Guess which designer toolbox staple just got an upgrade…

Published by
Lorenzo Logi
July 10, 2015

Taubman's new Colour Galaxy Fandeck has been designed specifically for Australian designers, and includes a unique layout and 35 new colours.

A New Fandeck for Contemporary Designers

Story continues below advertisement

It has been 15 years since Taubmans released a new fandeck, and after extensive market research into how design professionals use their decks, the Colour Galaxy Fandeck was created to support the online Colour Galaxy. Australian designers are increasingly inspiring their clients to make bold choices in paint,said Head of Marketing – Trade, Trevor Lowder, “so we’ve designed new fandeck which clearly presents both the classics and trend driven colours.

The new Colour Galaxy Fandeck features 1505 hand-selected shades divided into two main sections. In the first section, “Whites, Neutrals and Mineral Tones, you will find some old favourites plus new directional shades. Taubmans is renowned for their well-considered whites and neutrals and this newly designed Colour Galaxy Fandeck brings a robust selection of these colours to the front of the deck, making the colours easily accessible and the selection process much simpler for specifiers. The second section of the Colour Galaxy Fandeck, the Spectrum Collection, includes both muted and clear palettes of fantastic accent colours that capture both short term and long-term global colour trends.

Story continues below advertisement


Some of the new colours in the Taubmans range

Every leaf in the Colour Galaxy Fandeck displays seven generous colour swatches. The leaves that feature whites have darker shades in the centre of each leaf layout, which acts as a handy guide to the nuances of the colours on either side of it. The innovation continues through to the packaging of the Colour Galaxy Fandeck. The embossed black cover features a magnetic closure, making it both comfortable to use and easy to work with. It was imperative that this new packaging was as inspiring as it was functional to ensure it will become a go-to colour tool for design professionals.

Story continues below advertisement

Taubmans commissioned muralist Stephen Baker to create artwork for a limited edition Colour Galaxy Fandeck bag to celebrate the history of the brand. “The Painter” depicts an image of a sign painter in Stephen’s signature colour blocking style and was inspired by Taubmans’ founder, George Taubman. George, a Sydney sign writer, decided to create his own paint brand in 1901 to supply himself with the highest quality of paints needed for his trade.

Overall, a comprehensive and functional fandeck has been achieved that includes a well-considered and user-friendly palette brimming with classics and directional colours.

Creative Collaborations

In the late 1890s, George Henry Taubman, a Sydney sign writer, was dissatisfied with the quality of paints available in the Australian market. He decided to establish his own paint business, supplying himself with the highest quality paints needed for his trade.

To pay tribute to this rich history and the revival of traditional trades, Taubmans has launched a new campaign named Off Canvas that blurs the lines between art and trade to celebrate the craftspeople of todayThe Off Canvass program was launched at DEN Furniture + Design Fair in May with TJ Guzzardi, a Melbourne sign painter. The Taubmans stand at DEN fair was designed to resemble a traditional sign writer’s workshop, with TJ Guzzardi commissioned to paint signs throughout the event. TJ created works of the old and new Taubmans paint colour names such as “Mojo” and Acid Rock” reviving his old art and paying homage to George Taubman.

To celebrate the launch of the new Colour Galaxy Fandeck, Taubmans has commissioned muralist Stephen Baker to create the artwork for the fandeck bag, which will be available to design professionals. “The Painter” artwork has been created exclusively for Taubmans by Stephen and is inspired by Taubmans’ founder, George Taubman and his sign writing trade.

TJ Guzzardi

TJ Guzzardi has revived the almost forgotten art of sign writing from his workshop in Tullamarine, Melbourne. The workshop walls are adorned with his custom  hand- painted signs and he has an impressive collection of vintage objects and furniture on display that feels as though it is still the 1950s.

Completely self-taught, TJ first dabbled in his art at the age of 15 when he started pinstriping in his father’s hot rod shop. Raised by parents that shared a love of vintage 1950s culture, TJ was exposed the lifestyle from a young age, where he developed his unique style and flair.

tjpinstriping.blogspot.com.au

Stephen Baker

Stephen Baker is a Melbourne-based artist and creative, best known for his hand painted mural adorning the Fitzroy Pool in Melbourne. Stephen’s style is distinctive, applying lines and colour blocking to create striking illustrations and artworks. His versatile approach enables him to produce both large and small-scale paintings that feature bold colour palettes and signature geometric shapes.

Stephen spent many years designing graphic art for various clothing brands in the street and commercial space where he developed an innate skill and love of screen-printing and repeat pattern making, which plays a major role in his artistic style today. Over time, Stephen has simplified his technique and has developed a distinctive style of line work that enables him to tell a story with less information, less line work, less colour and less shapes.

stephenbakerart.com

Rone

This month, Taubmans announced a new collaboration with acclaimed street artist Rone. Famous for his large- scale paintings of striking women, in particular the recurring image of his Jane Doe, Rone’s work depicts the meeting point between beauty and decay. Rone is based at Everfresh Studio in Melbourne and began his career stencilling on skateboards and skate parks. Today, he travels the world to create major commissioned artworks.

After achieving wide recognition in the art industry, some of Rone’s works are now permanently housed in the National Gallery of Victoria and he is considered to be Melbourne’s most prolific street artist.

r-o-n-e.com

See the full range of new colours at taubmans.com.au/colourcentre/explore#search