The Great Book of Color

Introducing the Great Book of Color. From our studio to yours with pigment info and the Lost Wisdom of the Painters. Many of you know the backstory of the Paint List- and a big part of it has to do with sharing this book.

On a fateful day three years ago, a nightmare urban wildfire tore through two towns, and we had to evacuate with what we could. We recently published this article as we approached the anniversary of the fire. Then, the fires in Los Angeles brought up all the feelings from that day once again.

What became clear was that this book- handwritten notes containing the “Lost Wisdom of the Painters”- could have easily perished that day.

The Great Book of Color then spanned four books- about 800 handwritten pages- and has now grown to almost seven books. It contains notes from my own painting practice- things that were not taught in art school.

Within those pages was a section on pigments which I call the Pigment Dictionary. At Paint List we believe that pigments are for everyone- it is knowledge that should be shared- and that this knowledge is essential for developing one’s painting practice.

So from our studio to yours- a gift from the past which helps to build a new and colorful future.

Here's an article on the Great Book of Color and its rescue from the 2021 Marshall Fire.