274 COLOR 



When pigments are blended, not all of the colors are combined 

 in the mixture ; some are neutralized by absorption and are lost 

 from the final combination. No one should attempt to mix 

 paints who has not some knowledge of the action of pigments on 

 each other. If you wish to combine paints to secure a definite 

 color, try out the colors by mixing small amounts first. 



How and why colors change. Matching colors. Most 

 women prefer to shop in the morning or early afternoon when 

 the sunlight illuminates shops and factories, and when gas anc 

 electricity do not throw their spell over colors. Practically al 

 people know that ribbons and ties, trimmings and dresses, fre- 

 quently look different at night from what they do in the day- 

 time. It is not safe to match colors by artificial light; cloth 

 which looks red by night may be almost purple by day. In- 

 deed, the color of an object depends upon the color of the light 

 that falls upon it. Strange sights are seen on the Fourth oi 

 July when variously colored fireworks are blazing. The child 

 with a white blouse appears first red, then blue, then green, 

 according as his powders burn red, blue, or green. The face 

 of the child changes from its normal healthy hue to a brilliant 

 red and then to ghastly shades. 



Suppose, for example, that a white hat is held in red light. 

 The characteristic of white objects is their ability to reflect all 

 the various rays that fall upon them. Here, however, the only 

 light which falls upon the white hat is red light, hence the only 

 light which the hat has to reflect is red light and the hat conse- 

 quently appears red. Similarly, if a white hat is placed in 

 a blue light, it reflects all the light which falls upon it, namely, 

 blue light, and appears blue. If a red hat is held in a red 

 light, it is seen in its proper color. If a red hat is held in a 

 blue light, it appears black; it cannot reflect any of the blue 

 light because that is all absorbed and there is no .red light to 

 reflect. 



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