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