Composition Of Black

: ON THE PRIMARY, YELLOW.

As a pigment, yellow is a tender delicate colour, easily defiled, when

pure, by other colours. In painting it diminishes the power of the eye

by its action in a strong light, at the same time becoming less distinct

as a colour; while, on the contrary, it assists vision and becomes more

distinct as a colour in a neutral somewhat declining light. These powers

of colours upon vision require the particular attention of the

colourist. To remedy the ill effect arising from the eyes having dwelt

upon a colour, they should be either passed gradually to its opposite

colour, and refreshed amid compound or neutral tints, or washed in the

clear light of day. Hence, in viewing large collections of pictures,

their colours will be more duly estimated by sometimes walking to the

window, or by taking an occasional glance at a millboard, which may be

carried in the hand, painted a cool gray.



In a warm light, yellow becomes totally lost, but is less diminished

than all other colours, except white, by distance. The stronger tones of

any colour subdue its fainter hues in the same proportion as opposite

colours and contrasts exalt them. The contrasting colours of yellow are

a purple inclining to blue when the yellow leans to orange, and a purple

inclining to red when the yellow tends to green, in the mean



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