CHAMBERS'S INFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE. 



low-toned red ; and olive, a low-toned blue ; but 

 these are not separate colours, but merely modifi- 

 cations of the primaries, and cannot be considered 

 otherwise. Browns are either low-toned yellows 

 or orange ; for instance, sepia and raw umber are 

 low-toned yellows ; burnt umber, a low-toned 

 orange ; as also Vandyke brown. 



Colours are divided into warm and cold. When 

 they partake of red, they are said to be warm, and 

 cold when it is absent Yellow may be said to 

 occupy a medium position, and blue is decidedly 

 cold. White and black are also cold in their 

 effects, and cool tints by admixture with them. 

 The warmest tint is red ; the next, orange ; and 

 the lowest, as warm colour, red purple. The 

 coldest tint is blue, green is less so, and purple 

 the least of the cold tints. Harmony of colour 

 consists in the connection between a variety of 

 tints, so that they appear to blend gradually 

 together, and contribute breadth to the general 

 effect. The most harmonious effect is produced 

 when one colour tones the whole picture, as occurs 

 sometimes in nature, especially at sunset, when 

 there is a slight haze in the atmosphere. In 

 water-colour drawing, this is assisted by toning 

 the paper before beginning to apply the colours, 

 by washing it over with a warm tint, which serves 

 to give tone of the same description to the entire 

 drawing, by modifying all the subsequent tints 

 passed over it. The first lessons should be merely 

 with a view to acquire power and facility in 

 handling the brush. For this purpose, simple 

 sepia sketches are very useful ; and it will be 

 beneficial practice to draw as much as possible 

 with the brush, with the least possible assistance 

 from the lead-pencil, as, by doing so, boldness 

 and decision of style are acquired. 



As a general rule, the light tints should be put 

 in first, passing them over all those portions to be 

 occupied by the deeper tones ; then, by gradually 

 deepening them, the edges of the tints are pre- 

 served clear and distinct, without awkward join- 

 ings, which are sure to occur when the parts are 

 attached otherwise. Smooth surfaces are repre- 

 sented by simple washes ; those of a marked or 

 rough description are indicated by touches with 

 the point, or by dragging with the side of the 

 brush. For example, the texture of foliage is 

 brought out by drawing with the point of the 

 brush in precisely the same manner as with the 

 black-lead pencil ; while the rough appearance of 

 broken ground, or a rough wall, is effected by 

 dragging the brush nearly dry rapidly over the 

 paper. The light clouds, such as the cirrus, are 

 brought out in the same manner, by dragging the 

 brush lightly, with but little colour. When any 

 lights occur which cannot be left out, they may be 

 covered over and taken out when finishing, by 

 applying the wet brush to the part, indicating the 

 form of the light, and allowing it to lie till the part 

 is softened : the moisture should then be removed 

 by applying blotting-paper, which prevents its 

 spreading ; then by immediately rubbing with 

 bread, the light will be sharply brought out. 

 Gentle rubbing with the pocket-handkerchief suf- 

 fices when the light required is not very bright, 

 and india-rubber is required when it is wanted 

 perfectly pure. Sometimes a part is put in too 

 strong for the. surrounding tints ; in that case, if 

 the part is slightly moistened, dried with blotting- 

 paper, and then gently rubbed with fine crumbs of 



652 



bread, it may be lightened or softened to any 

 extent. It was mentioned that, in laying on the 

 tints, the darkest should be applied last ; and it 

 will be necessary to do this in nearly every case. 

 In the representation of foliage, the general tone 

 is put in first, then the deeper portions and dark 

 touches. By putting the darks first, they are apt 

 to be destroyed ; they certainly lose their sharp- 

 ness. In colouring, the particular combinations 

 of pigments required to represent any particular 

 object depend so much on local circumstances, 

 that no precise rule can be offered, every artist 

 having a different method. In sketching, it will 

 be found that as much depends on acuteness of 

 perception in observing the varieties of colour, as 

 on other qualifications. Many being aware that 

 trees are green, think it enough to paint them so, 

 without observing peculiarity of tone ; but no two 

 trees are alike in this respect some are grayer, 

 some colder, and some warmer than others. The 

 green on the shaded portion of a tree is very 

 different from that on the light ; it is illumined 

 chiefly by reflection from the sky, which, when 

 clear, makes it very blue, as compared with the 

 portions lit by the direct rays of the sun. The 

 same is true of herbage generally, and should be 

 carefully noticed in hill-scenery, where the grass 

 on the shaded portions is much colder than the 

 light The green tint of a leaf when the light 

 shines through, is very different from the effect 

 when it shines on it : in the one case, the green 

 is intensely yellow and transparent ; in the other, 

 it is comparatively dull and cold. And as a tree 

 consists of a number of leaves placed variously in 

 regard to the light, much variety will be observed ; 

 and in the simplest group of dock-leaves by the 

 wayside there is variety of colour. As a general 

 rule, when the sun is in front, the rays pierce 

 through the leaves in every direction of the draw- 

 ing, but principally when they occur between the 

 eye and the sun. If we look at a grass-field in 

 this way, we notice that that portion immediately 

 in front between us and the sun is intensely rich 

 in tint, being of transparent yellow green ; but 

 towards the right and left, it becomes gradually of 

 a colder hue. The modifications of colour are so 

 various, from the multitude of objects in every 

 scene, that nothing but attentive observation can 

 give any approach to truth. It is not enough to 

 call earth brown, and paint it with Vandyke 

 brown ; nor the sky blue, and paint it with cobalt. 

 Earth is infinitely varied ; its gray masses, some- 

 times inclined to yellow or red, are illumined by 

 the sun on one side, and by the blue sky on the 

 other ; an old rutted road presents a fine study in 

 this respect. The tints of the sky are constantly 

 changing one time clear, at another, softened by 

 intervening haze. The effect of the atmosphere 

 in altering the local tints of objects as they recede, 

 should be carefully noted, so as to keep the aerial 

 perspective correctly. A tree is much colder in 

 tint at a hundred yards' distance than when close 

 at hand. Every increase of distance adds more 

 blue atmosphere between the object and the spec- 

 tator ; so that, ultimately, it sometimes appears as 

 nearly pure blue. Blue is not, however, always 

 essential to the effect of distance ; in hazy weather, 

 especially at sunset, the distance may be indicated 

 by low-toned yellow and ruddy tints ; and inter- 

 vening objects partake of the same hue. The 

 mistake is very often made of giving a hazy effect 





