DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19950#0046
CONTRAST.
deeper tone of the same, and thus lose the beauty of the
contrast. Take another instance. In the autumn, by the
sea-side, tlie sun sets in clouds of rich crimson, and opposed
to this mass is the surface of the sea, a cool, pale greyish-
green; and every wave and ripple is a repetition of this con-
trast, every light being pink, and every shadow a pearly
grey.
It may be said that these contrasts arise from the warmth
of the sun's light at his rising or setting. Granted; and
I would choose no other time for sketching from Nature
than when the shadows are long, and the atmosphere is
enriched by the glories of the rising or sinking luminary.
Then we catch the bright sparkling lights on the stems and
leaves in the foreground; then the distance is rendered
more enchanting by the cool mist of early morning, or the
warm haze of sunset; then the deep tones of the middle
distance are strengthened and brought out, and a solemnity
obtained which by contrast gives brilliancy to the fore-
ground, and throws back the extreme distance. In the
mid-day, on the contrary, the light is too strong and pale,
the shadows are short and central, the stems are covered
from the light, and a great means of beauty is thus lost to
the eye.
The principal art in colouring may be said to lie in the
shading, which indeed forms by far the largest part of the
picture. The light, except on flat surfaces, occupies but
a tip of the object; all the rest is more or less in shadow,
and therefore the local colour is more or less modified and
altered by it. In high lights you may plainly see that the
deeper tone of the same, and thus lose the beauty of the
contrast. Take another instance. In the autumn, by the
sea-side, tlie sun sets in clouds of rich crimson, and opposed
to this mass is the surface of the sea, a cool, pale greyish-
green; and every wave and ripple is a repetition of this con-
trast, every light being pink, and every shadow a pearly
grey.
It may be said that these contrasts arise from the warmth
of the sun's light at his rising or setting. Granted; and
I would choose no other time for sketching from Nature
than when the shadows are long, and the atmosphere is
enriched by the glories of the rising or sinking luminary.
Then we catch the bright sparkling lights on the stems and
leaves in the foreground; then the distance is rendered
more enchanting by the cool mist of early morning, or the
warm haze of sunset; then the deep tones of the middle
distance are strengthened and brought out, and a solemnity
obtained which by contrast gives brilliancy to the fore-
ground, and throws back the extreme distance. In the
mid-day, on the contrary, the light is too strong and pale,
the shadows are short and central, the stems are covered
from the light, and a great means of beauty is thus lost to
the eye.
The principal art in colouring may be said to lie in the
shading, which indeed forms by far the largest part of the
picture. The light, except on flat surfaces, occupies but
a tip of the object; all the rest is more or less in shadow,
and therefore the local colour is more or less modified and
altered by it. In high lights you may plainly see that the