46 
KERAMIC STUDIO 
DESIGN AND ITS APPLICATION TO PORCELAIN 
Henrietta Barclay Paist 
PROBLEM XVI. COLOR HARMONY, APPLICATION (continued) 
"Appreciation of beautiful color grows by exercise and discrimination, 
just as naturally as fine perception of music or architecture. Each is the 
outlet for the expression of taste, a language which may be used clumsily or 
with skill." — Munsell. 
LET us now return to the designs of Problem X,* (Plate, 
Pitcher and Bowl). We have suggested the values of 
the colors by the neutral values shown. We have only to sub- 
stitute color in the same values, selecting our Hues, Tints and 
Shades, which will, by their attractive force, correspond to the 
general balance of the grey scheme. This group is considered 
as a set, and will be so treated. If a child's set, we have a va- 
riety of schemes from which to choose, from the monochrome 
of Blue or Grey to a combination of bright cheeiy colors; the 
type of design will again determine this. If animals or units 
from toyland have been selected, we may exercise our love of 
color; if the motif be floral, we will be influenced by the one 
depicted. Blue Grey and Pale Yellow make a lovely combi- 
nation for a child's set, also a scheme with bright touches of 
Scarlet and Green. If the set is intended for an adult, we will 
probably choose a quieter and daintier combination of colors 
with White or Ivory ground. In the latter case, the spotty 
effect — sometimes permissible in the decoration for children — 
is to be avoided. Here is where our discipline in values will 
again appear. Keep in mind the two kinds of harmony — that 
gained by the use of colors closely related, and that of contrast. 
Cool backgrounds, as a rule, call for cool colors in the design 
and warm background tints for warm colors. Remember that 
we are to confine ourselves to the designs already constructed, 
as these have already been criticised as to construction and 
values and our problem now is that of color harmony. It is 
impossible, in a course of this kind, to do more than suggest 
possibilities. To limit the exercises too much narrows the 
understanding of the Problem; to allow too much liberty in the 
matter of selection and adaptation leaves the student all at 
sea, with nothing definite to cling to, so we have tried to choose 
a middle ground, hoping that the misunderstandings may all 
be cleared up by the criticisms and that a better understanding 
will result. 
EXERCISE 
Color designs of Problem X (Plate, Pitcher and Bowl) 
with reference to the use of the shapes and to the motifs already 
chosen. Do two sets under this Problem, one showing a cool 
and one a warm color scheme; one, a monochrome or showing 
close harmony and one the harmony of contrast. Watch care- 
fully the balance of the colors and the general harmonious 
effect, as before, choosing the color schemes methodically from 
the charts and showing a color analysis, indicating the Hue, 
Value and Chroma in each. 
PROBLEM XVn. COLOR HARMONY, APPLICATION TO VASE FORMS 
"The poverty of color language tempts to a borrowing from the rich 
terminology of music. Musical terms, such as "pitch," "key," "note," "tone," 
"chord," "modulation," "nocturne" and "symphony," are frequently used in 
the description of color, serving by association to convey vague ideas . . . 
in the same way the term color harmony from association with musical harmony, 
presents to the mind an image of color arrangement, varied, yet well propor- 
tioned, grouped in orderly fashion, and agreeable to the eye .... musi- 
cal harmony explains itself in clear language . . . but the adequate terms 
of color harmony are yet to be worked out." — Mimsell. 
T> EFORE going further with our application it would be well 
*-* to consider some of these musical terms in the above 
quotation. What do they mean to us in connection with our 
color work? Take for instance the term "key." We often 
hear this term used in connection with a color scheme — "it 
was painted in a high key." This means that the colors used 
were pure as to chroma and light in value. In this connection 
PLATE XVII (Fig. 2) 
PLATE XVII (Fig. I) 
it is well to divide our value scale into three registers, upper, 
middle, and lower register. The first four values, beginning 
with White, may be considered as the upper register. Color 
schemes using these values if pure as to chroma, will be in a, 
"high key." The three middle values, beginning with low 
light, will constitute our middle register, and the four lower 
ones, beginning with high dark, our lower register. This divi- 
sion gives us a definite basis for mutual understanding. In 
the earlier problem we have stated that a chord, made up of 
notes in the same register, is more harmonious and more easily 
managed than one of notes widely separated, — so in color, our 
safety lies, at first, in using colors not too widely separated, 
avoiding the spectacular. Also color schemes in a high key 
