Definitions of Color Terms. 19 



Pure Color. — A color corresponding in purity with 

 (or, in the case of material colors, closely approximating 

 to) one of the spectrum colors. 



Broken Color. — Any one of the spectrum colors or 

 hues dulled or reduced in purity by admixture (in any 

 proportion) of neutral gray, or varying relative propor- 

 tions of both black, and white; also produced by ad- 

 mixture of certain spectrum colors, as red with green, 

 orange with blue, yellow with violet, etc. These broken 

 colors are far more numerous in Nature than the pure 

 spectrum colors, and include the almost infinite varia- 

 tions of brown, russet, citrine, olive, drab, etc. They 

 are often called dull or neutral colors. 



Fundamental Colors. — The six psychologically dis- 

 tinct colors of the solar spectrum; Red, Orange, Yellow, 

 Green, Blue and Violet. 



Primary Colors. — Theoretically, any of the spectrum 

 colors which cannot be made by mixture of two other 

 colors. According to the generally accepted Young- 

 Helmholtz theory, the primary colors are red, green, 

 and violet ; orange and yellow resulting from a mixture 

 of red and green, and blue from a mixture of green and 

 violet. There is considerable difference of opinion, how- 

 ever, as to this question, and further investigation of the 

 subject seems to be required; at any rate, authorities 

 fail to explain why red may be exactly reproduced (ex- 

 cept as to the degree of luminosity) by a mixture of 

 orange and violet, exacts as yellow results from mix- 

 ture of red and green or blue from green or violet, green 

 being, in fact, the only spectrum color that cannot be 

 made by mixture of other colors.* 



*J. J. Muller found that a mixture of the orange and violet rays of the spectrum 

 produced a whitish red (Eood, * 'Modern Chromatics," p. 129). The author of the 

 present work, without being at the time aware of this, produced an absolutely pure 

 red (but of reduced intensity) by mixture of either orange and violet (orange 63.5, 

 violet 36.5 per cent. =red 85 4- white 15 per cent.), or from orange and the violet-red 

 which is complementary to green (violet-red 51, orange 49 per cent.) , the latter equal- 

 ing red 89-f- white 11 per cent ; the mixtures being made on a color wheel with Max- 

 well disks representing the pure colors of the present work. The red resulting from 

 either of these mixtures on the color-wheel is far purer than the blue resulting 

 from mixture of green and violet, and incomparably more so that the yellow result- 

 ing from mixture of either red and green or orange and green. Consequently, if the 

 same results would come from mixing orange and violet light, it is difficult to under- 

 stand how red can be a primary color according to the accepted definition. 



