PURPLE is seldom used in simple pen-work, lettering, &c., but largely and with very fine effect in complex illumination. A reddish-purple is to be preferred. A good colour can be made from the purple stain described on p. [175], or from Ruby madder and a little Rose madder, with a very little Ultramarine.
SIMPLE COLOUR EFFECTS
Simple “Rubrication” (see p. [127]).—Red letters were most commonly contrasted with blue (the “warmest” and “coldest” colours),[38] in some MSS. with green alone, but more commonly the three [p181] colours were used together, the alterations being generally—
| Red cap. | in columns of Versal letters (see fig. [93]) | RED | in lines of Caps. (see fig. [89]). |
| Blue cap. | BLUE | ||
| Red cap. | RED | ||
| Green cap. | GREEN | ||
| &c. | &c. |
Repetition and Limitation of Simple Colours (and Forms).—The uniform treatment of a MS. necessitates that no colour (or form) in it should be quite singular, or even isolated if it can possibly be repeated. If, for example, there be a Red capital on the “Verso” page, the “opening” is improved by some Red—a capital, a rubric, or even a line-finishing—on the “Recto” page. Very often the one piece of colour is very small, and, as it were, an echo of the other (compare Line-finishings and Initials, pp. [205], [193]). While it is not always possible or desirable so to treat both pages of an opening, yet, in the book taken as a whole, every colour used should be repeated as often as there is a reasonable opportunity. And, therefore, where the opportunities for colour in a book are few and far between, it is well to limit the “colours” used to two, or even one.
This necessity for repetition applies to simple rather than to complex “Illuminated” Forms—e.g. a book need not have more than one Illuminated Initial—but within such complex forms themselves [p182] repetition is recognised as one of the first principles of “decorative design” (see p. [215]).
Proportions of Colours.—In Harmonious Illumination, Blue very commonly is the predominating colour; but no exact proportions can be laid down, for the combined colour effect depends so much on the arrangement of the colours.
Effects of Neighbouring Colours.[39]—When blue and red are in juxtaposition, the blue appears bluër and greener; the red appears brighter and more scarlet. With Red and Green, the Red appears more crimson, and the green, greener and bluër. A greenish blue will appear plain blue beside a pure green; a blue with a purplish tinge will appear more purple. Experiments might profitably be made with simple arrangements of Red, Blue, Green, Black, White, and Gold in combinations of two or more.
Tempering Colours with White.—Forms such as flower petals, &c., may be painted in Blue or Red, paled with White, and then be shaded with the pure colour; this gives considerable richness, and the effect may be heightened by very careful white line work (q.v.). Green leaves, &c., may be made very pale and then touched with Yellow—this gives a brilliant effect.
Black Outlines.—The effect of these is to make a bright colour appear brighter and richer, to define, and, to a certain extent, harmonise, neighbouring colours and shapes, and to keep the design flat [p183] (see p. [186]). For one or more of these reasons, all coloured forms—patterns, charges, &c.—in a compound colour scheme have an outline—strong or delicate, according to the strength or delicacy of the work (see pp. [188], [187], [202], [221], [165]).