8/9/2019 Weinstein-1987-Color Research & Application

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BOOKREVIEW

A

Book of Colors by Shigenobu Kobayashi, Kodansha

International, Tokyo, 1987, 128

pp.

Price $9.95.

Book of Colors is a visual exploration of the authors

Color Image Scale theory a system in which descriptive

qualities (i .e., youthful, urbane, dreamy, energetic) are

translated into their color constellation of hue, value and

saturation.

Kobayashi bases his theory upon a measurement of

meaning study involving the general public an d color and

design students who ranked colors according to their emo-

tive attributes. T he study was undertaken and published in

Japan from 1966-72 and was also presented in 973 and

1977 at the AIC.

A

detailed discussion of the theory also

appeared

in

this

journal.

The Color Image Scale is composed of colors arranged

n

a chart with three axes: the first represents warm to cool

(red to blue); the second, soft to hard (from black/soft to

white/hard and from warm/soft to co ollhard); and the third,

clear to shaded (from brighdclear to grayishkhaded and

from coolklear to warmhhaded).

Kobayashis anaylsis of the relations between these some-

what subjective attributes is similar

to

the thinking of Josef

Albers in Inteructionof Color 2LightJdark and lighdhea vy

lead easily to sofdhard comparison,

or

quicWslow and

early/late connect with young/old, and with w a d c o o l , as

well as with weddry.

Interestingly, in Kobayashis th eory , the emotional qual-

ities are not limited to only one color association but exist

within quadrant of color space.

Because the book is based on a well-documented the ory,

it is superior to another book in this area that comes readily

to mind, The Designers Guides to Color.

A

Book

of Colors is quite handso me and provides a solid

resource for con sumers and professionals looking for a range

of choices when making color combination decisions. Usu-

1987

by John Wiley Sons, Inc.

ally, three or four color fields, in varying proportion, se-

quence and value, are presented for each emotional quality

listed along with a lively, descriptive text.

For example,

in the section describing the attribute

youthful the au thor explains,

.

Show s how reducing

the amoun t of white and increasin g the blue proportionately

highlights the yellow-blue contrast for an attractive, sum-

mery outfit.

A

similar effect is achieved between (fields)

2

and 7, where peppermint green lends a gay mood to

a patio luncheon table

.

The re are also application tips

for package and industrial designers.

As

is evident from the q uote abov e, the language of the

book tends

to

be flowery and at times, soun ds almost naive.

Since this book was originally published in Japanese, this

may be a result of the translation.

Useful to the reader is a final section that shows colors

arranged by hue and sub-divided into complementary and

contrasting color combinations. In addition, the hues are

cross-referenced to the various emotional attributes listed

throughout the book.

The format

of

the book, intended to be consulted as a

reference, may be frustrating to the novice who may need

to understand the theo ry behind the selections-something

that is not clarified until the reader is more than half way

through the book.

Overall, ho wever, Kobayashis Color Image Scale the-

ory appe ars to be a sound and useful on e for both the amateur

and the professional color stylist.

R S

WE IN ST E IN

1 S.Kobayashi,

The

a im

and method

of

thc color image scale,

Color

Re \

2. J

Albers,

Interaction of Color Yale

University Press,

New

Haven,

3.

Anonymous, Designers Guide

t

Color Chronicle Books San Fran-

A p p l

6 ,

93-107 1981).

1971.

cisco, 1984.

344

CCC

4361-2317/87/060344-06 04.00 COLOR research and application