A Dictionary of Color Combinations – Sanzo Wada

A small book that is actually a great color classic.

A Dictionary of Color Combinations arises from the work of Sanzo Wada (1883–1967) , an artist, teacher, and costume and kimono designer who was a key figure in the Japanese avant-garde of the 1920s and 1930s. Wada was one of the first to systematically study color combinations, establishing a dialogue between Japanese tradition and Western influences and laying the foundations of modern chromatic research.

This book is a reissue of his original six-volume work and features 348 color combinations : surprising, harmonious, bold, or delicate pairings designed to inspire anyone who works (or plays) with color.

The volume takes the reader from two-color combinations to more complex compositions , showing how color can change character and emotion depending on the relationships it creates.

In the final part, the book becomes an even more practical tool: a real collection of color samples , in Pantone style, with CMYK codes , designed to be cut out, compared and recombined.

The text is mostly in Japanese, and the colors are written in both Japanese and English. The book is completely intuitive : the language of color is universal, and the visual structure makes it immediately understandable and extremely useful.

A book to keep on your desk, to browse when inspiration is lacking, to use as a work tool, or simply to love.