36 
the same tone throughout, and vet that it shall be so neutral as, though it 
makes part of the picture, yet^cioes not interfere ; or intrude upon the eye 
before any one parlor object in the group, but that it is fairly behind them 
all, at whatever distance you choose it to appear; whether it be one even flat 
surface ; or a gradation of distant objects, still it must be in union with the 
whole, and the general colour of it formed by a mixture of the separate ones 
in your group, only not in the pure, but an obscure*, compound state. If it 
consists of a dark sideband a light one, the one should oppose the light side of 
the group, the other the dark side of the same; and the same rule should be 
observed in your fore-ground, only increasing in brilliancy, but still keeping 
them so neutral as that they do not rise above the surface they were meant to 
represent, consequently that no pure superior tint is to be employed there, fi/KOL. 
those can only occupy a single part of the picture; if otherwise, it is the 
same as if there were twojor more equal lights in it, which never can be if you 
keep to nature. 
In a preceding page of this work I have mentioned, that an agreeable 
picture might be formed,'in many instances, with one principl*—a harmonising 
and a contrasting colour: but I said nothing of the quantity 5 or proportion of 
each—-that required more explanation than could be given in that place with¬ 
out interfering with this succeeding part; but the same proportional- quantity 
of each must be observed with a limited number of the colours^ that you 
observe with the whole range, and these with the compound tints; that the 
admission of light and shade, and mixture with one another, produced in the 
shadows and reflected tints, may be worked up into a good effect. 
The prismatic range, as before observed, presents an alternate change of 
pure and compound tints, as may be found by your being able to produce 
the latter by a mixture of the two colours contiguous to the second, fourth, 
and sixth; in the same proportions they exist in the Spectrum, and may be 
called pure compounds : the change in the order of the colours, with a view to 
give precedency to some on the score of brilliancy, must be recollected, and 
* Throughout this little work I must be understood to allude only to flower-pieces. 
