DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1211#0018
14
towards a knowledge of composition in painting, is to understand perfectly
the,strength and management of each colour separately, which are their
proper contrasting and which their harmonising tints; without this'you
cannot dispose of them; with judgment in a full group; for colours are to
the eye what the notes in music are to the ear, and will either produce
harmony or discord, according as they are managed. I shall endeavour to
explain what has and will he said on the subject, by examples of different
groups of flowers, &c. ; but before I speak of particular groups, I must menr
tion the harmonising tints, without which it is impossible to form a group.
By harmonising tints, I mean those which should; occupy the space between
the two extremes of light and shade, and of warm and cold, in short, those
that come the nearest to one another; as, for instance, yellow is the har-
monising tint to white*, as being nearest in lightness of tint; orange to
yellow, scarlet to orange, red to scarlet, blue to green, indigo to blue, violet
to Wae, and black to iedfgo: and when a learner is become an adept in the
management of these colours in simple.groups, .their, arrangement in a full
one.will be no .difficulty. I shall beg leave to style this part of the work
simple composition, and will now speak of each group separately.
* There is no doubt but that a weak degree of any other colour will harmonise with white, but
yellow is here spoken of in its primitive state.
towards a knowledge of composition in painting, is to understand perfectly
the,strength and management of each colour separately, which are their
proper contrasting and which their harmonising tints; without this'you
cannot dispose of them; with judgment in a full group; for colours are to
the eye what the notes in music are to the ear, and will either produce
harmony or discord, according as they are managed. I shall endeavour to
explain what has and will he said on the subject, by examples of different
groups of flowers, &c. ; but before I speak of particular groups, I must menr
tion the harmonising tints, without which it is impossible to form a group.
By harmonising tints, I mean those which should; occupy the space between
the two extremes of light and shade, and of warm and cold, in short, those
that come the nearest to one another; as, for instance, yellow is the har-
monising tint to white*, as being nearest in lightness of tint; orange to
yellow, scarlet to orange, red to scarlet, blue to green, indigo to blue, violet
to Wae, and black to iedfgo: and when a learner is become an adept in the
management of these colours in simple.groups, .their, arrangement in a full
one.will be no .difficulty. I shall beg leave to style this part of the work
simple composition, and will now speak of each group separately.
* There is no doubt but that a weak degree of any other colour will harmonise with white, but
yellow is here spoken of in its primitive state.