430 



Mr. Grace Calvert on 



[May 8, 



The "successive" contrast has long been known ; and it consists 

 in the fact that on looking stedfastly for a few minutes on a red 

 surface fixed on a white sheet of paper, and then carrying the eye to 

 another white sheet, there will be perceived on it not a red, but a 

 green one ; if green, red; if purple, yellow ; if blue, orange. 



The " simultaneous " contrast is the most interesting and useful 

 to be acquainted with. When two coloured surfaces are in juxta- 

 position, they mutually influence each other, — favourably, if har- 

 monising colours, or in a contrary manner if discordant ; and in 

 such proportion in either case as to be in exact ratio with the 

 quantity of complementary colour which is generated in the eye : 

 for example, if two half- sheets of plain tinted paper, one dark 

 green, the other of a brilliant red, are placed side by side on a grey 

 piece of cloth, the colours will be mutually improved in consequence 

 of the green generated by the red surface adding itself to the green 

 of the juxtaposed surface, thus increasing its intensity, the green in 

 its turn augmenting the beauty of the red. This effect can easily 

 be appreciated if two other pieces of paper of the same colours 

 are placed at a short distance from the corresponding influenced 

 ones, as below : — 



Red. 



Red Green. 



Green, 



It is not sufficient merely to place complementary colours side 

 by side to produce harmony of colour, since the respective inten- 

 sities have a most decided influence : thus pink and light green 

 agree, red and dark green also ; but light green and dark red, pink 

 and dark green, do not ; and thus to obtain the maximum of effect 

 and perfect harmony the following colours must be placed side by 

 side, taking into account their exact intensity of shade and tint. 



Harmonising Colours, 

 Primitive Colours. Complementary Colours. 

 Red ■ Green . . . 



Blue Orange . 



Yellow-orange 



Greenish Yellow 



Black 



Indigo 



Violet 



White 



{Light blue 1 



Yellow > White light. 



Red J 



f Red ] 



{ Yellow } 



[ Blue j 



I 



{Red ) 



Blue } 



Yellow J 



( Yellow 1 



{ Blue } Whi 



[ Red J 



Blue 

 Red 

 Yellow 



White light. 

 White light. 

 White light. 

 White light. 



