CHAPTER VIII.
Greens.
There is, of course, an immense range of greens, and the list below includes only those which are more or less frequently called for. To obtain a green, one can mix with yellow either blue or black. This forms a very good example of the difference which is obtained by mixing rays of light and pigments. The painter who wishes to make a systematic study of the subject of colour mixing is advised to experiment. He may first mix, say, medium chrome yellow with Prussian blue, then with cobalt and then with ultramarine or indigo, noting carefully the difference in the hue obtained. It is well to keep the quantity of chrome about the same in each case, so that the difference obtained by the use of the respective blues may be the better appreciated. He should then change his yellow, mixing the same proportions as nearly as possible with lemon chrome and then with deep chrome, again noticing the difference in the colours obtained. Having done this he can go back to middle chrome and mix black with it in varying proportions. In this way he will obtain a good deal of practical knowledge in a short time concerning the different shades of green obtainable from these simple mixtures, and he will at the same time not forget the relative costs of the different materials, so that he may learn to obtain desirable mixtures of colour from the least expensive of the pigments. Sometimes a green is obtained simply by lightening up, with white, a stock commercial green, for example, pea green may easily be obtained by lightening pale Brunswick green. In some cases greens are produced by an admixture of two or more colours, such, for instance, as Willow Green, which is made from ochre and indigo, and Olive Green from ochre and French ultramarine. Others have the addition of white, such as Grass Green, which is white ochre and cobalt, and Spring Green, which is white, middle chrome and black.
Having performed the foregoing experiments, the reader should next take up the study of lights and shades. In other words, he should add to the various mixtures obtained in the manner described, different quantities of first white and then black, and notice the effect obtained.
Some colours are very much stronger for tinting purposes than others. For example, a Prussian blue will go a long way and a very little is sufficient to colour a considerable quantity of white lead. In the plates we show pure Turkey umber, French ochre, raw Italian sienna, orange chrome yellow, Prussian blue, medium chrome yellow, etc. Each of these is also shown when mixed with twenty-five parts of zinc and one hundred parts of zinc respectively. The object of using the zinc instead of white lead is to obtain a purer tint, the white being much whiter than white lead. A careful examination of this tint will give some useful information concerning the tinting strength of different colours. Observe, for example, Prussian blue, which is quite a decided blue even when only one part in one hundred of the colour is used. The next thing to be done is to add a little black to these colours and to note the result. We must urge the reader not to use black in reducing his colours as a rule. If it is desired to reduce or lower a yellow in tone use blue and red, if a blue is too vivid add a little red and yellow, and if a red is too bright add a little blue and yellow—in other words, taking the three primaries, add to any one a very little of the other two.
Aloes.
—A pale sage green shade. To obtain it mix six parts of black, three of white, one of chrome yellow, and three of Brunswick green.
Apple Green.
—The simplest way to obtain this is to mix medium chrome green with about thirty times the quantity of white lead, but other greens may be employed with the addition of a little Prussian blue when necessary. Or a little orange chrome yellow may be added to the medium chrome green and white lead. A very good shade can be produced by mixing one part of white with four of yellow and nine of green.