Patricia.
  • The Visual Nature of Color. Design Press, NY: 1989.
  • Color: Basic Principles and New Directions. Studio Vista, London: 1965.
  • (editor). Primary Sources: Selected Writings on Color. Design Press, NY: 1991.
• Stevens, Peter. Handbook of Regular Patterns. The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA: 1987.
• Taylor, John F. A. Design and Expression in the Visual Arts. Dover, NY: 1964.
• Von Thenen, Peter. Prismatic Design Coloring Book. Dover, NY: 1978.
• Varley, Helen, ed. Color. Marshall Editions, Ltd., London: 1980.
• Walch, Margaret and Augustine Hope. Living Colors, The Definitive Guide to Color Palettes Through the Ages. Chronicle Books, San Francisco: 1995.
• Ward, Michael. Art and Design in Textiles. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., NY: 1973.
• Ward, T.W. Composition and Perspective. Bloomsbury Publishing, UK: 1988.
• Waterman, V. Ann. Surface Pattern Design. Hastings House Publishers, NY: 1984.
• Weal, Michele. Texture and Color in Needlepoint. Harper and Row, NY: 1975.
• Wenzel, Angela. Do you see what I see? The Art of Illusion. Prestel Verlag, 2001.
• Westgate, Alice. The Complete Color Directory. Watson-Guptill, NY: 1999.
• Westray, Kathleen. A Color Sampler. Ticknor and Fields, NY: 1993.
• Whelan, Bride. Color Harmony Workbook. Rockport Publishers, MA: 1999.
• Whyte, Kathleen. Design in Embroidery. BT Batsford, London: 1983.
• Wilcox, Michael. Blue and Yellow Don’t Make Green. North Light Books, Cincinnati: 1987.
• Wolfram, Joen.
  • The Magical Effects of Color. C&T Publishing, Lafayette, CA: 1992.
  • The Visual Dance. C&T Publishing, Lafayette, CA: 1995.
• Wong, Wucius. Principles of Color Design, Designing with Electronic Color. John Wiley & Sons, NY: 1997.
• Zelanski, Paul and Mary Pat Fisher.
  • Color, 2nd Ed. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: 1994.
  • Design: Principles and Problems. Holt, Rinehart, Winston, NY: 1984.
• Zwimpfer, Moritz. Color, Light, Sight, Sense. Schiffer Publishing, Westchester, PA: 1988.