Please see the [Transcriber’s Notes] at the end of this text.

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PAINT & COLOUR
MIXING

A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK FOR PAINTERS, DECORATORS AND ALL WHO
HAVE TO MIX COLOURS, CONTAINING 72 SAMPLES OF PAINT OF
VARIOUS COLOURS, INCLUDING THE PRINCIPAL GRAINING GROUNDS,
AND UPWARDS OF 400 DIFFERENT COLOUR MIXTURES, WITH HINTS
ON COLOUR AND PAINT MIXING GENERALLY, TESTING COLOURS,
RECIPES FOR SPECIAL PAINTS, ETC., ETC.,

ARTHUR SEYMOUR JENNINGS.

London:
E. & F. N. SPON, Ltd., 125, STRAND.

NEW YORK:
SPON & CHAMBERLAIN, 123, LIBERTY STREET

1902.

PREFACE.

The author would for some reasons be inclined to offer an apology for this work in its present form, because it falls so far short of what might be expected in a comprehensive treatise on the subject of which it treats. To understand colour mixing the student should first carefully study colour theory, and then the properties of pigments. But it will be observed that there is but little relating to theory in this work, and the reasons are given distinctly, and are, in brief, that the subject is too complex a one to render it possible for it to be dealt with in the limited range of these pages, while another reason is that the subject is very well covered in several books published in late years by Professor Church, George H. Hurst, Professor Rood, and others.

The author, however, has ample justification for the publication of this little work in the fact that he has during the last fifteen years received, in his capacity as editor of painters’ publications, enquiries almost daily for a book giving colour mixtures, with actual samples of colours, in other words, one which would be useful to the man who wants to mix paints but who has not made a study of the subject.

A critic might object that it is impossible to give accurate colour mixtures, because the actual appearance of colour varies according to the light in which it is viewed, and also because the result obtained by mixing coloured pigments of different manufacture must vary greatly according to the quality of those colours. All these objections have been carefully borne in mind in the preparation of the contents of this work. It has been assumed that the colour mixtures will be viewed in an average good light, and it is further assumed that the colours which have been employed will not necessarily be of the very best quality but certainly not those which are very inferior. The chapters on colour testing, etc., have been added not only because these properly form a part of the subject, but because so many painters are deficient in a knowledge of them.

It need only be added that every one of the mixtures given in this work has been carefully made with the actual colours. The preparation of the list has been no inconsiderable work. The author therefore leaves his little book in the hands of practical readers in the hope that even if it falls short of being a complete treatise it may, at least, prove of some service in everyday work.

CONTENTS.

[CHAPTER I.]

The Composition of a Paint—Pigments, Oil, Turpentine, Driers, Colours—Practical Paint Mixing, Mechanical Paint Mixer—Paint Strainer—The Proportions of Materials for use on Pine and Soft Woods—On Hard Woods generally—On Iron—On Stucco—On Plaster, etc.

[CHAPTER II.]

Colours or Stainers—The appearance in strong and subdued lights—The Nomenclature of Colours—Examples of variation in the names of Colours—Efforts made to establish a Uniform Nomenclature—The Economy of using Good Colours—Hues, Shades and Tints.

[CHAPTER III.]

Whites—Recipes for various mixtures of White Pigments—The Advantages and Disadvantages of White Lead, Zinc White, Lithopone, etc., etc.

[CHAPTER IV.]

Grays and Greys—General Remarks—How to Mix various Greys and Grays.

[CHAPTER V.]

Reds, Crimsons and Purples—General Remarks—How to Mix these Colours.

[CHAPTER VI.]

Blues—General Remarks—How to Mix Blue generally.

[CHAPTER VII.]

Yellows—General Remarks—How to Mix Yellows generally.

[CHAPTER VIII.]

Greens, how to Mix them—General Remarks—Suggestions for Experiments.

[CHAPTER IX.]

Browns, and how to Mix them—General Remarks on Browns.

[CHAPTER X.]

Graining Grounds and how to Mix them.

[CHAPTER XI.]

How to Test the Quality of Colours—The Characteristics of Good Colours—Greens, Venetian, Tuscan and Indian Reds—Red Lead—Chromes—Ochres—Blacks—Blues—Umbers and Siennas.

[CHAPTER XII.]

Recipes, Tables, Hints and Notes—List of Books useful to the Painter.

CHAPTER I.

The Composition of a Paint.

—Clearly the first thing to be done before studying the subject of paint and colour mixing is to determine what a paint or what a colour is. Without attempting to give a hard and fast definition, it may be said that a paint consists of any pigment, such as white lead, mixed with linseed oil, and thinned by means of turpentine to render it in such a condition that it may be readily applied to the surface of wood, iron and other work by means of a brush. Paint serves the purpose first of preserving the material to which it is applied, and secondly, but not always, a decorative object where the colour is of importance.

The principal pigment used in paint mixing is white lead, but there are many others that are also employed. Many painters look upon paint as necessarily consisting of white lead to which has been added sufficient colouring matter to give the desired tint. As a matter of fact, white lead may be wholly absent from a paint. For example, yellow ochre may be used by itself; iron oxide in the shape of Indian red, purple brown, Venetian red, or Tuscan red forms in itself a good paint if the colour is not objectionable. Again, in the lighter paints we sometimes have white lead replaced by an admixture of zinc white, barytes and other materials of the kind.

The oil used in mixing paint is used to combine the particles or pigment together. That is its chief object, but it is also employed to give a glossy surface and to bring the material to a proper consistency. Turpentine could be used for the latter purpose by itself, but the result would be what is termed a “flat” surface, or an absence of gloss. The turpentine, too, evaporates to a considerable extent. It is generally conceded, among those who have given close attention to the subject, that the durability of a paint depends largely upon the oil used; indeed, it has been likened to the life-blood of the paint. There is not much doubt that the best pigments may be replaced with others somewhat inferior without so much detriment to the quality of the paint as if linseed oil is replaced by some other oil. It is quite necessary that pure linseed oil be used in the manufacture of all paints, and although there are one or two substitutes on the market which may be employed in very cheap work, no attempt should be made to execute a really good job unless pure linseed oil is used. The purpose of the oil in giving a gloss is sometimes assisted by the addition of a small quantity of oak varnish. This is a growing custom among painters, as the gloss produced is decidedly improved by the addition of the varnish and the work shows up well, while the varnish does not in any way detract from the life of the paint, but rather adds to it. This practice is employed more on inside than outside work, where the execution of the painting requires more care than it does inside, owing to the severe atmospheric conditions, which cause any paint work not properly prepared to soon decay.

The base, such as white lead, having been selected, colours are mixed in order to produce the desired hue or tint. Frequently, however, a colour is made by the mixture of several other colours without any white lead at all. A careful examination of the list included in this book will make this clear.

The colour having been determined, oil, turpentine, and driers are then added. The object of the driers is that of causing the paint material to dry quickly. There are several kinds of driers on the market, but the two best known are termed “patent driers,” which is sold in solid form, and the “liquid driers” or “japanners.” Whichever is used the actual quantity employed will depend very largely upon the pigment. Some pigments, say for instance, red lead may be considered in itself a drier, and the addition of any other is unnecessary. Others, like Vandyke brown, dry slowly, and much more driers will be necessary than is the case with white lead. Further on we give some idea of the proportions of materials to be used, but it will be understood that no exact information on the subject will be possible, for reasons that will be explained. It is of the utmost importance to remember that an excess of driers is most objectionable. It often retards instead of increasing the drying quality, it causes cracks and blisters, and above all, it proves very destructive to the paint itself.

The quality of patent driers varies very greatly, some of the cheaper grades consisting largely of material which possesses no drying properties whatever.

Paint Mixing.

—The method of mixing paint does not appear, strange as it may seem, to have received the consideration on the part of practical painters that it deserves. While the manner of mixing small quantities of paint is thoroughly practical and sensible, yet some painters, even when they have larger quantities of the same paint to mix, adopt exactly the same means without thinking it necessary to take advantage of special machinery which is made for the purpose.

Fig. 1.

There are on the market two sorts of mixing machine for paints that would prove of great service to the painter who has to produce large quantities of paint. But, as a rule, they are only used by paint manufacturers. One known as the vertical mixer, is represented in [Fig. 1], and is suitable for painters’ use. It consists of a cylinder which contains the paint, and in this are three bent knives or scissors. The handle attached, on being operated, turns the cylinder in one direction and the knives in the opposite direction, these knives in the meantime revolving around on their own axes. The paint is thus mixed very quickly, and as the cylinder may be had to hold several gallons, in the case of bridge work, wall work, or other positions where a very large quantity of the same paint is required, the purchase, for a few pounds, of such a machine may mean a saving of a considerable amount of labour. The mixer illustrated is manufactured by Messrs. Torrance & Sons, of Bittern, Glos. In many shops, where large quantities of stone colour and other paints have to be turned out, such a machine would soon repay its cost.

For ordinary quantities of paint, of which white lead forms the base, the following is the method usually employed. It will be understood that the paint consists of a base such as white lead, linseed oil, either raw or boiled, driers—either patent or liquid—and turpentine. A can or kettle is most usually employed for mixing the white lead in, and this is first thinned out and mixed with the driers and oil, the colour being afterwards added to it. A little oil is first placed in the can, which is twisted around so that the oil covers every part of the inside surface. This prevents the lead sticking against the tin. A sufficient quantity of oil and the patent or other driers is then added. The most convenient implement for actually mixing the paint is a broad piece of wood shaped like a narrow spade, or a spatula may be employed. The lead is stirred and beaten against the sides of the tin until the whole is of the same consistency, and more oil is added until the thickness is not sufficient to support the stick standing upright. Turpentine may now be added to further thin the mixture, and then the colour is added. It may be noted here that the result is not so satisfactory if the turpentine is added before the oil. The best way of mixing actual colours is to place them on a stone, thoroughly amalgamating one with the other by means of a spatula. When the colour is what is required it is added to the white. To take a simple case of a gray, a little black would be beaten up on the stone, and when quite thin added to the pot of white. This would then be stirred up thoroughly and the grey colour observed to see whether it was sufficiently dark. Then a very little red and blue might be prepared on the stone and this be added to the pot, the mixture being again stirred. Two very important rules must be observed at this point. The first is that the colours ground in oil should be used and not dry colours. If dry colours are employed oil must be added to them on the stone and not in the pot. We may repeat, by way of emphasis, under no circumstances must dry colours be added to the pot of colour. This is a rule to which there is absolutely no exception. The second rule, and one which is equally important, is to add only a small quantity of colour to the pot of white at the time. Taking the case once more of the grey, a little black being added and the mixture well stirred it can be seen at a glance whether the desired depth of shade is obtained. On the other hand, it would be quite impossible to take any of the black from the mixture, and should it be too dark the only way to lighten it would be to add more white, and this would probably mean mixing much more paint than was required for the job.

The paint having been mixed to the exact colour required, all that now remains is to strain it. A piece of muslin is often used for this purpose, but a far better method is to use a wire gauze strainer, which may be purchased for a small sum and will last for a considerable length of time. The advantage of this in addition to its permanence is that the hard portions of the paint may be beaten against the gauze, and so the waste be reduced to a minimum.

Fig. 2.

Fig. 3.

An excellent shape of paint strainer is that shown in [Fig. 2], which is shown in parts in [Fig. 3]. A, represents the body of the strainer, B, the clips which hold the compression band C, and D, represents the gauze. The advantage of this construction is that the gauze after use may be easily taken out, cleaned and replaced. This strainer or its equivalent should form part of the equipment of every paint shop, large or small.

A very handy little tool for breaking up oil paint when mixing in a can instead of using a stick is shown in [Fig. 4] (see next page). Its shape enables it to be used also as a scoop or spoon for lifting the colour out of the kegs, etc. The patentee and manufacturer is H. Smith, Hale Road Bridge, Altrincham, Cheshire. The illustration shows both sides of the tool. The projection on the left hand of the carved blade is provided in order to reach beneath the rim of lever-top cans.

The Proportions of Materials.

—We come to a consideration of the proper proportions of materials, viz., white lead (or other white), oil, turpentine and driers—the colour we shall speak about shortly—to be used on various kinds of work.

Fig. 4.

A little consideration will make it quite clear that it is impossible to give exact proportions of materials that will suit every job. These proportions are determined by the condition of the work. A new door of good sound pine will be treated differently to one made of an inferior wood, which is knotty and somewhat sappy. Again, a door that has been exposed to the weather for some years, and from which the paint has, perhaps, almost wholly departed, will require a different mixture to a front door from which the accumulation of old paint, extending, perhaps, to over one hundred years, has been burnt off. Precisely in the same way as patent medicines cannot be safely used for any and every complaint, so it is impossible to have paints that will suit any and every purpose. In one case the doctor is consulted and he takes into consideration every symptom and every condition and acts upon his diagnosis or scrutiny of symptoms. In like manner the decorator takes note of every condition of his work, and prepares his paint accordingly. Again, iron would not be painted with the same mixture as wood. Still if we cannot give exact proportions, we can, at least, give some information on the subject, which will form a guide and give some data for the reader to work upon. These we will give under separate heads.

Priming for Iron.

—The usual plan is to use red lead mixed with linseed oil, the proportion required being about 14lbs. of linseed oil to every cwt. of lead. The second coat should be equal proportions of red and white lead mixed to a proper consistency with linseed oil. Sometimes oxide of iron paint is used instead of red lead.

Painting on Stucco.

—The priming must contain a considerable quantity of oil, because of the absorbent nature of the stucco, and it should have a big proportion also of turpentine. Four galls. of boiled oil to a cwt. of red lead and three quarts of turpentine will usually answer. The second coat should be an equal mixture of red and white lead with a smaller proportion of turpentine and oil.

Priming for Deal or Pine (inside).

—With white lead use three-quarter ounces of driers and the same quantity of red lead to every pound of lead. Thin with about the same proportion of turps and raw linseed oil.

Second Coat (inside).

—Use about half-an-ounce of driers and one ounce of red lead to every pound of white lead.

Second Coat (outside).

—Use about one ounce of patent driers to every pound of white lead, with the addition of about the same quantity of red lead.

Egg Shell Gloss.

—To every pound of white lead add quarter of an ounce of copal varnish and the same quantity of gold size with half the quantity of boiled oil. These will serve the purpose of binding the materials together and causing them to dry. The thinners should consist of turpentine used in the proportion of about three-quarters of a pint to every 7 lbs. of white lead.

CHAPTER II.

Colours or Stainers.

—We have thus far omitted to take into consideration the colours—or stainers, as most painters call them—that have to be used in the mixtures given in the last chapter, excepting, of course, when a white paint is required.

As a rule, one or several colours are added to the base producing a tint, shade, or hue, as may be required. Sometimes, but not often, colours are employed as “body colours,” that is, they are employed just as they are purchased, ground in oil, excepting that they are thinned down with the requisite quantity of oil and turpentine.

We may now give consideration to actual colour mixture, but must first make one or two points clear, so that the lists which follow may be properly understood.

First, then, it should be said that colours vary in appearance according to the light in which they are viewed. For example, a colour, when looked at in the light of a sunny day in the open, has a very different appearance to that when viewed in a dark room. This will be explained at greater length further on. The mixtures here given refer only to oil colours, and it must be clearly understood that the same results will not be obtained with artists’ water colours. In the case of the latter, tints are obtained by the addition of water just as they are produced in oil colours by the addition of white lead or other white pigment.

In examining the lists which follow the reader may ask why we do not give the actual proportions of the different parts. The answer is that this is impossible for two reasons, the first being that colours vary so largely in quality that the proportions would be useless unless some particular make of colours was taken as a standard, while the second is that the names of the same colour vary also largely. Let us consider this point at once.

The Nomenclature of Colours.

—If half a dozen practical painters, experienced in colour mixing, were asked separately to mix a given colour, say a sea green, it is almost certain that when the six colours were compared there would not be two alike. Each of the six painters might have had precisely the same make of colours to work with and yet the “sea green” would in each case be different. The explanation, of course, is that opinions differ as to what is a “sea green.”

In giving the samples of colour which are contained in this work the author was, under the circumstances, somewhat puzzled to know exactly the right names to give each. His idea as to what was a bronze green, for example, might differ materially from the opinion of others, indeed, as it has already been explained, no two practical men would probably be found to agree as to the exact colour of two or three dozen differently named colours. Under these circumstances, he hit upon the plan of following what appeared to be the general rule in the trade. With this object he obtained the colour cards issued by all the leading paint manufacturing firms in the country, as well as some from abroad. He then took out the colours which he thought would be most useful to his readers, and then very carefully, and with a considerable amount of labour, compared each colour with similar colours in the different colour cards, taking note of the different names which different manufacturers called them. The result was very surprising, because it was found that in many cases there were as many names as there were manufacturers’ cards represented. When, however, the same name was used by several manufacturers, that name was selected for the purpose of this work. The reader may, therefore, take it that the names employed here are those which are most general in the trade. As an instance of the variation in these names we may cite a few examples.

Bronze green was called by different manufacturers’ dark green, olive green, and sage green. In this case bronze green occurred more frequently than any other name.

Tea green was called also olive green and Queen Anne green.

Apple green was called very light sea green and Eau de Nil green.

Sage green was called also olive and pale Quaker green.

Venetian green was called also Imperial French green, light green, shamrock green, bright green, mountain green, middle green, and engine green.

Light chocolate was called dark maroon, red lake, metallic brown, and in one case the sample given of burnt sienna was almost identical.

Olive green was called also sage green, deep olive green, and Quaker green.

Dark green was called also medium green, Brunswick green, middle green, and deep coach green.

Moss green some manufacturers evidently thought was the same thing as bronze green.

Pea green was called also sea green and eau de Nil.

Ivy green was called bronze green, sage green, Quaker green, olive green.

Slate was called also Quaker blue and dark lead.

Pearl gray was called also light gray.

Lilac was called also French gray.

Warm gray was called also deep stone, French gray, and light stone.

Silver gray was called also lavender.

Steel gray was called French gray in several instances, but we prefer to use the other term, as it appears to be nearer to what is usually known in this country as a French gray, that is one which has a touch of red and blue in it.

Another instance of the variation in the names of these colours is shown by light stone, which one would think was sufficiently well known to remove any doubt about it, but this was called smoke gray, French gray, and dove.

Middle stone was called also light drab.

Dark oak was called also dark drab and yellow bronze green.

Light drab was called also middle drab and doe colour.

Sandstone was called also dark stone.

Dove colour was called also deep stone.

Stone colour was called also ecru and light stone.

Colonial yellow was called also straw, light stone, and deep Naples yellow.

Buff in one case was called yellow ochre.

GRAINING GROUNDS

Cream was called Manilla, light stone and deep deck.

Primrose yellow was called also mustard yellow, canary and straw colour.

Straw was called also Naples yellow and deep Naples yellow.

Deep cream was called also cream and lemon.

Fawn brown was called light drab and light lava.

Smoke colour was called rustic drab and drab.

Deep drab was called also dark stone, light drab, dark drab and fawn; one sample of raw Turkey umber was almost identical.

Dark drab was given also as dark lava and middle drab.

Dark oak was called also copper brown, light oak, and Imperial brown, whilst in one case a sample of dark ochre was almost identical.

Snuff brown was called also light brown, sepia, dark ochre, umber brown and Arabian brown.

Sienna brown was called also teak brown, coffee brown, deep Indian red and terra cotta.

Amber brown was called also bison brown, sepia, and dark oak.

Autumn leaf was called also leather lake, mast colour, middle oak, old gold, and light fawn.

Signal red was called also vermilion, geranium red and poppy red.

Moss gray was called also silver gray.

Acorn brown was called also umber, dark oak, dark brown, light brown, dark Indian brown, chestnut brown, middle chocolate and Portland brown.

With the above instances before him the reader will not, we think, take any exception to the names we have chosen for our sample colour. The same is true concerning the instructions for colour admixture. If a reader makes a mixture according to those instructions and finds the result disappointing, the reason will probably be that his conception of the particular colour differs from that of the author. And it should be mentioned again, here, that every one of the mixtures have been made in oil colours, checked and checked again.

For many years past efforts have been made by scientists and others to formulate a permanent nomenclature for colours, tints, shades, and hues, but it cannot be said that so far any success has been met with. Should the efforts made prove ultimately successful, there is no doubt it would be a great boon to decorators, painters, and others; for example, if a decorator wanted to order from his manufacturer a certain tint of colour, all he would have to do would be to send in the name. Prang, of Boston, in his work, “The Standard of Colour,” endeavoured to systematise the subject, and he did this in the following manner. He produced sheets of colour divided up into several thousand squares. On the first sheet at the top was the spectrum of pure colours divided up, and beneath this similar squares with similar colours, to which had been added a small portion of white. The line below this was the same again with more white added, and so on till the bottom of the sheet was reached, when the colours were greatly reduced by the while, the tints being naturally very light ones. The second sheet was exactly the same as the first, but a small portion of black had been added to all of the colours and tints. The third sheet was the same thing again, with more black added, and the fourth sheet more black still, and so on to the end of the work. The colours were distinguished with letters, and the lines indicated the amount of white added by numbers. To anyone who possessed a copy of the work it would be a comparatively easy matter to order any colour from the book by number and letter, but the reader will readily perceive that this work falls short of the requirements of practical decorators, inasmuch as it does not provide for the admixture of different colours, but only those which are in the spectrum. It is true enough that all colours are as a matter of fact included in the spectrum, but it is not so easy a matter to separate them for practical purposes.

The Economy of Using Good Colours.

—It may be taken as a safe rule for the painter to follow that where a good job is required the best materials only should be employed, but the reader may answer to this that the price paid to him for his work will frequently not permit of his doing this. We may then leave the subject an open one which has really no place in these pages, except in so far as it relates to tinting colours, and here we can definitely and positively assert that it pays the painter best to use the best qualities of colour, quite irrespective of whether he gets a high price or a low price for his work. We must now proceed to explain this. Let the reader assume that a large surface is to be painted a very light Prussian blue. The price for the work is fixed and the question to be determined is whether it will pay to use cheap Prussian blue or one of high quality. Assume that a high quality blue costs 2s. per pound, and that just one pound of it is sufficient to tint the whole white to the required shade. We are purposely giving a simple case so as to make the matter clear. Now a Prussian blue can be bought for, say, 1s. 3d. a pound, but it would probably consist of at least one half of barytes or some other adulterant, which is of no value whatever as a tinter. If this colour is half strength it is obvious that two pounds of it would be required to tint the white for the work in hand, and this would cost 2s. 6d., against 2s. for the better class colour. This homely example should be taken to heart by every painter. He has only to experiment to find out that it never pays to use inferior tinting colours. Of course there is another reason why the best quality should be used, and that is, the appearance of the inferior colours is always muddy and unsatisfactory.

Hue, Tint and Shade.

—There is a good deal of confusion among some painters as to the meaning of the word “hue,” “tint,” and “shade,” although there is no reason why any confusion should exist. The word “hue” is employed to mean practically the same thing as a “colour.” It may consist of any mixture of other colours, or may be a pure colour itself. Now when white is added to any hue or colour a tint of that colour is produced. If black is added a shade of that colour is produced. In the decoration of our rooms we shall see that as an actual fact we obtain shades of the colour by the omission of light, because the addition of black as a pigment to a colour acts in the same way as shutting off light. In mixing colours it is important to remember that black should not be used to lower the tone of a colour excepting in rare instances. It only has the effect of producing a muddy appearance. A yellow that is too bright can be reduced, or made less staring, a painter might say, by adding a little blue and red. If a blue is too bright a little red and yellow should be added; or if a red is too bright it may be toned down by the addition of a very little blue and yellow. This is a most useful rule to observe, and as long as the quantity of the colours added is not too great the results will please.

CHAPTER III.
Whites.

It may be observed that in the colour mixtures which follow in no case has any white other than white lead and zinc white been used. In actual practice many manufacturers add barytes or some other cheap white to both colours and paints in order to lessen the cost. It is not thought necessary, however, to add these materials in the recipes, it being understood that their use can be proceeded with if necessary. We give a few mixtures for whites which will probably be found useful. There are no particular names applied to the following mixtures.

One part of barytes to six parts of white lead ground in oil makes a good white for outside use.

A permanent white which is not affected by gases, sulphuretted hydrogen, etc., is made by mixing two parts of oxide of zinc with one part of barytes. A warm white is made by mixing a small quantity of oxide of ochre, say one part to one hundred of white lead. Sometimes a little ivory black, say one part to three hundred, is added to the white.

White lead being sometimes a little “off” in colour, that is a little yellow in its cast, some blue is added to counteract this imperfection. Most of the corroders, however, exclude all the lead which is of a yellow cast and sell it to glass manufacturers, for whose purpose it is just as good as pure white.

A very little ultramarine green added to white lead makes a white sometimes called Japan white.

Equal parts of white lead and oxide of zinc are frequently used as a white paint, although two parts of lead to one of zinc gives a better mixture.

Some painters are under the impression that inasmuch as lead and zinc are both derived from metals they will not mix together to form a good paint, there being something of the nature of a galvanic action set up between the two metals. This, however, is an error, for although lead and zinc cannot properly be mixed together by hand yet if they are ground by the ordinary paint manufacturers’ machinery the result is a most durable paint which will last many years; indeed, the writer has found this paint, with proper thinners, one of the best possible mixtures which can be used to resist the destructive action set up by alternate wet and dry days.

White lead is, of course, the staple white and the most important of all painters’ materials. Various new processes in white lead are in more or less successful operation. The old Dutch process, however, must be said to give the greatest satisfaction, generally speaking.

Commercial White.

—Seventeen parts of white lead, three parts of barytes. This is intended to be mixed in oil, not water.

Permanent White.

—The best quality barytes or blanc fixe makes a permanent white when ground in water. In oil it lacks body. For many purposes a white which will last a considerable length of time is made by mixing two parts of zinc white with one part of barytes.

Various Whites Compared.

—Space will not permit of the advantages and disadvantages of the various whites being treated here at length, but the reader can obtain reliable information on the subject from the books of Hurst, Pearce and others, as given elsewhere in this book. Briefly, white lead is valuable because it possesses better “body”—i.e., the property of covering or hiding the surface to which it is applied—than any other pigment. Its poisonous character is against it, as is also the fact that it is affected by certain gases. Zinc is an excellent pigment; it is whiter than white lead, but is somewhat deficient in body. Lithopone and Charlton white are both excellent substitutes for lead, and are non-poisonous.

CHAPTER IV.
Grays and Greys.

Although the dictionaries usually do not distinguish between the spelling of “grey” and “gray,” and although many decorators use the two words indiscriminately, there is a distinct difference which it is both convenient and advisable to recognise. A “grey” is an admixture of black and white, and may vary from the smallest quantity of black added to white to the other extreme, where there is almost as much black as white. Anything between the two would be termed a “grey.” Examples of this are found in the list which follows under the heads mentioned below: Dark lead, dark slate, lead, etc. When a colour is added to the black and white the admixture is called a “gray,” provided, of course, that the black and white predominate, for example, a French gray is made by tinting white with a little ivory or drop black and adding a little carmine or crimson lake or ultramarine. What may be produced in other ways is noted below. It will be seen that the addition of the lake in ultramarine gives it a peculiar warmth which distinguishes French gray, and changes the spelling from “grey” to “gray.” Gray drabs are those in which a grey is coloured up to produce a yellowish tinge. Black being usually a strong tinting colour, care must be taken that it is used in moderation, and here the importance of adding a small quantity at the time, as already observed, will impress itself on the operator. After the shade desired has been obtained the colour should be added until the desired warmth is arrived at.

Argent.

—A reddish gray tint, which can be produced by mixing together nine parts of black, sixteen of white, one of red and just a little orange.

Ash Gray.

—Lamp black and a little French ochre added to white lead give this colour. Another mixture is as follows: two parts of burnt sienna, three parts of light ultramarine blue, sixty parts of zinc white.

Black Slate.

—Mix together black and Prussian blue in the proportion of about thirteen parts of the former to one of the latter and add a little white.

Dark Gray.

—There is no exact point where this colour is produced by an admixture of black and white and a little orange or red. Mix eight parts of black, one of white and a touch of red to produce this shade.

Dark Lead.

—This is a dark grey, being produced simply by adding lamp black to white lead.

Dark Slate.

—This is simply mineral or other black added to white. The admixture under “Black Slate” would answer.

Deep Lead.

—Black, a little bright blue, and Indian red mixed with white lead produces this colour.

French Gray.

—This can be made by tinting white with a little ivory or drop black and adding a little carmine or crimson lake and ultramarine. This produces a very slight violet tinge. White tinted with a little ultramarine and Venetian red also gives a good French gray. Celestial blue or cobalt may be used instead of the ultramarine if desired.

Granite.

—French ochre and lamp black added to white lead produce this colour.

Graystone.

—Mix five parts of black with three of white and three of blue and add a little red.

Gray Drab.

—Mix five parts of black with four of white and a little deep chrome yellow.

Green Slate.

—Same as lead, but with more black and blue.

Iron Gray.

—Mix eight parts of black with two of white and a little orange.

Jasper.

—This may be described as “a pepper and salt shade.” Mix nine parts of black with two of white, with a touch of deep chrome.

Lead.

—This is simply a dark gray, and is made by adding lamp black to white lead with sufficient blue.

Light Grey.

—Mix together one part of ultramarine blue, one part of lamp black, ten parts of white lead. By adding more or less white lead a darker or a lighter shade may be obtained if required. Another shade is obtained by mixing seven parts of black, four and one-eighth parts of white, and eight parts of blue.

Mastic.

—This is a dark gray shade. To produce it mix twelve parts of black with one of white, rather less than one of yellow and just a touch of orange.

Moss Gray.

—Tint white lead with French ochre, a bright green and a little lamp black.

Mouse Colour.

—Eleven parts burnt umber, to which has been added one part of Prussian blue, mixed with about twenty times the bulk of white lead, will give this tint. Another shade may be had by mixing sixteen parts of white, three of black and one of blue. Some painters tint white with lamp black and add a very little Venetian red and burnt umber.

Neutral Tint.

—An artist’s colour is sold under this name.

Olive Gray.

—Three parts of lamp black, one part chrome green, with about forty times the quantity of white lead, will give this colour.

Opal Gray.

—One part of burnt sienna, two parts of cobalt blue, and thirty parts of zinc white.

Payne’s Gray.

—Is an artist’s colour, which may be described as a gray having a lilac tinge.

Pearl.

—This is the same as French grey, but is much lighter.

Pearl Gray.

—Forty parts white lead, five parts of vermilion and one part of deep chrome green. Some decorators tint white lead with lamp black and call that pearl gray. Strictly speaking, however, it should be called pearl grey, there being no colour present. Six parts of white lead, two parts of Venetian red, and one part of lamp black gives a somewhat dark pearl gray, but a lighter tint may easily be obtained by adding more lead. Ivory black answers equally as well as lamp black.

Quaker Drab.

—This greenish gray shade is produced by mixing two parts each of yellow and green and five parts of white.

Rustic Drab.

—Tint white lead with French ochre and lamp black.

Silver Gray.

—Tint white lead with French ochre and lamp black, or yellow may be employed instead of the ochre if preferred. White lead tinted with a little lamp black and indigo gives an excellent silver gray.

Slate.

—See “[Dark Slate].”

Smoke Gray.

—Tint white lead with French ochre and lamp black.

Steel Gray.

—Tint white lead with a mixture of lemon chrome and medium chrome and lamp black.

Stone Gray.

—Add black and chrome to white lead.

Verdant Grey.

—Two parts of oxide zinc and one part of terra verte.

Warm Gray.

—Tint white lead with French ochre and lamp black or sienna and lamp black.

CHAPTER V.
Reds.

The reds vary from something just removed from brown up to the bright crimson and madders. A red that is too bright may be lowered by an admixture of blue and yellow. Exceedingly bright and pleasing tints of red may be obtained by using vermilionettes, but as a rule these are not permanent. For inside use, however, they may be employed, especially when they are protected by a coat of varnish.

Acacia.

—This may be described as a dark maroon. It is made by mixing five parts of black, three of Indian red and one of Prussian blue. Less of the black will give a more pleasing shade.

Amaranthine.

—This is a crimson which can be made by mixing three parts of vermilionette with one of Prussian blue.

Anemone.

—This is a reddish purple, and may be made by mixing two parts of black, one of white, six of a bright red, and six of Prussian blue.

Apricot.

—Mix middle chrome yellow with a little vermilion and add a very little lake.

Armenian Red.

—Mix one part of yellow ochre with two parts of Venetian red.

Aurore.

—A dull pink shade, which can be produced as follows: Mix together one part of Indian red, two of orange chrome, a little lemon chrome, and two of blue, lightening up with white.

Bay.

—Mix together five parts of black, three of Venetian red, and a little orange chrome.

Begonia.

—A dark red purple, which may be obtained by mixing sixteen parts of lamp black, five of bright red, and four of blue.

Black Maroon.

—Take eight parts of black and mix them with one of a bright red and a little blue.

Blood Red.

—Any bright red toned down with a little black will produce a shade sometimes called by this name.

Bordeaux Red.

—Take nine parts of black and with it two parts of orange chrome and one of Prussian blue.

Brick.

—Use two parts of French ochre to one part of Venetian red and one part of white lead, adding more ochre if required to lighten the colour. This gives a good tint, sometimes called “brick red,” and is suitable for outside work.

Bright Scarlet.

—Mix twenty parts of vermilion, seven parts of pale chrome, and one part of golden ochre. A vermilionette slightly toned down with yellow answers the same purpose.

Bronze Red.

—This is a red toned down with about a fourth part of black, a little bright yellow or orange being added.

Cambridge Red.

—Vermilion, to which is added about one twentieth part of Prussian blue, gives a colour sometimes called “Cambridge red.”

Carmine.

—This is an artist’s colour. Its rich red tint can hardly be imitated. A light vermilionette of good grade, to which is added a little bright yellow, may be used.

Carmoisin.

—This is a speciality of Messrs. Mander Bros. It is a rich and beautiful colour of vermilionette character, and when used for finishing coats should be protected with varnish. It is not suitable for distemper.

Carminette.

—This is a colour manufactured under this name which is registered by Messrs. Mander Bros. It is a bright strong red, which is useful when protected with two coats of varnish. It is of no use, however, for tinting purposes.

Carnation Red.

—Three parts of carmine lake and one part of white lead give a carnation colour, but a better result is obtained by taking pure vermilion as a base and adding carmine and zinc white until the desired rich colour is obtained. This colour is not suitable for use outside.

Cherry Red.

—Mix together crimson lake, burnt sienna and azure blue, or two parts of vermilion and one part of carmine.

Claret.

—Mix two parts of carmine with one of ultramarine blue. A little vermilion may be added if desired, and this may render a little yellow necessary to tone down the colour. A less rich colour may be made by mixing Venetian red and yellow ochre.

Coral Pink.

—This colour is useful only on inside work. It is made by mixing five parts of vermilion, two parts of white lead and one part of chrome yellow. Another recipe for producing shades of coral pink is: one part of white, three of red, five of orange, and three of blue.

Dregs of Wine.

—This shade is produced by mixing Venetian red with a little lamp black and white lead.

Egyptian.

—A dull yellowish crimson made by using five parts of black, one and half of white, two of orange, and one of blue, and a very little red.