Cyclopedia of Painting/Color Harmony

by George D. Armstrong

COLOR HARMONY.

The most difficult subject with which the painter has to deal is that of color harmony. In other words, how to use different colors in decoration in such a manner as to produce a perfect harmony and a pleasing result. The subject is a difficult and comprehensive one, and it would be impossible within the limits of this book to do justice to it. A few general hints, however, will no doubt be of service.

It should first be recognized that there are distinct rules and laws regulating harmony in color. Just as some people have an ear quick to recognize the slightest discord, so some are fortunate enough to possess an inherent talent for recognizing color harmony. It is to be feared that while the musical ear, so to speak, is fairly common, the ability to harmonize colors is much rarer. Speaking generally, ladies have more natural talent in matters concerning color than men have. Possibly the reason is that they are called upon more frequently to choose and determine upon matters relating to color in connection with their dress. It is true that if one is inclined to be satirical one might suggest that some ladies, judging by the extraordinary combination of colors they wear, must be color blind. It has been proved by statistics that one person in ten is color blind, but this does not mean wholly devoid of the ability to distinguish one color from another, but simply that there are certain colors which the person who is color blind cannot distinguish from others.

In almost everyday work the painter is called upon to mix colors that shall harmonize, as, for instance, to paint the woodwork of a room in colors that will harmonize with the wallpaper.

Matching the Wallpaper. The simplest plan, and therefore the one which is usually followed, is to take the prevailing color of the wall and to use this on the woodwork and introducing other colors which may occur in the paperhanging as may be thought to be judicious. If the room is a bed-chamber and the paper has a cream ground with a floral pattern printed in green with a pink flower, the stiles and rails of the doors might be painted a light green, the panels cream, and the mouldings, or a portion of them, pink. The same plan may be followed successfully with many papers, but on the other hand much more pleasing

Fig. 20. Ox Hair Fresco Brushes.

and artistic results may often be obtained by using a distinct, but harmonizing contrast. A single example will suffice. A striped wallpaper, printed in brilliant red, might cause wonderment in the eyes of a novice as to how it could possibly be used successfully in an ordinary room. The excessive brilliancy might at first sight appear to be certain to produce an effect too glaring to make a comfortable living-room. Yet such a paper used in a room very soberly furnished say, with old dark oak, ebony or black walnut, would look very handsome, or in a more modern room the doors, skirting, in fact the whole of the woodwork, might be finished in white enamel, and the effect would also be very good.

Contrasting Harmonies. From this single example it can readily be seen that contrasting colors often give the very best results. A wall painted green may look very monotonous, but if a frieze, having some bright red used liberally in it, is used in conjunction there will be a vast difference in the appearance of the apartment.

RED.

A Red Wall. Red may graduate from Indian red to what would practically be a warm gray. Any color going with a selected tone or tint needs to be modified so as to harmonize with it. If a wall has a paper colored in light red and gold, and it is desirable that the woodwork should be red too, it must differ from the color of the wall in tone and in intensity.

A Crimson Wall may have amber woodwork with cream colored mouldings, or they may be heliotrope for contrast.

A Scarlet Wall may have light snuff brown, or a sage green, for the woodwork, with yellow green mouldings, or they may be white.

A Yellow Red Wall, in which scarlet has been tempered with an excess of chrome, will bear a raw umber tone of brown for the woodwork, with ivory or white mouldings.

A Pink Toned Wall. With this the woodwork may be a yellowish green, with or without straw colored mouldings, or two shades of citrine, with pearl gray for contrast in the mouldings.

For a Dark Red, inclining to purple, the woodwork may be a sage or myrtle green, with amber mouldings.

A Poppy Red. Gray green, lavender and black may be used for this.

All warm tones and shades of green or gray may be used with red, provided they get their hues by contrast with the red. Any blue associated with red must be slaty or purple in tone. If the color of a wallpaper is heliotrope, inclined to red, the woodwork may be cream. If the heliotrope inclines to yellow, straw color should be adopted.

BLUE.

A Blue Wall of a Purple Tone. With this yellowish orange, amber, salmon pink or terra cotta will harmonize according to the value of the wall color.

A Peacock Tone or Blue Wall. This calls for orange red, deep amber, warm brown, cool brown, or both.

A Sapphire Blue Wall. Chocolate woodwork in two tones, with amber mouldings. Pearl gray and cream will go with this color.

A Wall of an Ultramarine Tone. Light warm gray and cool yellow brown go happily with this.

A Neutral Blue Wall will unite with citron and chocolate, or a warm gray green, or a blue green gray and salmon.

A Slate Colored Wall of a Blue Tone. For this there is plum color and lavender, puce and orange to choose from.

YELLOW.

This color ranges from a rich sienna to a lemon tone, from citrine to a cream.

A Yellow Wall. Plum color, slate, brown or citrine may be used with this.

A Gold Colored Wall. The woodwork may be in two tones of lavender, with citrine mouldings.

An Orange Colored Wall. The color for the wood may be purple tone of red, with maroon mouldings, or if light mouldings be required, citrine would serve.

A Canary Colored Wall. Vellum color, with deep ivory mouldings, may be adopted for the woodwork.

A Deep Terra Cotta Wall. A selection from buff, sage green, Indian red, vermilion, white and black either or any may be selected, the strong colors in the small parts.

Fig. 21. Fresco Bristle Brushes.

A Primrose Tone of Wall. Tones of snuff brown, medium yellow green, and lavender may be selected.

A Neutral or Drab Wall. Shades of olive green, Venetian red, and lilac go well together.

BROWN.

This color is perhaps the best wearing color for woodwork. There are infinite tints and shades, from sober to rich, from cool to warm. Blue agrees especially with brown.

Deep brown, light blue, and gold go well together.

Light Purple Tone of Brown Wall. The woodwork may be yellow red, with cream mouldings.

A Brown Ingrain Wall. The woodwork may be in two tones, made from indigo blue, with amber mouldings.

A Gold Colored Brown Wall would unite with woodwork of a red tone of purple, with plum colored mouldings, or a warm gray may be used.

Burnt Sienna Brown Tone of Wall. With this, salmon and myrtle harmonize.

GREEN.

This color, so extensive in nature, will agree with all colors, provided they are toned to suit each other, warm or cold, neutral or bright.

An Olive Green Wall will agree with maroon woodwork with a crimson lake, straw or pink tone for the mouldings.

A Medium Green Colored Wall. If two tones of red, a crimson tone and a yellow tone be adopted, the mouldings, if desired, may be a salmon buff.

A Gray Green Wall may have a primrose tone of woodwork, with a scarlet tone for mouldings.

A Moss Green Tone of Wall will associate well with citrine woodwork, and salmon colored panels or mouldings.

A Pea or Leaf Green Wall goes well with a chocolate and a lavender.

 

GRAY.

This neutral color agrees with and helps every other color.

A Warm Gray Wall. With this the woodwork may well be a tawny leather color, with either buff or cream in the mouldings. A quiet red would also suit.

A Silver Gray Wall sympathizes with a salmon color, as well as with a deep blue. Should there be blue and red in the pattern on the paper, the styles of the woodwork could then be a delicate raw umber tone of brown. The mouldings the same brown, with burnt sienna added to it. The panel may be a cameo pink. A snuff colored brown would also do well.

A Drab Tone of Wall, having an ornament upon it, low in tone, a citrine for instance, would need some force in the woodwork. A rich burnt sienna brown suggests itself for this, with a reddish brown for the mouldings.

These schemes of color can be reversed. Should the general tone of the wallpaper be that tone suggested here for the woodwork, it takes then the color of the paper.

Color Combinations. The following list is based upon Chevreul, Brücke, Rood and other experimenters:

Normal red with violet	Bad.
Normal red with„ blue	Excellent.
Normal red with„ blue green	Good, but strong.
Normal red with„ green	Good, but hard.
Normal red with„ green yellow	Fair.
Normal red with„ yellow	Unpleasing.
Scarlet with violet	Bad.
Scarlet with„ turquoise	Good.
Scarlet with„ blue	Good.
Scarlet with„ yellow	Unpleasing.
Orange red with violet	Good.
Orange red with„ purple	Fair.
Orange red with„ blue	Excellent.
Orange red with„ turquoise	Good.
Orange red with„ blue green	Unpleasing.
Orange red with„ yellow green	Fair.
Orange with purple	Bad.
Orange with„ violet	Good.
Orange with„ blue	Good, but strong.
Orange with„ turquoise	Good.
Orange with„ blue green	Good.
Orange with„ green	Fair.
Orange yellow with purple	Good.
Orange yellow with„ violet	Excellent.
Orange yellow with„ blue	Good.
Orange yellow with„ turquoise	Fair.
Orange yellow with„ blue green	Moderate.
Orange yellow with„ green	Bad.
Yellow with violet	Excellent.
Yellow with„ purple	Good.
Yellow with„ normal red	Poor.
Yellow with„ turquoise	Moderate.
Yellow with„ blue green	Bad.
Yellow with„ green	Bad.
Greenish yellow with purple	Good.
Greenish yellow with„ violet	Excellent.
Greenish yellow with„ scarlet	Strong and hard.
Greenish yellow with„ orange red	Fair.
Greenish yellow with„ turquoise	Bad.
Greenish yellow with„ normal blue	Good.
Yellowish green with normal red	Good, but hard.
Yellowish green with„ purple	Difficult.
Yellowish green with„ blue green	Bad.
Yellowish green with„ blue	Good.
Normal green with purple	Strong, but hard.
Normal green with„ scarlet	Difficult.
Normal green with„ orange red	Hard.
Normal green with„ turquoise	Bad.
Blue green with purple	Fair.
Blue green with„ violet	Good.
Blue green with„ blue	Bad.
Blue green with„ green	Bad.
Blue green with„ yellowish green	Bad.
Blue green with„ turquoise	Bad.