The Box of Swatches: 72 Cards for Palette Planning and Inspiration

David And Charles Ltd

ISBN 10: 1446317331 ISBN 13: 9781446317334

Casa editrice: David & Charles, 2026

Riassunto

Get your colour fix – anytime, anywhere – with The Swatch Box.

For creative minds, few things spark inspiration like a perfect palette. The Swatch Box is the ultimate tool for colour lovers – whether you're choosing yarn for your next blanket, planning a bold new outfit, designing interiors, or laying out your next digital project. With 72 beautifully curated colour swatch cards and a handy poster and infographic introducing colour theory, this is a box of endless possibilities.

Rooted in the heritage Chevreul Chromatic Circle, this deck brings a timeless touch to your creative practice while remaining totally fresh and modern. No names, no distractions – just pure, glorious colour to play with.

• 72 Colour Cards with Historical Charm: Inspired by the Chevreul Chromatic Circle, each card features rich, heritage-inspired tones along with HEX, RGB, and CMYK values.
• Flip for Inspiration: Every card includes helpful colour combinations on the reverse – showing Complementary and Tonal shades – to help you visualise dynamic palettes instantly.
• Creative Tool for All: Whether you're a graphic designer, knitter, stylist, sewist, interior designer, or just a colour enthusiast, this deck is the perfect gift or everyday tool.
• Portable and Practical: Take the cards on the go to match paint, yarn, or fabric in-store, or use them for brainstorming at your desk.
• Handy poster and infographic: Learn the basics of colour theory and discover the fascinating story behind Chevreul’s chromatic legacy.

From dopamine dressing to Pinterest-perfect colour planning, this is a must-have for anyone who finds joy in shades and swatches.

Open the box. Get inspired. Make something beautiful.

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Informazioni sull'autore

Michel Eugène Chevreul (1786–1889) was a French chemist whose foray into colour theory left a lasting mark on art, design, and visual science. While originally a chemist by training, it was his appointment in 1824 as director of dyeing at the Gobelins Manufactory in Paris that pivoted his career toward colour.

His investigations led to the formulation of the law of simultaneous contrast: the idea that the perception of one colour is influenced by adjacent colours. Published in his landmark 1839 treatise De la loi du contraste simultané des couleurs, this theory revolutionised how colour was understood and applied.

Dalla quarta di copertina

A card deck of 72 pure colour swatch cards plus an infographic poster on colour theory – perfect for creatives to plan, play, and get inspired by colour anytime, anywhere.

Estratto. © Ristampato con autorizzazione. Tutti i diritti riservati.

Michel Chevreul (1786 - 1889) was a pioneering French chemist who made significant contributions to science over his long career. From the creative’s perspective, his most enduring contribution was the work he did as part of his role as Director of the Dye Works at the Gobelins Manufactory in Paris.

He had accepted the position following complaints about the quality of the dyes the factory was producing. On his arrival, Chevreul determined that, far from being sub-standard, the oft-criticized black dye was actually extremely high quality. Despite this, when placed next to deep red or blue fabric, the black dye appeared to be weak. Chevreul named this effect simultaneous contrast, and in doing so identified a fundamental law of colour theory. He defined this as the tendency for a colour to appear to shift towards the complementary of the colour next to it in terms of hue and darkness.

In essence, this is a perceptual phenomenon – the proximity of two colours alters how they are seen by the human eye. Understanding this phenomenon is what allows artists and creatives to produce vibrant and dynamic work and guide a viewer’s eye through a composition or space.

Chevreul first detailed his findings in French in 1839, in a work that was published in English in 1854 with the title The Principles of Harmony and Contrast of Colours, and their Appearance to the Arts. Chevreul’s work on color theory had a lasting impact on Impressionist, Neo-Impressionist and Pointillist painters, and created one of the loveliest colour wheels.

Dettagli dell'edizione

• Editore: David & Charles
• Data di pubblicazione: 2026
• Lingua: Inglese
• ISBN 10: 1446317331
• ISBN 13: 9781446317334
• Rilegatura: Carte
• Numero edizione: 1
• Numero di pagine: 72
• Contatto del produttore: Van Ditmar Boeken, VDB Sales; sales@vanditmar.nl; ; Hondiuslaan 44; Utrecht; 3528 AB; Paesi Bassi