Howard, Frank: Colour, as a means of art: being an adaptation of the experience of professors to the practice of amateurs (London, 1838)

INTRODUCTION. 19

The definition of " Mellowness," as "caused
by those warm colours which, when blended,
produce an agreeable tone or hue, and would then
be said to sympathise and create harmony," is as
incorrect and indefinite, as the remainder of the
paragraph is without foundation:—"On the
contrary, if, in mixing two or more colours, a
disagreeable and harsh effect were produced, they
would be said to have an antipathy, and create
rawness—this adulteration of one colour by another
causes what painters term a muddy effect."
Painters term an effect muddy when it is dirty
in colour and wanting in transparency. This
fancy respecting the sympathy and antipathy of
certain colours, which is more distinctly alluded
to in the following passage :—" when, to produce
a particular tint, the mixing of two colours which
do not sympathize is unavoidable; one or more
may be introduced whose sympathy is greater,
that a pleasing and harmonious effect may
be produced, &c,"—this is wholly groundless.
How the sympathy and antipathy alluded to are
supposed to act is not very evident, but they
have no existence whatever.

The definition of a " Pearly hue," as "obtained
by softening or blending the warm colours without