The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1876-06-08

HARMONIOUS COMBINATION OF CoLORS.
Color decoration in particular offers a
bread field for the crude attempts Of the
try and the uumeanlng forms and less
hs m0n0Us tints, instead of gratifying,
are likely to become an outrage to good
tase. Now, in order to overcome this,
one 1T the first principles which it would
be desirable for US to establish is the
theory of complimentary coIors. AL
though we do not propose 70 make this
a clinical paper, perhaps few remarks
upon the subject would not come amiss.
W know almost iustinctively that blue
wi not harmonic with green, and that
rec will, but the theory upon which this
cor Jrast is based is but vaguely under
stood. We remember learning in our
natural philosophy that white is the re-
Election of all coiers, that is, that all the
Or mary Colors com bined produce it. It
IS be general impression taat there are
seven primary c0lors, viz, those seen in
thu rainbow, whereas In reality there are
bu5 three blue, red, and yellow.
Green. orange, and purple are second
airy colors, produced by the admixture
Of he primaries. Thus blue and yellow
make green; red and yellow produce
orange; and blue and red, purple.
The mixture of these again produces
what are called tertiary colors-citrine
russet, and olive: orange and green
forming citrine; purple and orange, rus
set; and green and purple, olive.
a knowledge, also, of the quantities
III which these colors harmcnlze IS re-
qulsite, the whole system being to COM
blne them in the proportions which pro-
duce white, which in the primaries are
fVa Of red, three Of yellow, and eight OF
blue; in the secondaries, thirteen of
purple, eleven of green, and eight of
orange; and in the tertiaries, twenty
for of olive, twenty-oDe of russell, and
nineteen OF cltfine.
primary color says, red -juxtapos-
cd 20 the secondary green, which is its
complementary (beipg composed of the
two remaining primary coiors, blue and
Yellow arranged in the above proper
items, produces the harmony required.
1t is also fact that in looking aC any
color, its complementary is reflected.
Thus green reflects red, and when placed
IN juxtaposltion with 1t, makes the
green greener and the red more intense,
whereby richness of effect is produced;
and to complete the formula, blue and
orange. also yellow and purple, are har-
monious, for in each case all the colors
producing white when mixed in the
right proportions are present.
We would here state that when several
primary colors arc placed together, The
contrast is apt to become too violent
producing, we might say, something Of
swimming sensation. Ii these, however
are separated by small members or lines
of white. this dazzling effect mag be
obviated.
By certain combinations, colors may
have an enlivening or depressing effect
For example, blue is cold, quoting
color, while red is warm and exciting
and they can be made to affect the mind
in any manner desired. Again, promi-
nence or snbordinat1on may be given By
their employment. For instance, blu,
produces the effect of distance, and il
placed upon the ceiling, it appears high
er; griffin recess, will deepen it. Yellow
on the contrary, appears to advance
toward the eye, and if used upon the cell
ing, will seem to lower it; or if upon
projecting moulding, will exaggerate 1T