The Wilmingtonian., 1886-10-30
PRICETWOCENTS
Chat with Water COlorists.


There appears OF be an increasing desire
among art amateurs here in Wilmington of
attempting water color painting in addition,
or as change, from oil color.
There is an impression abroad among
great many people including artists, in some
cases, amounting a prejudice against the
use of water color on account of supposed
lack of permanency in the latter medium.
1t is interesting to learn that an English
man has contributed to the London Times
results of careful investigation stretching
over period of fifteen years specially devot-
ed to test OF the permanency of these col
ors. The gentleman referred to made washes
Of thirty one colors including the pigments
generally used by water-color artists. Por-
tions of the washes of each color were pre-
served from the light while the remainder
was exposed to the light for fifteen years.
The washes were made upon stripes of card.
These we're afterwards cut in two, so that
the exposed and unexposed tints could be
compared exactly where they were separated
The expose slips were pasted upon a sheet of
paper and placed in frame, which was
hung on a shutter of window with an east
light. Here they remained for the fifteen
years.
The following is the list of colors. With
the investigators remarks.
yellow ocher unchanged Indian yellow :
has faded considerably lemon yellow is not
perceptbly affected (; gamboge has faded
Newman's permanent yellow unchanged
cadmium yellow, this has not faded, but has
seemingly become of browner time. Chrome
yellow faded considerably; the slipnot expos
ed seems to have become more orange, but,
unfortunately, had not noted at the time
which chrome had been used Brown pink
has faded, but it has stood better than might
have been expected from its reputation.
Emerald green scarcely changed. Burnt 81.
emma unchanged, Vandyke brown unchang-
ed. sepia, this shows very slight tendency
to fade. Roman sepia, this may have faded
also, but, like the common sepia, the change
is not very perceptibls. Burnt lumber un-
changed. Blister unchanged. Brown mad
der, this color has lost a little of its redness,
Light red unchanged. Vermillion shows no
change. Indian red unchanged. Crimson
lake, this color has all but disappeared from
the paper at one side where the color was
laid on deeper drown streak still remains.
Carmine, this, like the lake, has entirely
gone but where the carnine was laid on
deeper, a faint brown streak is still left
Madder lake, this color has stood well, but
it is now little less red, and more of apur-
pie. Purple madder, like the other madders
this has stood, but seems to be changed very
slightly in tore. Cyanine blue, seemingly
unchanged, Prussian blue unchanged.
French blue very slightly faded. Cobalt,
can detect no change in this valuable pig
ment. Ultramarine is, of course, unchang-
ed. Newman's azure is unchanged. Indi-
go, where there was rather deep wash of
this color the exposed slip shows now an ex-
ceedingly light tint of gray in fact, it has
nearly left the paper white, but has not van
shed so completely as the crimson lake and
carmine. Lampblack unchanged"
The above results show that the carmines,
lakes, and purples were the main color affini-
ties to fade. 1t is an extremely gratifying
result to find out that water color pigments
stand the light so well aud the investigation
only tends to show what relatively false ideas
are gained by common report, that is to say
inexact or uncentific assertion.
Water color may then be considered to
stand relatively well with oil, as those who
know anything practical in regard to the
matter recognize that the same colors are
not permanent in OIL
Probably when Winsor & Newtons moist
colors are used aud Whatman's prepared
paper there need be little danger of fearing
that water colors will fade for many years.
1t is likely that the cause of water color de-
signs or pictures fading so much heretofore
is the careless practice of using any kind of
surface or preparation to paint upon when
moments thoughtful consideration will
suggest the idea that the surface may be
sidering this side of the question to remem-
Der that you uniformly use prepared sur
fade for oil painting. Then why not be
equally particular with water color