Page:Elementary Color (IA gri c00033125012656167).djvu/66

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.
56
PRACTICAL EXPERIMENTS.

the names of pigments are good enough for them, such as Ultramarine Blue, Prussian Blue, Vermilions, the Siennas, Indian Red, etc. The following are the analyses of several samples of Vermilion, Burnt Sienna, Raw Sienna, and Indian Red of the best tube oil colors in the market:—

Vermilion.
R. 80. O. 14. W. 6.
R. 87. O. 8. W. 5.
R. 50. O. 24. W. 2½.
Burnt Sienna.
R. 1¼. O. 6. W. 3. N. 89½.
R. 22½. O. 11½. W. 2. N. 64.
R. 25. O. 12½. W. 5½. N. 57.
Raw Sienna.
O. 18½. Y. 6½ N. 75.
O. 17. Y. 14. W. 1. N. 68.
O. 8½. Y. 3½. W. 2. N. 86.
Indian Red.
R. 11½ O. 7. W. 4. N. 77½.
R. 13½ O. 13½. W. 2½. N. 70½.

A careful examination of these formulas and a reproduction and comparison of the colors on the color top will convince any one that in no case does the commercial name determine the color with a degree of accuracy sufficient for any valuable nomenclature.

Classification of Harmonies.

The theory of the harmonies of colors is a subject which awaits very careful investigation and a general discussion by artists and expert colorists. Such investigations must include many experiments based on common standards and uniform methods of measurements and records.

Harmonies naturally seem to fall into a few general classes which are convenient for comparison and discussion as well as for elementary instruction, but no one person can set himself or herself up to decide which are the best harmonies.