'?4 
KERAMC STUDIO 
jV\..ft.t>i-l\Ai>r)i>tL 
A FEW IDEAS ABOUT VALUES 
Mary Chase Perry 
GREAT many questions are asked about the 
meaning of the term "values" as constantly- 
held before the student. And frequently 
the latter strives to attain results without 
sufficient theory to sustain him. A few 
suggestions are applicable to floral arrangements, either in 
mineral or water colors, but particularly in the primary studies 
made in the latter medium, to be applied later to porcelain. 
Decorations of a conventional order are a different matter and 
are free from certain of these rules, or, rather, are bound by 
certain other ones. 
In massing a composition of flowers, first try to have the 
principal points well settled in your mind. Let a good deal 
of mental effort precede the hand work, and it will seem that 
you are working out a study which you have already seen 
painted and so know just where to focus your point of interest. 
Centralize this, and make all the rest subservient to it. Let 
nothing detract from it, but, on the contrary, make all lead 
up to it. Sometimes a great temptation comes to work up 
some minor portion of the design which is not essential, but 
by yielding, the harmony of the whole is lost. Let the mo- 
tive itself be foremost in expression, so that it will hold its 
own and speak out against everything else. You will retaim 
more of truth, and a stronger quality, by keeping all but your 
principal idea back — back. 
If, in making your primary study from nature, there are 
flowers, for instance, or masses of foliage, which are uncertain 
or hard to determine, so that you hardly know what impor- 
tance to attach to them, either in drawing or tone, do not 
make the mistake of trying to puzzle them out — to give them 
form where you do not see it, or try to discern the color which 
you think it should have. On the contrary, if they seem 
subtle to you, make them subtle in your study — keep up the 
mystery — it is the essence of something too rare to define. 
Put in half a dozen colors if necessary, but keep it nondescript 
or let it melt away altogether. 
Also, if there chances to be a mass of leaves or flowers 
which are merely accessory to the main thought, in expressing 
them, do not allow them to be thrust forward. An excellent 
way is to allow the background to come right down over the 
edges, obliterating the outlines, and in this manner causing 
the masses to become a part of the background itself. Many 
hard edges make a study "papery," and a little touch here and 
there will give it solidity and pull it together. So when one 
portion joins another, or when the arrangement seems to melt 
into the background, do not think you have to clear them out 
and separate them in order to do conscientious work. We 
will gain and retain more softness in this studied carelessness, 
than by any amount of direct striving. So cherish all the 
"happenings," and if you have sufficient control over your 
materials, a certain amount of "playing" with the brush and 
color will lead to results which could not be sought with 
deliberate intention. 
Train the eye to see similarity ; to find relations which 
go from one part of the composition to another. It is not 
always necessary to use many colors, but similar colors 
repeated again and again. In this way when a strong, clear 
color is used for a purpose, it will appear as a surprise. 
In the background, put in many of the same tones which 
were used in the study proper. First find the local color and 
approximate it. Do not make it positive, but rather less than 
over positive, if you are in doubt, because clear color comes 
forward and mixed tones go back. You will find that a clear 
color introduced in a background will take the strength from 
your main theme and render it lifeless — dull. Yet if there 
chances to be much of a single color in your study be sure to 
repeat it in the background — force it, even if you do not see 
it at once. Know that it must be there just the same. If 
there is a mass of yellow in the arrangement, introduce yellow 
into the background, even if you have to smother it with other 
colors. 
Study the greens well. Know that there is little pure 
green, and if you use it so, it will jump out at you. It will 
also take the color out of everything. The writer recently 
had an experience in having a green tone put on the walls of 
her studio, and had much difficulty in deciding upon just the 
depth and quality of tone. At first a green which was fresh 
yet restful to the eye proved to be one which forced the using 
of strong colors in all the work done in the room, so that when 
the studies were taken elsewhere and away from the influence 
of the green tone, they literally screamed at one. At last 
the walls were changed to a green which appears just as full 
of color but which is in fact full of a vibrating grey and which 
does not infringe upon the color work done in the room, but 
rather supplements it than otherwise. So it is safe to keep to 
greys— yellow greys — blue greys— purple greys — especially 
the last, If you wish a brilliant result and make the brightest 
