But, in order to work no hardship on the painter, ten colors are all that are needed for the average work. These ten can be intermixed, with the exception of Madder Lake, will not fade, will not react upon each other, nor will they interfere with the drying of each other. Following is the Palette with which an average painter can get along perfectly and from which no bad results are ever obtained:
- Lamp Black.
- Zinc White.
- Bright Red Iron Oxide.
- Raw Sienna or Yellow Ochre.
- Burnt Umber.
- Chromium Oxide, Opaque.
- Chromium Oxide, Transparent.
- Ultramarine Blue, or Cobalt Blue.
- Cadmium Yellow.
- Madder Lake.
Madder Lake must not be mixed with any pigment containing the Yellow Oxide of Iron, like Ochre or Raw Sienna. It is wise, if it can be helped, not to mix it with any other pigment, but to use it as a glazing color. Yet, there is no harm in mixing Madder Lake with Lamp Black or bright Red Oxide of Iron, or Cadmium Yellow.
THE COMPLEX PALETTE
THE following are colors which may be mixed with each other without producing any deleterious effect or without undergoing any change; excepting Madder Lake, as mentioned on the previous page.
- Lamp Black.
- Ivory Black.
- Bone Black.
- Graphite.
- Zinc White.
- Permanent White.
- Bright Red Oxide.
- Venetian Red.
- Indian Red.
- Burnt Sienna.
- Raw Sienna.
- Yellow Ochre.
- Burnt Umber.
- Roman Ochre.
- French Ochre.
- Oxford Ochre.
- Chromium Oxide, Opaque.
- Chromium Oxide, Transparent.
- Ultramarine Blue, Natural or Artificial.
- Cobalt Blue, Natural or Artificial.
- Cadmium Yellow, all shades.
- English Vermilion; or any Vermilion made of Mercury.
- Madder Lake or Alizarin Lake.
With the exception of the Madder and Alizarin[2] Lakes, all the other colors can be mixed with each other without any danger of decomposition, and Madder Lake can be mixed with most of these colors, with the exception of the following:
- Yellow Ochre.
- Raw Sienna.
- Transparent Chromium Oxide.
For diluting, Madder Lake, Permanent White (Blanc Fixe) may be used.