Books about paint
Colors and paints are not that simple, if you just scratch the surface a little. Depending on which approach you have to the subject; whether it is "do it yourself" or if you are a professional, it is always good to have some basic knowledge from professionals. I have studied quite a few books on the subject over time, and have made an overview of the books I would recommend reading if you like to geek out on the subject, or in general just find the subject interesting. There are both "easy to read" and more "advanced" readings to choose from. Some of the books are unfortunately not so easy to get hold of. I myself have spent quite a bit of time finding them online. I have chosen to give them from 1 to 5 stars, as an indicator of how good I think they are.
Name:
By: Gregor Paulsson & Aage Sølver-Schou
Language: Danish
Published: 1935
Number of pages: 431
Rare: Yes, bought it myself via an antique shop
The book is intended as a textbook for the painting profession. It includes all the topics that are of interest to, for example, a color dealer or a painter. It creates understanding and insight into everything from the properties of color pigments and binders to how to run a business.
The book contains i.a. section on:
The natural system of colours
Earth dyes
Marbling and veining
Gilding
Tempera paint
Paint with glue color
There is also a good and broad description of the basic working methods that are used when applying different paints, for example lime, tempera and oil paint, to name a few. The book also has an understandable introduction to, for example, the physics and chemistry of color pigments.
It also contains sections on brushes and other tools, as well as on paint aesthetics and history, so the book is quite broad.
You don't have to read the book cover to cover. You can easily pick out the sections that you find interesting and still get a lot of useful knowledge without having read the whole book. It is definitely one of my favorite books.
Name: The Natural Paint Book
By: Lynn Edwards & Julia Lawless
Language: English
Published: 2002
Number of pages: 192
Rare: No, it can be bought online
A good DIY book. It starts with a brief description of the history of paint, and goes on to an explanation of paint types, pigments and why you should choose natural raw materials to make paint with. The book's strength is its many recipes for natural paints, which briefly and precisely explain the composition and procedure, how they should be applied, etc. There is also a section on various decorative application techniques, and a bit on choosing colors for interior decoration, but as a starting point, it is the many recipes that I myself find interesting. There are many nice illustrations and pictures, and the book as a whole is very nice visually, I think. It is a good book for those who think it could be exciting to experiment a little at home.
Name:
By: Lennart Luneburg and Olle Svensson
Language: Swedish
Published: 1962
Number of pages: 175
Rare: Yes, bought it myself via an antique shop
The book is about material theory and is intended as a teaching tool for e.g. vocational schools. Like other textbooks, the first section deals with the basic chemistry and physics of painting. It explains in simple words and illustrations how it all works together. There is also a basic section on color theory which is very good. The book also gives an overview of the different paint types and properties that were used in the past. Descriptions of various pigments are also included, but the book does not go into details. If you are looking for a brief and basic understanding of the painting profession, it is a fine book, but if you want a more in-depth insight and broader understanding of the profession, I would rather recommend the ‘’Painting Book’’ (book in danish), which I have also written about on this page.
Name: En bok om linoljefärg, kärlek och genarp
By: Gunnar Ottosson
Language: Swedish
Published: 2019
Number of pages: 200
Rare: No. It can be purchased online
If you want a thorough explanation of what linseed oil paint is. How it is made, which components are included in the paint, which types of linseed oil are best, etc., this book is one I would recommend. No compromises have been made anywhere. You are taken through the entire process, from harvesting linseed, to choosing the right pigments, and at the end there are beautiful pictures where linseed oil paint has been used as a surface treatment. Half of the book is pictures and the other half is text, which is put together in a good and explanatory way. It really is a book that you can easily become engrossed in when you first start. The book contains 10 sections, all of which focus on linseed oil paint, so if you're into linseed oil, this is the book for you.
Name: Waterborn Coatings
By: Charles R. Martens
Language: English
Published: 1981
Number of pages: 309
Rare: No, it can be bought online
This book is more technical and basically deals with water based paints, their physical properties and composition. It describes in detail all the components that are included in paint and how these components individually affect each other. For example, there is a whole section that deals with the properties of water. So here we are in the geek world. There is talk of molecular weight and relative humidity. It is full of technical language and terms that you may not be very familiar with if you do not know much about paint, but the book gives a good insight into precisely water-based emulsion paints and their structure. However, it is clearly a book that relates to professionals. There are very few pictures. It’s mostly text, graphs and small illustrations.
Name: Chromatopia
By: David Coles
Language: English
Published: 2018
Number of pages: 223
Rare: No, it can be bought online.
Rarely have I seen a book dealing with color with such a complete layout. It is almost a work of art in itself. The pictures in the book are fantastically beautiful, and you almost want to take a bite of the colors. The author of the book, David Coles grew up in an art world in and around Covent Garden in London, surrounded by color in his everyday life, which reflects his obsession with oil paints and art. Today he lives in Australia, where he has founded his own company that produces oil paints for artists. The book describes most known pigments in a short and precise text with a historical touch. There are also descriptions of procedures for how to extract dyes from plants and how to make your own pigment, e.g. real ultramarine (Lapis Lazuli). The book ends with a section dealing with his great interest in art. It is really exciting reading from a to z and I can highly recommend this book. It's pure eye candy.
Name: Håndbog i linoliemaling
By: Simon Vejbæk Kinch
Language: Danish
Published: 2009
Number of pages: 98
Rare: No, it can be bought online.
A book which, in Danish, describes the basics of and around linseed oil paint. What does linseed oil paint consist of, which types of linseed oil are best, how do you apply linseed oil paint? etc. It is a good handbook that can be used as a basic introduction to linseed oil paint. It also contains brief descriptions of other traditional paint types, such as tempera and chalk. The book does not go into depth, but it is good as an appetizer, I would say. There are also a handful of recipes for various homemade paints at the back of the book.
Name: Painting in practice
By: Bahne Preisler
Language: Danish
Published: 1948
Number of pages: 400
Rare: Yes, bought it myself via an antique shop
The book is intended as a textbook for painting apprentices and journeymen. There is an excellent section dealing with color harmony, but especially the section on material theory, where descriptions of dyes and their origin, as well as manufacturing processes, are interesting reading. In the same section, various binders and their properties are also explained. There are also descriptions of the different progress methods used, depending on the type of paint used. And whether it’s walls or ceilings that need to be painted. It all ends with a description of the craft of painting through the ages, with a focus on the different periods: the Renaissance, the Baroque and Classicism, to name a few. I really like this book. It gives a broad and good insight into the painting profession and its work, anno 1948.
Name: Malerbogen
By: Institute of Technology / J. S. AAbye
Language: Danish
Published: 1944
Number of pages: 505
Rare: No, bought it myself via an antique shop
This is a classic and it exists in different versions as it has been reprinted several times over the years. It is a really good and well-written book that contains a lot of useful information. There are very few pictures/illustrations. Most of it is text. Here, e.g. basic chemical concepts and the techniques of painting and there is a detailed and comprehensive section on material theory: color pigments, binders, etc. There are also less exciting sections on bookkeeping, the fire code and the like, which are not immediately relevant, but you can just skip them. If you are new to the subject and need a good introduction, this is definitely a book I would recommend, even if it is over 70 years old. A classic never gos out of style!
Name: Farver i Farver
By: Andreas Kornerup and Johan Henrik Wanscher
Language: Danish
Published: 1974
Number of pages: 248
Rare: No, bought it myself via an antique shop
The book's own words: The purpose of the book is to tell about colors using a rich, systematically arranged color collection, a color atlas. The book is divided into three parts, at the front a color guide, in the middle a color atlas and at the back a color encyclopedia.
The atlas shows 1266 colored fields distributed over 30 boards, arranged by colour: yellow, orange, red, violet etc. On each board, the colors are distributed in columns and rows provided with letters and numbers, just like on a city map, whereby any color field can be easily characterized.
The book is about color theory. It is intended as a color matching tool, or in colloquial terms a color card, which can be used to compare colors from, for example, a piece of fabric, with the colors in the color atlas.
The book also contains technical and in-depth insight into our brain's understanding of the different colors and how they affect each other. The book goes in-depth with regards to colors and their composition, and is perhaps aimed at the more geeky types. It's not an easy-to-read book, I think, but the color atlas is good at illustrating different shades of the same color, and it can be a useful tool in itself.
Name: House Paints 1900-1960
By: Harriet A. L. Standeven
Language: English
Published: 2011
Number of pages: 147
Rare: No, it can be bought online.
The book is intended as an aid to painters and other professionals who restore older properties. It describes the development of the different paint types up through the years from 1900 to 1960. The book deals with the paint types that were used in this period in the USA and Great Britain - both as decorative paint in the home, but also by artists who found some of them useful for use in their paintings.
Although the book is based in the United States and Great Britain, there are direct parallels to Europe and the types of paint that were produced and sold there during the same period. It covers both those based on natural components as well as synthetic ones that came to prominence in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. The book describes both the properties, composition and use of the different paint types, as well as the significance they had for the development of the paint industry in those years. The book provides a good insight into older paint types and their use for historical purposes. I think it's well written and informative, which is why I'm giving it 4 stars.
Name: Bogen om farver / The book of colors
By: Kevin McCloud
Language: Danish, But I think it comes in English as well
Published: 2004
Number of pages: 192
Rare: No, it can be bought used online.
As the title says, it is primarily a book about colors and color composition. It illustrates with pictures and color palettes how you can combine colors so that they harmonize with each other and create the effect you want in your interior design. Colors can be effective in different ways, depending on the height of the ceiling, the incidence of light, the shape of the room, etc. The book is aimed at everyone who finds decorating with colors interesting. If you are more into the new Nordic style with black, gray and white, this is probably not the book you should invest in. I like the simple and easy-to-understand structure of the book. It cuts to the bone and lets the images and color palettes speak for themselves. The book is very colorful and really good if you want help with colors and interior design.
Name: Kevin McCloud's complete book of paints and decorative techniques
By: Kevin McCloud
Language: English
Published: 1996
Number of pages: 272
Rare: No, it can be bought online.
Another book by Kevin McCloud, this time devoted to paint and decorative application techniques. The book starts with a small intro about colours, and then goes on to a brief description of binders. After that, there are some useful basic recipes that you can work on and use for different painting techniques.
The book provides a good insight into how to produce various decorative and authentic expressions using the right tools and the right technique. It deals in particular with how to transform newer and static surfaces into more worn/expressive surfaces, with a more changing, softer, rounder and inviting appearance which is the strength of the book. Many old techniques are presented, which I would think that most apprentice painters today do not have the big concepts of, since the times are different, but if you want to learn these techniques, and perhaps use them in your own home, the book is worth its weight in gold. There are many illustrative pictures that explain the procedure and which are followed by a nice and easy-to-understand text. The book is clearly aimed at the perhaps slightly more professional DIY person, but anyone who has a creative soul and the courage to try things out can enjoy it.
Name: Jorden färg
By: Milis Ivarsson & Frida Hafvenstein
Language: Swedish
Published: 2005
Number of pages: 317
Rare: No, it can be bought online.
A fantastic piece of craftsmanship of a book. It is really well written, with lots of information, neither too little nor too much, but just right. The book's primary focal point is a paint based on an egg oil tempera, where you mix eggs, oil, pigment and water. The book is full of recipes for colours, ready to dive in. A lot of work has gone into this book, which you can clearly see in its quality. If you want to start making colors quickly, this book is a really good starting point. It is straightforward and not too technical. It is clearly worth recommending, and a good reference work to have on the shelf at home.
Name: The anatomy of colour
By: Patrick Baty
Language: English
Published: 2022
Number of pages: 351
Rare: No, it can be bought online.
A historical journey in the development of paints, pigments and colors back from 1660 to the 1960s in Great Britain. The author has used an extensive number of sources to support the facts and timeline in the book. It describes the development within the painting profession, for example which colors were available in the representative periods, based on the pigments that were available at the same time. It also describes how, in the past, it was a very trade-oriented area, where there was not much do-it-yourself, but that it was often professional people who were responsible for the painting work, and how it changed over time, when more ''ready to use'' products came on the market. The book is full of interesting and instructive information about colors over time, including how the times we live in help to define color combinations and trends among colors. There are countless pictures and illustrations of colors and color charts that you can find inspiration in. It is, as I said, exciting reading, but it is probably mostly aimed at a narrow audience, e.g. people who are interested in, or make a living from, restoring and refurbishing older and listed properties, but anyone who finds colors exciting will benefit from the book.
Name: Traditionell kalk färg
By: Sven Olof Hjorth, Henrik Kjellberg, Knut Åkesson, Axel Unnebäck, Margareta Cramer
Language: Swedish
Published: 1998
Number of pages: 60
Rare: No, it can be bought online.
This book can perhaps be defined more as a booklet, rather than a book, due to the few pages, but the few pages are used well. The booklet only deals with lime, production, use and the history behind lime and lime paint. So if you want to know everything about lime, it contains all the information you need. There are lots of illustrations and pictures that describe and explain the different processors. It is a professional textbook that can also be used by DIY people to understand lime and its properties.
Name: Farvekemi uorganiske pigmenter
By: Fenge Hansen & Ole Ingolf Jensen
Language: Danish
Published: 1991
Number of pages: 189
Rare: yes, bought it myself via an antique shop
If you want a more in-depth and fundamental knowledge of pigments and their chemical composition, as well as production, this textbook is a good start or a supplement, depending on how much knowledge you already possess. It describes the basic substances that are included in pigment production, as well as the procedure and method by which the individual pigments are made from the various basic substances. It is a book that inspires you to put on your work clothes and go to the workshop. It is primarily a book for the geekier professional as it is quite technical I would say. The good thing, however, is that the book is written in Danish, which makes it easier to understand in terms of technical terms etc. Since I'm a bit of a geek myself, it gets 4 stars.
Name: Huse med sjæl
By: Søren Vadstrup
Language: Danish
Published: 2005
Number of pages: 408
Rare: No, it can be bought online.
Every person's house bible, if you live in an old property, or work with restoration etc. As the title very well sums up, the book is about houses - more specifically, older properties in Denmark. It deals with all building parts that are part of old houses, from basement to dormer, and describes how best to preserve them, by using old craftsmanship techniques, and the traditional materials on which they were originally built.
Older properties have a charm and soul that modern buildings can rarely deliver, as they are the product of another time and place. I myself have in-depth knowledge and understanding of construction in general, and although I feel well equipped in that respect, there is always something to learn from books like this. The 400 pages are filled with pictures and illustrations, as well as text that is useful for anyone interested in older properties and construction, regardless of profession or occupation. It can clearly be recommended, both for the do-it-yourself type, but also for professionals in the field, or others who are just a little curious bout old houses.
Name: Das ABC der fachkunde für maler
By: Carl Koch
Language: German
Published: 1927
Number of pages: 131
Rare: yes
A nearly 100-year-old German textbook about paint. It is fun to look at such an old print and look at the original color indexes, which appear sparkling new in their expression, even though the book is many years old. It is mostly a fun insight into the time it was written in. It only touches on the topics superficially, and does not really go in depth. Much more useful information can be found in some of the other books I write about on this site. The Danish: Malerbogen is a good example, as it is of a completely different caliber. However, this book gets 3 stars for its beautiful and well-preserved color palettes.
