Fields Chromatography | Page 7

colours closely connected
with black are first lost in the distance, and those nearly related to white
disappear last. The same may be said of local light and shade, the latter
of which is totally lost at great distances; and it is for this reason the
shadowed side of the moon is not generally seen. These powers of
colours are, however, varied by mist, air, altitude, and mixture, which
produce evanescence; and by contrast, which preserves the force of
colours by distinguishing them. Colours do not decline in force so
much by height as by horizontal distance, because the upper
atmosphere is less dense and clouded with vapour: and hence it is that
mountains of great elevation appear much nearer than they really are.
From all these circumstances, it is evident that a simple scumbling or
uniform degradation of local colours will not effect a true
perspective--for this will be the aërial of light and shade only--but such
a subordination of hues and tints, as the various powers of colours
require, and as is always observable in nature.
In furnishing or setting the palette philosophically and upon principle,
it is necessary to supply it with pure blue, red, and yellow; to oppose to
these an orange, of a hue that will neutralise the blue--green, of a hue
that will neutralise the red--and purple, of a hue that will neutralise the
yellow; and so on to black and white, which will neutralise each other.
As in nature, the general colour of the sky is blue, and the colour of
light is always opposite to that of the sky and shade, so the white which
is to represent light should be tinged with the orange of the palette
sufficiently to neutralise the predominant coldness of black. Pure
neutral white may thus be reserved as a "local" colour, which is a
technical term for the natural colour of an object, unvaried by distance,
reflection, or anything interfering with distinct vision; although,
properly speaking, local colours are subject to all the relations and
effects of the places they occupy in a composition--whether of light,

shade, reflection, or distance.
From what we have said, it will be seen that the relations and harmony
of colours form a complex subject, requiring constant and careful study;
one, indeed, into which he who would become a colourist must enter
heart and soul. For as colouring is the beginning and end of a painter's
craft, so colour in all its aspects must be the chief lesson of his life.
And this lesson can only be learnt, by ever watching with a loving eye
those wondrous colourings of nature, in which there is nothing
inharmonious or out of place.


PART II.
* * * * *
ON COLOURS AND PIGMENTS GENERALLY.
CHAPTER III.
ON CLASSES OF COLOURS.
By mixing his colours with white, the artist obtains his tints. By mixing
colours with colours, he produces compound colours, or hues. And by
mixing colours or tints with black, he gets shades. It is a common error
to confound these distinctions.
The above classification of colours enables us to understand the
simplicity of relation which exists among an infinity of tints, hues, and
shades of colour. Also, it is calculated to give precision to language
respecting colours, the nomenclature of which has too often been vague
and uncertain.
There are five classes of colours, viz.:--the Neutral, the Primary, the
Secondary, the Tertiary, and the Semi-neutral.

Neutral Colours are three only, white, black, and grey. According to
the laws of Optics, the two first comprise all other colours synthetically,
and afford them all by analysis. These are sometimes called "extreme"
colours, grey being their intermediate.
Primary Colours are three only, yellow, red, and blue. They are such as
yield others by being compounded, but are not themselves capable of
being produced by composition of other colours. By way of distinction,
they are occasionally designated "entire" colours.
Secondary Colours, are three only, orange, green, and purple. Each of
these is composed of, or can be resolved into, two primaries. Thus,
orange is composed of red and yellow; green, of yellow and blue; and
purple, of blue and red.
Tertiary Colours are three only, citrine, russet, and olive. Each of these
is composed of, or can be resolved into, either two secondary colours,
or the three primaries. Thus, citrine consists of green and orange, or of
a predominant yellow with blue and red; russet is compounded of
orange and purple, or of a predominant red with blue and yellow; and
olive is composed of purple and green, or of a predominant blue with
yellow and red.
The last three genera of colours comprehend in an orderly gradation all
those which are positive or definite; and the three colours of each genus,
united or compounded in