A Color Notation/A Color System and Course of Study

by Albert Henry Munsell

 

PART II.

 

A COLOR SYSTEM AND COURSE OF STUDY BASED
ON THE COLOR SOLID AND ITS CHARTS.

Arranged for nine years of school life.

 

GLOSSARY OF COLOR TERMS.

Taken from the Century Dictionary.

 

INDEX

(by paragraphs).

A COLOR SYSTEM AND COURSE OF STUDY

BASED ON THE COLOR SOLID AND ITS CHARTS,
ADAPTED TO NINE YEARS OF SCHOOL LIFE,

Grade.

Subject.

Colors Studied.

Illustration.

Application

Materials.

1.

Hues of color.

Red.	R.
Yellow.	Y.
Green.	G.
Blue.	B.
Purple.	P.

Sought in Nature and Art

Borders and Rosettes.

Colored crayons and papers.

2.

Hues of color

Yellow-Red.	R.
Green-Yellow.	Y.
Blue-Green.	G.
Purple-Blue.	B.
Red-Purple.	P.

Sought in Nature and Art.

Borders and Rosettes.

Colored Crayons and papers.

3.

Values of color.

Light, middle, and dark	R.
Light,„ middle,„ and„ dark„	Y.
Light,„ middle,„ and„ dark„	G.
Light,„ middle,„ and„ dark„	B.
Light,„ middle,„ and„ dark„	P.

Sought in Nature and Art

Design

Color Sphere

4.

Values of Color.

5 values of YR.		9/ ,7/ ,5/ ,3/ ,1/ .
5„ values„ of„ YR.
5„ values„ of„ GY.
5„ values„ of„ BG.
5„ values„ of„ PB.
5„ values„ of„ RP.

6.

Chormas of color

3 Chromas of YR 5/
3„ Chromas„ of„ GY 5/
3„ Chromas„ of„ BG 5/
3„ Chromas„ of„ PB 5/
3„ Chromas„ of„ RP 5/
3„ Chromas„ of„ R 7/  and R 3/
3„ Chromas„ of„ Y 7/  and Y 3/
3„ Chromas„ of„ G 7/  and G 3/
3„ Chromas„ of„ B 7/  and B 3/
3„ Chromas„ of„ P 7/  and P 3/

Sought in Nature and Art.

Design

Color Tree.

7.

To OBSERVE IMITATE color by HUE, VALUE, and CHROMA & WRITE

"

"

Paints.

8.

Quantity of color.

Pairs of equal area and unequal area Balanced by HUE, VALUE, and CHROMA.

"

"

Paints.

9.

Quantity of color.

Triads of equal area and unequal area Balanced by HUE,VALUE, and CHROMA.

"

"

Paints.

Copyright, 1904, by A. H. Munsell.

101

STUDY OF SINGLE HUES AND THEIR SEQUENCE. Two Years.

FIRST GRADE LESSONS.

1.	Talk about familiar objects, to bring out color names, as toys, flowers, clothing, birds, insects, etc.
2.
3.	Show soap bubbles and prismatic spectrum.
4.	Teach term hue. Hues of flowers, spectrum, plumage of birds, etc.
5.	Show Middle[1] Red. Find other reds.
6.	Show middle„ yellow. Find other„ yellows, and compare with reds.
7.	Show middle„ green. Find other„ greens, and compare with„ reds„ and yellows.
8.	Show middle„ blue. Find other„ blues, and compare with„ preceding hues.
9.	Show middle„ purple. Find other„ purples, and compare with„ preceding hues.„
10-15.	Review five middle hues,[1] match with colored papers, and place in circle.
16-20.	Show coLor SPHERE. Find sequence of five middle hues. Memorize order.
21.	Middle red imitated with crayon, named and written by initial R.
22.	Middle„ yellow imitated„ with crayon,„ named„ and written„ by inital„ Y.
23.	Middle„ green imitated„ with crayon,„ named„ and written„ by inital„ G.
24.	Middle„ blue imitated„ with crayon,„ named„ and written„ by inital„ B.
25.	Middle„ purple imitated„ with crayon,„ named„ and written„ by inital„ P.
26-30.	Review, using middle hues[1] in borders and rosettes for design.

Aim.—To recognize sequence of five middle hues. To name, match, imitate, write, and arrange them.

SECOND GRADE LESSONS.

1-3.	Review sequence of five middle hues.[1]
4.	Show a hue intermediate between red and yellow. Find it in objects.
5.	Show a hue intermediate. Compare with red and yellow.
6.	Recognize and name YELLOW-RED. Match, imitate, and write YR.
7-8.	Show GREEN-YELLOW between green and yellow. Treat as above, and write GY.
9-10.	Show„ BLUE-GREEN between„ blue and green. Treat„ as above,„ and write„ BG.
11-12.	Show„ PURPLE-BLUE between„ purple and blue. Treat„ as above,„ and write„ PB.
13-14.	Show„ RED-PURPLE between„ red and purple. Treat„ as above,„ and write„ RP.
15-20.	Make circle of ten hues. Place Intermediates, and memorize order so as to repeat forward or backward. Match, imitate, and write by initials.
21-25.	Find sequence of ten hues on color sphere. Compare with hues of natural objects.
26-30.	Review, using any two hues in sequence for borders and rosettes.

Aim.—To recognize sequence of ten hues, made up of five middle ^[1] hues and the five intermediates. To name, match, write, imitate, and arrange them.

STUDY OF SINGLE VALUES AND THEIR SEQUENCE. Two Years.

THIRD GRADE LESSONS.

1.	Review sequence of ten hues.
2.	Recognize, name, match, imitate, write, and find them on the COLOR SPHERE. Also in objects.
3.
4.	Teach use of term value. Color value recognized apart from color hue.
5.	Find values of red, lighter and darker than the middle value already familiar.
7.	Three Values of	RED.	Find on sphere. Name as LIGHT, MIDDLE, and DARK values of red.
8.	Three Values of„	of red„	Imitate with crayons, and write them as 3, 5, and 7.
9.	Three Values of„	Yellow.	Compare with above.
10.			Recognize, name, match, and imitate with crayons.
11.	Three Values of	Green.	Compare, and treat as above.
12.			Find on sphere and in objects.
13.	Three Values of	Blue.	{{{1}}}„	{{{1}}}„
14
15.	Three Values of	Purple.	{{{1}}}„	{{{1}}}„
16.
17-20.	Review, combining two values and a single hue for design.[2]

Aim.—To recognize a sequence combining three values and five middle hues. To name, match, imitate, and arrange them.

FOURTH GRADE LESSONS.

1.	Review sequence of three values in each of the five middle hues.
2.	To recognize, name, match, imitate, and find them on sphere and in objects.
3.
4.	Show five values of	Red.	Find them on large color sphere. Number them 1,3,5, 7,9. Match, imitate, and write.
5.
6.	Show FIVE VALUES of„	blue-green, {{{1}}}„ {{{1}}}„ {{{1}}}„
7.	Show FIVE VALUES of„	Purple-Blue	compared with	Yellow.		Treat as above and review
8.	Show FIVE VALUES of„	red-purple	compared with„	Green.
9.	Show FIVE VALUES of„	Yellow-Red	compared with„	Blue.
10.	Show FIVE VALUES of„	Green-Yellow	compared with„	Purple.

Aim.—To recognize sequences combining five values in each of ten hues, To name, match, imitate, write, and arrange them.

103

STUDY OF SINGLE CHROMAS AND THEIR SEQUENCES. Two Years. FIFTH GRADE LESSONS.

x	1	2	3
1.	Review sequences of hue and value.Find them on the color sphere. Name, match, imitate, write, and arrange them by hue and value.
2.	Teach use of term CHROMA.	Compare three chromas with three values of red.
		Name them weak, middle, and strong chromas.
		Find in nature and art.
3.	THREE CHROMAS of red.	Compare with three of blue-green.
4.	{[nil}}	Show COLOR TREE. Suggest unequal chroma of hues.
5.	Three chromas of„ Yellow.	Compare with three chromas of purple-blue.
6.	Three chromas of„ green	Compare„ with three chromas„ of red-purple.
7.	Three chromas of„ Blue	Compare„ with three chromas„ of	yellow-red.
8.	Three chromas of„ purple	Compare„ with three chromas„ of Green	Compare„ with three chromas„ of green-yellow.
9.	Arrange five middle hues in circle, described as on the surface of the Color Sphere (middle chroma), with weaker chromas inside, and stronger chromas outside, the sphere.
10.	Review,—to find these sequences of chroma in nature and art.

{{bc|

Aim.—To recognize sequences combining three chromas, middle value, and ten hues. To name, match, imitate, and arrange them.

SIXTH GRADE LESSONS.

1.	Review sequences combining three chromas, five hues. and middle value. Find on Color Tree, name, match, imitate, and arrange them.
2.	three	chromas	of	LIGHTER	and	DARKER RED.	Compare with middle red.
3.	Write	chromas	of	LIGHTER	and	DARKER RED.	as a fraction, chroma under value, using 3,5, and 7. Thus R 5/7.
4.	Find		chromas	of	LIGHTER	and	RED and compare with darker blue-green.
5.	Three chromas of lighter and darker yellow,	with	purple-blue.
6.	Three chromas of lighter and darker Green,	with	red-purple
7.	Three chromas of lighter and darker Green,	with	red-purple
8.	Three chromas of lighter and darker Purple,	with	green-yellow
9.	Colors in nature and art, defined by hue, value, and chroma. Named, matched, imitated, written, and arranged by Color Sphere and Tree.
10.	Review,—to find sequences combining three chromas, five values, and ten hues.

{{bc|

Aim.—To recognize sequences of chroma, as separate from sequences of hue or sequences of value. To name, match, write, imitate, and arrange colors in terms of their hue, value, and chroma.

COLOR EXPRESSION IN TERMS OF THE HUES, VALUES, AND CHROMAS.

SEVENTH GRADE LESSONS.

1.	Review sequences of hue (initial), value (upper numeral), & chroma (lower numeral).
2.	Review„ sequences of hue (initial),„ value (upper numeral),„ & chroma (lower numeral).„
3.	Exercises in expressing colors of natural objects by the notation, and tracing their relation by the spherical solid.
4.
5.	Reds in Nature and Art, imitated, written, and traced by the spherical solid.„
6.	Yellows in Nature and Art, imitated, written, and traced by the spherical solid.„
7.	Greens in Nature and Art, imitated, written, and traced by the spherical solid.„
8.	Blues in Nature and Art, imitated, written, and traced by the spherical solid.„
9.	Purples in Nature and Art, imitated, written, and traced by the spherical solid.„
10.	One Color Pair selected, defined, and arranged for design. (See note 4th Grade.)

Aim.—To define any color by its hue, value, and chroma. To imitate with pigments and write it.

EIGHTH GRADE LESSONS.

1.	Review sequences, and select colors which balance. Illustrate the term.
2.	Balance of light and dark,—weak and strong,—hot and cold colors.
3.	Red and blue-green balanced in hue, value, and chroma, with equal areas.
4.	Yellow and purple-blue balanced in hue, value, and chroma, with equal areas.
5.	Green and red-purple balanced in hue, value, and chroma, with equal areas.
6.	Blue and Yellow Red balanced in hue, value, and chroma, with equal areas.
7.	Purple and green-yellow balanced in hue, value, and chroma, with equal areas.
8.	Unequal Areas of the above pairs, balanced by compensating qualities of hue, value, and chroma. Examples from nature and art.
9.
10.	One color Pair of unequal areas selected, defined, and used in design.

Aim.—To BALANCE colors by area, hue, value, and chroma. To imitate with pigments and write the balance by the notation.

NINTH GRADE LESSONS.

1.	Review balance of color pairs, by area, hue, value, and chroma.
2.	To recognize, name, imitate, write, and record them.
3.	Selection of two colors to balance a given Red.
4.	Selection of two colors to balance a given Yellow.
5.	Selection of two colors to balance a given Green.
6.	Selection of two colors to balance a given Blue.
7.	Selection of two colors to balance a given Purple.
8-10.	Triad of color, selected, balanced, written, and used in design.

Aim.—To recognize triple balance of color, and express it in terms of area, hue, value, and chroma. Also to use it in design.

1. The term middle, as used in this course of study, is understood to mean only the five principal hues which stand midway in the scales pf value and chorma. Strictly speaking, their five intermediates are also midway of the scales; but they are obtained by mixture of the five principal huse, as shown in their names and are of secondary importance.
2. These ten lessons in.this and succeeding grades are devoted to color perception only. Their application to design is a part of the general course in drawing, and will be so considered in the succeeding grades. Note that, although thus far nothing has been said about complementary hues, the child has been led to associate them in opposite pairs by the color sphere. (See Chapter III., p. 76.)