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| ColorSense: Creative Color Combinations for Crafters | 
 enlarge | Author: Susan Levin
Publisher: Sixth&Spring Books
Category: Book
List Price: $19.95
Buy New: $13.57
You Save: $6.38 (32%)
Buy New/Used from $11.54
Avg. Customer Rating:  (5 reviews)
Sales Rank: 33894
Media: Hardcover
Edition: Spi
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 224
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.6
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 7.5 x 1
ISBN: 1933027290
Dewey Decimal Number: 745.5
EAN: 9781933027296
ASIN: 1933027290
Publication Date: June 3, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Every crafter—needleworkers, painters, scrapbookers—needs this guide! Color is one of the first things we notice about a garment, necklace, or home accessory—and it can make or break a project. That’s why anyone who has ever struggled to select the perfect blend of hues for a prized piece will immediately recognize its value. Here are thousands of tried-and-true combinations, all based on established tenets of color theory, to choose from. And the volume features the unique ColorSense™ color wheel and cutout templates: just place them over the colors you’re thinking of using to see how they appear in different proportions and against white or black backgrounds. Everyone from artists to home decorators will turn to this again and again.
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| Customer Reviews:
 not what I was expecting September 16, 2008
I was disappointed. This book was like every other color book out there. Really just page after page of color combinations and a color wheel. Was not useful and I returned it.
 Very helpful August 17, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I've always been intimidated by color wheels and the like - the terminology has been beyond me as well.
This book not only explained it very simply and concisely, the examples in the back and the color swatches make selecting colors for a project absolutely 'dummy proof'. A must for color dunces like myself. I'm still not an expert, but at least have the confidence that I'm not going to make ugly projects.
Perfect size to take with me to the store, and it's indestructible.
Wonderfully informative and creative! August 5, 2008
Susan has done an incredible and very thorough job of teaching color theory in a very down to earth, non-technical, easy to understand way. This is a perfect book for anyone who wants to learn about the interaction of colors, for creating or for life! Susan presents color in so many combinations, patterns and designs and thoroughly explains how colors interact with each other. Cool color chips in the back and great small color wheel included. A MUST for anyone who wants to learn more about color, crafters and artists of all kinds.
No matter how confident you are about color, Color Sense is a fantastic source of ideas for color combinations of all kinds. July 29, 2008
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
I must have read (and probably own) dozens of books about color theory. Some I've found close to worthless, some are useful, and a very few are really helpful. Color Sense is one of those.
Levin, a cofounder of K1C2 (a great knitting company) and inventor of the Rainbow Color Selector, has written a book which must be the color book she has always wanted to find but hadn't.
The first section, How to Use this book, cover all the basics of color. First it covers how the pages are organized, so the reader can understand the color combination pictures. Then it talks about the swatches and templates included at the back of the book. It also shows you in detail how to use the small Rainbow Color Selector that is included with the book.
Before a short glossary of color terms, there is a discussion of color considerations. These aspects, proportions, undertones, value, and other factors make or break many projects. These simple explanations will help you identify problems with your color schemes and repair them.
The heart of the book are the color palettes. They are divided into three large groups: combinations of one,two, three, and four colors. The main types of color combinations, like complementary or triad, are put into one of these groups.
For each color combination, based on the twelve-color color wheel, there is a two-page spread. On the left page, the top contains three swatch diagrams for the combination, one light, one saturated, and one dull. Below each of these are several combinations in that particular value range showing different proportions of each of the component colors. I find this fascinating because the matter of proportion in color combinations is rarely shown but is very important, particularly in fiber arts. I'm sure you will find that some combination are much more appealing than others.
The right page shows 20 more color combinations, five against each of four backgrounds. Various shades of the main colors are shown with no background and against white, gray, and black. The same combination of shades is shown against each of the backgrounds.
Although the particular choice of background color also has a big effect in needlepoint, these samples can help lots in making a decision between, say, a light blue and a navy blue for a pillow background.
The books ends with a set of color swatches, all printed on card stock, with 7 shades for each of the twelve colors, plus multiple swatches of black, white, and gray. You can take these out and create your own color combination or match the cards to combinations in the book and carry them with you when selecting threads.
Throw in a Rainbow Color Selector and you have a wonderfully complete and usable book on color which is aimed at anyone who works with thread, yarn, or beads.
I Once Was Blind, But Now Can See! July 12, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Two things I like about a book is one that tells you what you already know but looks at it form a different angle; the other thing I like is to be surprised with something that I should have known but did not. This book has both and more.
The first chapter is on how to use the book with 20 action packed, well maybe not action packed but information packed pages on how to get the most out of the book. This is a good starting place.
The book was designed for needlework's and painters and the like. However I have two other reasons I bought the book. First for general knowledge to be able to see the world in a different way "But Now Can See!" The practical purpose is planning colors for dyeing yarn.
The book comes with a color wheel and detachable color samples to carry with you while shopping. I may have to buy a second copy as I can not force my self to dismantle the samples.
The book has a practical binding and is more than worth the cost.
Way to go Susan Levin.
Color Works: The Crafter's Guide to Color
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