The Third And Last Of The Primary Or Simple Colours Is Blue Which

: ON THE PRIMARY, BLUE.

bears the same relation to shade as yellow to light. Hence it is the

most retiring and diffusive of all colours, except purple and black; and

all colours have the power of throwing it back in painting, to a greater

or less extent, in proportion to the intimacy of their relations to

light--first white, then yellow, orange, red, &c.



Blue alone possesses entirely the quality technically called 'coldness'

in colouring, and it communicates this property variously to all other

colours with which it happens to be compounded. Most powerful in a

strong light, it seems to become neutral and pale in a declining light,

owing to its ruling affinity with black or shade, and its power of

absorbing light. Consequently, the eye of the artist is liable to be

deceived when painting with blue in too low a light, or toward the close

of day, to the endangering of the warmth and harmony of his picture.

Entering into combination with yellow in the composition of all



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