This vast volume full of mixed watercolor swatches and other illustrations elaborating explains the art and science of combining waters and colors to create a huge array of tones, tints, shades and hues.

Created by artist  A. Boogert, this Dutch book is one-of-a-kind, a unique handmade production designed to educate students and artists about how to mix, make and deploy individual colors and color schemes. The entire work is thoroughly indexed and each process described in impressive detail.

Medieval book historian Erik Kwakkel considers it a comprehensive coloring guide ahead of its time. “I encountered this Dutch book from 1692 in a French database today and it turns out to be quite special. For one thing, no Dutch scholar appears to have published on it, or even to know about it. Moreover, the object is special because it provides an unusual peek into the workshop of 17th-century painters and illustrators.”

More from the aforementioned scholar: “In the 17th century, an age known as the Golden Age of Dutch Painting, this manual would have hit the right spot. It makes sense, then, that the author explains in the introduction that he wrote the book for educational purposes. Remarkably, because the manual is written by hand and therefore literally one of a kind, it did not get the reach among painters – or attention among modern art historians – it deserves.”

If you want to see the volume yourself: Aix-en-Provence, Bibliothèque municipale/Bibliothèque Méjanes, MS 1389 (1228). Luckily, the entire book can be viewed here, in hi-res, zoomable images. Here is a description of the book. Thanks to the internet, this single-run work now finally has a shot at the global audience for which it was intended (via Colossal).

Seed bombs and shotgun shell sprouts are not the only weapons in a guerrilla war for urban gardens and green street art – moss is a great material that can be rapidly adapted and deployed to make statements on city surfaces as well.

Indeed, using mosses allows artists to go above and beyond the ground, shifting from horizontal to vertical spans for a different look and added visibility. And, as it turns out, creating moss wall art is not as difficult as you might guess – do-it-yourself directions are shown in detail below.

First, you have to gather some moss, naturally, which you can then mix with water-retention gardening gel and some buttermilk then blend together for a few minutes to form a gelatinous substance.

Shift your creation into a portable container then select and paint it onto a surface of choice – if the area will not be exposed to moisture, you may want to come back by and spray on some water from time to time.

Remember, too, that there are many ways to take this process further and create additional kinds of green artwork, mossy or otherwise.

Meanwhile, if you find a surface already mossed over thanks to time and nature, selectively erasing sections of growth can be a fun form of expression as well.

No shutter shades or scarf in this set, just a basic collection of essentials to get you started on the road to a life of independent fashion,  aspiring artistry and political posturing.

A well-worn plaid shirt will compliment your new rounded, thick-rimmed, faux-vintage glasses. Take to the streets and share your mix tape of obscure bands, and don’t forget to shoot some Polaroids while you are at it.

Not sure what to do next? An owner’s manual is included. And what about the mustache? You probably don’t have to be male to pull it off, assuming you wear it with a sufficiently ironic affect. A great Christmas gift too – or maybe if you are feeling fashionably secular you could give it at New Year’s. Sure to be a hit this holiday season, regardless.

Stake your subcultural claim alongside beat, hippie, punk and grunge demographics with your style-defining assortment of goodies by graphic designer Mihael Mikloši. Thrift-store-worthy, organic-looking labels and hand-written fonts for things like the mix tape seal the deal.