Color Value Part 7

[Ill.u.s.tration]

131. One who attempts to make color compositions with no more reliable guide than taste can expect to accomplish no more than he who in music possesses a good ear but no musical training.

132. The note of discord in color is best avoided by an infallible guide, as the discord in music is best avoided by thorough training in the law of harmony. The color chart on page 73 has been so arranged that each of the shades is in exact harmony with the shade directly opposite.

133. For example, to ascertain the color that is in harmony with the shade denominated Red-Orange, it is necessary simply to lay a ruler across the diagram to find the corresponding harmony, which is Blue-Green.

134. We know that the primary colors are red, yellow and blue, and that the combination of any two of these gives a secondary color. The secondary color is the complement of the remaining third color; thus yellow and blue form green, and green is the complement or contrasting harmony of red. Red and yellow form orange, and orange is the complement of blue. Blue and red form violet, and violet is the complement of yellow. These are facts we all know. Now, if red is the complement or contrasting harmony of green, and yellow contrasts with violet, then red with one, two or three degrees of yellow added will contrast with green with one, two or three degrees of blue added.

a.s.sume, for example, that a decorator dealing with a red side-wall wishes upholsterings in the correct shade of green. He knows he has a red wall, he knows also that he wishes to use some shade of green, but without some fixed standard it is impossible for him to do more than approximate the correct shade of green to use. If, however, he could compare the red of his wall with his color chart and determine exactly which of the many shades of red, or which of the many yellow reds, or blue reds, the wall is toned in, it is a simple process to ascertain the exact green harmonizing with this red.

The second great use of the color chart is then an infallible guide to color harmony, whether a.n.a.lagous or contrasting.

OLD SYSTEM R RRO RO ROO O OOY OY OYY Y YYG YG YGG G GGB GB ------ === === === === ====== === === === ====== === === === ===== === === NEW 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 SYSTEM RED R 7 R 6 R 5 ORANGE R 3 R 2 R 1 YELLOW Y 7 Y 6 Y 5 GREEN Y 3 Y 2 Y 1 Y 2 Y 3 Y 5 Y 6 Y 7 B 1 B 2 B 3 B 5 B 6 +---+---+---+---+------+---+---+---+---+--+---+---+---+-----+---+---+ H[A] 56R 48R 40R 32R 40Y 48Y 56Y 56Y 48Y 40Y 32Y 40B 48B NORMAL 64 64 LINE 8Y 16Y 24Y 32Y 24R 16R 8R 8B 16B 24B 32B 24Y 16Y +---+---+---+---+------+---+---+---+---+--+---+---+---+-----+---+---+ I[B] 56R 49R 42R 35R 28R 35Y 42Y 49Y 50Y 49Y 42Y 35Y 28Y 35B 42B 7Y 14Y 21Y 28Y 21R 14R 7R 7B 14B 21B 28B 21Y 14Y 8W 8W 8W 8W 8W 8W 8W 8W 8W 8W 8W 8W 8W 8W 8W +---+---+---+---+------+---+---+---+------+---+---+---+-----+---+---+ J 48R 42R 36R 30R 24R 30Y 36Y 42Y 48Y 48Y 36Y 30Y 24Y 30B 36B 6Y 12Y 18Y 24Y 18R 12R 6R 6B 12B 18B 24B 18Y 12Y 16W 16W 16W 16W 16W 16W 16W 16W 16W 16W 16W 16W 16W 16W 16W +---+---+---+---+------+---+---+---+------+---+---+---+-----+---+---+ K 40R 35R 30R 25R 20R 25Y 30Y 40Y 40Y 35Y 30Y 35Y 20Y 25B 30B 5Y 10Y 15Y 20Y 15R 10R 5R 5B 10B 15B 20B 15Y W 24W 24W 24W 24W 24W 24W 24W 16W 24W 24W 24W 24W +---+---+---+---+------+---+---+---+------+---+---+---+-----+---+---+ L 32R 28R 24R 20R 16R 20Y 24Y 28Y 32Y 28Y 24Y 20Y 4Y 8Y 8Y 16Y 12R 8R 4R 4B 8B 32W 32W 32W 32W 32W 32W 32W 32W 32W 32W +---+---+---+---+------+---+---+---+------+---+---+---+-----+---+---+ M 24R 21R 18R 15R 12R 15Y 18R 21Y 24Y 3Y 6Y 9Y 12Y 9R 6R 40W 40W 40W 40W 40W 40W +---+---+---+---+------+---+---+---+------+---+---+---+-----+---+---+

A color is indicated by the intersection lines perpendicular and horizontal.

[A] This line shows the colors of the normal scale running from Red (R) to Yellow (Y) to Blue (B) to Red (R).

[B] This line and all below it show the same primary and secondary colors lightened by added white.

-ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING-

135. In considering artificial light, we will avoid all efforts to a.n.a.lyze the different forms of energy, magnetic energy, electric energy, heat energy, mechanical momentum, radiating energy, and deal with result rather than with cause and effect. It will be sufficient to state as the deduction of the scientist that certain waves or vibrations which affect the fibers of the optic nerve are transmitted by the brain into color.

(-- 3.) Self-luminous bodies are bodies which produce light. Illuminated bodies s.h.i.+ne by borrowed light, and are distinguished by the different amounts and quant.i.ties of light which they reflect. A dense cloud which appears nearly black when between the observer's eye and the sun, owing to the degree of density with which it intercepts the light, may become brilliantly white when the sun's rays fall upon its const.i.tuent particles, for the light which cannot penetrate the cloud is continually reflected to and from the surface of its minute parts. Thus it happens that the lower part of a cloud seen against a background of dark mountain may appear white, while the upper part may appear dull gray. In the alteration of reflection we have an alteration of color. A stick of sealing wax will show in some positions white reflected light, while in other positions we see only the red. A polished plane furnishes one kind of reflection, a piece of chalk another.

136. The decorator has for years past been disposed to defer to the illuminating engineer in the artificial lighting of a home. But while the technical man or engineer may have a knowledge of power and energy, he has not studied the decorative value of lighting. His problem has been economic rather than psychologic. The illuminating engineer cannot be expected to appreciate fully the harmonies of color in decoration.

137. It is the decorator's province to consider not only the power of light in the furnis.h.i.+ng of a house, but the character of the light--not only its color influence, but the structural character of its introduction, as affecting these furnis.h.i.+ngs. It is beyond his province to determine whether carbon should be replaced by tantalum, osmium or tungsten to get higher efficiency, but he must understand the effects of these lights and prescribe accordingly.

-ABSORPTION AND REFLECTION-

138. The architect who designates the number and location of outlets for the lighting sources, and specifies the candle-power of the lamps, knows nothing of the ultimate decoration of the house. Very often the specifications are finished before the color scheme has been decided upon, and as a result the degree of illumination either falls short of what is needed in case of dark-colored interiors, or proves excessive with light-tinted rooms. The architect works from one point, economy, the decorator from another, aesthetic; while the householder, the consumer who pays the illuminating bills, cannot comprehend why his lighting bills increase as his taste for luminous or dark-colored furnis.h.i.+ngs is gratified. Many houses are left in the white plaster for a year or more until the plaster settles. In this condition a small unit of light is sufficient, but when the decorator completes his work, adding fabrics and wall-papers which absorb and diminish the light, the householder, unaware of the cause, notices a material increase in his bills for illumination. These facts must be understood to be remedied, and it remains for the illuminating engineer to determine by direct experiment the value of any light as it affects and influences color, as well as the value of color as it affects light. It may be a.s.sumed without danger that the softest light is that of the candle, but we are not living in the candle age, and have to deal with either gas or electricity as the main illuminating agents.

139. We have to consider the mercury arc light, the yellow flame carbon, the white magnet.i.te and t.i.tanium arc--all of high efficiency, giving orange yellow in the flame-carbon to yellow and yellow white in the acetyline of the tungsten filaments. Then we have the greenish yellow of the Welsbach mantle, the bluish green of the mercury arc, the yellowish white of the carbon arc, as well as the clear white of the t.i.tanium arc.

140. The subject may be divided into three heads: Quality, or approximation to natural light. Quant.i.ty, as demanded by reflection or absorption. Installation, diffusion or mechanical distribution.

141. Normal light is the light of general diffusion in daylight, and when we can find an artificial light that has the character of natural light we will have what is obviously the best illuminant for the home.

Bear in mind that natural light as it appears out of doors is materially altered when indoors by the presence of different planes and angles, which cast and receive various depths of shadow; the quality required is that which will provide illumination without glare. The sun's rays are softened and mellowed by the depth of air through which they pa.s.s, and it is this mellowness that is the chief requisite in illumination.

Good decorative illumination does not mean illumination that reveals every hidden corner of a room. We need shadows to betray form, relieve monotony and give depth to the _ensemble_. If in an illuminated area light is of a uniform intensity, we have a bad effect. The variation of tone in a fabric is due to the light reaching it from a given point.

Differences in intensity make shadows and tones.

142. The illuminating engineer treats the home as he treats a public hall. He ignores the individuality of the room; the ball-room and the sickroom are lighted alike. He does not always consider the diminished force of light as it pa.s.ses through a refracting surface, for it must be borne in mind that any method of indirect lighting by refraction is apt to cause a loss of volume. The use of various kinds of globes or lamp shades must all be considered. A light-colored wall reflects illumination, a dark-colored wall absorbs it; hence the amount of illumination is increased or diminished by the color of the walls.

-LIGHT EFFECT ON COLOR-

143. To illuminate a city, with the dull grim environment of streets and houses, a soft yellow glow will give warmth and tone; the greenish yellow of the Welsbach or the blue green of the mercury arc may even be desirable, but the same green or violet rays are ghastly in a house, and should never be permitted.

144. The warm glow of the yellow light, while pleasing to the complexion, is, however, objectionable as disturbing the color composition of dress or furnis.h.i.+ngs. A gaslight sends a yellow glow over all that it reaches, and has the same effect as the introduction of yellow into every color tint in the room. The walls that are red take on a scarlet hue; the scarlet ones are yellowed to orange; the blues become greenish.

145. In order that the decorator may more readily grasp the subject, we have arranged a table showing the color changes effected by rays of yellow, blue, green and violet:

Orange rays falling on white make it appear orange.

" " red it appears reddish-orange.

" " orange it appears deeper orange.

" " yellow it appears orange-yellow.

" " green it appears dark yellow-green.

" " blue it appears dark reddish-gray.

" " violet it appears dark purplish-gray.

" " black it appears brownish-black.

Yellow rays falling on white make it appear yellow.

" " red make it appear orange-brown.

" " orange make it appear orange-yellow.

" " yellow make it appear deeper yellow.

" " green make it appear yellowish-green.

" " blue make it appear slaty-gray.

" " violet make it appear purplish-gray.

" " black make it appear olive-black.

Green rays falling on white make it appear green.

" " red make it appear yellowish-brown.

" " orange make it appear grayish-leaf-green.

" " yellow make it appear yellowish-green.

" " green make it appear deeper green.

" " blue make it appear bluish-green.

" " violet make it appear bluish-gray.

" " black make it appear dark greenish-gray.

Blue rays falling on white make it appear blue.

" " red make it appear purple.

" " orange make it appear plum-brown.

" " yellow make it appear yellowish-gray.

" " green make it appear bluish-green.

" " blue make it appear deeper blue.

" " violet make it appear bluer.

" " black make it appear bluish-black.

Violet rays falling on white make it appear violet.

" " red make it appear purple.

" " orange make it appear reddish-gray.

" " yellow make it appear purplish-gray.

" " green make it appear bluish-gray.

" " blue make it appear bluish-violet.