KERAMIC STUDIO 
DESIGN AND ITS APPLICATION TO PORCELAIN 
Henrietta Barclay Paist 
PROBLEM XIII. COLOR HARMONY (Continued) 
LET us first try to fix the terms of color clearly in the mind. 
These terms are so often misused and interchanged that we 
will do well to note carefully the definition of each and try to 
visualize them in the mind's eye. The term " H UE" is used 
to differentiate between pure colors, to denote the steps from 
one color to another, as Yellow, Orange, Red-orange, Red, etc. 
It is the first quality of color. The second quality of color is 
intensity; it has been termed "CHROMA" and denotes the 
placing of a color in the scale from purity to neutrality (the 
degree of neutralization). The third quality is its value and 
denotes its position in the scale from white to black. "There 
is a difference between the quality of light and darkness and the 
quality of intensity." The value of a color depends on the 
amount of white or light contained in it. Yellow or Violet are 
extremes in the value scale. Green, Red and Blue are inter- 
mediate. (See Diagram 2). This diagram shows the proper 
position, on the neutral scale, of each color in its fullest 
intensity. 
Tints are obtained by adding white to pure color — by 
raising them in value — and have less attractive force than the 
pure or intense colors. Yellow, Red and Blue (commonly 
called primary colors) are the "Elementary forces of all color 
expression." Yellow, is the luminous element; it is the pierc- 
ing, traveling, progressive color, the first to reach the eye. 
Red, the second element, expresses fire, passion, temper; it 
irritates the optic nerve, it absorbs light instead of reflecting 
it, as does yellow. Blue, the third element, is the distant, 
receding color; gives perspective, but is unsympathetic 
and cold. 
All of the intermediate HUES are produced by combining 
colors adjacent to each other in the scale. The greyed or neu- 
tral colors (shades) are produced by combining complemen- 
taries, i.e., to soften Red, add Green and vice versa; to soften 
Violet, add Yellow, etc. 
COLOR RHYTHM 
Taking the color chart in its full intensity we find on both 
sides a related movement from light to dark, making a color 
rhythm (Diagrams 1 and 3): Also taking each color separately 
we have a rhythm of hue — a value rhythm from the palest tint 
to the color in fullest intensity. To procure a rhythmic 
arrangement of colors, we must understand color values. (See 
again Diagram No. 1.) 
COLOR BALANCE 
The balance of a color scheme depends on the distribution 
of the colors according to their attractive force — on the proper 
proportion of each color in the scheme according to its intensity 
and color value. 
COLOR HARMONY 
A harmonious color scheme presupposes an arrangement 
of colors according to the principles above stated. There are 
two kinds of harmony, "analogous" and "contrasting." Anal- 
ogous harmony results from a combination of colors closely 
related in the scale. Contrasting harmony presupposes a com- 
bination of colors not closely related, or opposite on the chart. 
(A combination of Yellow, Green and Blue, produces analo- 
gous harmony — A combination of Yellow, Green and Violet, 
or of Orange and Blue, that of contrast). 
One cannot hope to obtain color harmony without an in- 
telligent understanding of the attractive force of colors and their 
relation to each other. The attractive force of a color note 
depends on its intensity plus its value and its contrast to the 
background. The attractive force of Orange or Red on a neu- 
tral background is much less than on White, as Black has less 
attractive force on Gray than on White. It takes a very small 
area of any pure color to balance a large area of a neutral shade 
— greyed color. Our Problem then is, the proper proportion 
and the distribution of colors according to their attractive force. 
With these fundamental facts we will proceed to our exercises, 
which will help to fix them in the mind. 
EXERCISE 
Study well the color chart, showing position of HUES in 
their relation to each other, note diagram No. 1, showing posi- 
tion of each Hue on the neutral scale, determining the value 
of each. Note diagram No. 5 showing the number of steps, 
in value, each color undergoes in the change from its normal 
position on the scale to that of middle gray. Note diagram 
No. 2 illustrating the three dimensions of color — Hue, Chroma 
and Value. The pure Hues are arranged on the outside of a 
circle, the value scale is perpendicular and the lines indicating 
"Chroma" run from the pure Hues on the outer rim toward the 
neutral scale in the center — towards absolute neutrality. In 
diagram No. 3 the numbers denote the degree of neutralization 
of each Hue in its transition from purity to neutrality, while 
diagram No. 5 shows the steps in value of each Hue from its 
normal position on the scale to "middle gray." Yellow being 
"high light" in value shows four steps to "middle gray." Violet 
being "low dark" in value, has the same number of steps. Red 
orange and Blue-green being middle gray in value (see posi- 
tion on the neutral scale) undergo no change. The other Hues 
show the proper number of steps according to their position. 
Diagram No. 4 further illustrates the difference between Value 
and Chroma showing one Hue raised from its normal position 
"Middle Grey" to "High Light" and neutralized four times. 
(To raise its value we simply thin or add white — to neutralize, 
we add its complimentary.) 
Make color rhythms showing each Hue in seven values. 
Show Hues neutralized in four steps, from purity to neutrality. 
Make two color schemes, demonstrating analogous and contrast- 
ing harmony, showing in each a color balance, produced by the 
proper proportion of each color according to its attractive force. 
Indicate as per illustration the Hue, Value and degree of Chroma 
of each color in the scheme using initial letters, to indicate 
Hue; degree of Chroma indicated above and Value below the 
line— (i.e.— R. 0. |), 
For the practice in color work under this and subsequent 
Problems, the following water colors are suggested as the 
nearest approach to the Spectrum Hues. For the Yellow of 
the chart, use Gamboge; for the Red, mix Carmine with Ver- 
million; for the Yellow-orange, Orange and Red-orange, blend 
Gamboge and Vermillion; Violet is best made with Ultramarine 
Blue and Crimson Lake; Red-violet and Blue-violet, the same, 
with Crimson Lake dominant in the former and Ultramarine 
in the latter. Use Ultramarine for the pure Blue, but for the 
Blue-green, Green and Yellow-green, Prussian-blue may be 
substituted and blended with Gamboge in different proportions. 
There is a set of colors known as the Ruxton colors, which are 
supposed to exactly represent the Hues of the Spectrum. The 
Red color is entirely satisfactory, also the Blue, but for 
other Hues, the writer prefers the Windsor & Newton colors. 
Wadsworth Howland has a set of eight colors which is satis- 
factory, consisting of Maxina Red, Yellow, Blue, Purple 
and Green with the same four hues in Middle Value and 
intensity. 
