Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1889-09-21
AxIoMs OF COLOR.


When Painting q House.
A few axioms and rules OF color
should be kept in mind while selecting
. colors for the exterior OF house.
There are but three primary colors.
namely blue. red and yellow, whicn
are called primary because they are
not formed by the admixture OF cedors.
All other color= than the primary re-
suit from admixture: Mixing blue and
red produces purple; mixing red and
yellow produces orange; mixing yellow
and blue produces green. These three
coiors. each produced by the admixture
of two primary colors as above de.
scribed. are termed secondary colors.
By the admixture OF two secondary
colors. a tertiary color is produced;
purple aud orange produce russell;
orange and green produce citrine;
green and purple produce olive. Rus
set, citrinc and olive are called the
tertiary colors.
Diluting colors with white produces
what are called tints; dilutIng with
; black produces shades. The colored
cards OF paint manufacturers usually
show tints and shades.
Harmony OF colors results from agree
able contrasts. Colors which perfectly
harmonize improve one another to the
utmost. Perfect harmony In any color
scheme requires that the three primary
solors shall be represented. either In
their purity or In combinations. That
the eye demands the presence of the
three primary colors. Is proved by this
experiment: When red alone Is viewed.
the eye creates for itself green (Which
Is yellow and blue combined), aud this
green is cast upon whatever is near
When the eye views green. red in like
manner is created. and is cast upon ad-
jaeent objects. II follows that when
red and green are iuxtaposed. each
creates the other In the eye, and the
red created by The green Is cast upon
the red. and the green created by the
red Is cast upon Inc green; thus the red
and the green are both intensified and
improved by being juxtaposed.
Red and green combine to yield har-
, mony. as has been shown. Blue and
orange also produce harmony. and
yellow and purple. for In each case the
three primary colors are present.
There ars. however. subtleties of har-
mony whicn are difficult to understand.
The rarest harmony OF colors. anala-
gous To harmony of musical sounds
frequently approaches the verge OF
discord.
When colors are juxtaposed they
always influence each other. Thus.
saen a light and dark color are side
by side the light color appears lighter
and the dark darker; when red and
green are juxtaposed the red appears
1edder than IL actually Is. aud the
green greener; when blue aud black
are side by side the blue manifests but
little alteration, while the black as.
sumes an orange tint or becomes
..rusty."
Blue Ii a cold color and seems to re-
cede from the eye. Red is warm
color and remains stationary as to dis
tance. Yellow is the color most nearly
allied 10 light and appears To advance
toward the spectator.
While the exterior colors OF house
should karmonize with themselves. the
surrounding foliage and lawns (or the
absence of them) must be taken into
consideration. At little distance
the eye demands harmonious relation
OF colors between the house and It's
surroundings. ST Louis Republic.