HAVE YOU AN EYE FOR COLOUR?

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19848, 17 January 1920, Page 6

HAVE YOU AN EYE FOR COLOUR?

In any scheme of decoration there "'ill ho no certainty of success unless the relative values of colour aro clearly understood. This is bo whether ono is planning a garden bed, painting and papering a room, or considering tho intricacies of personal apparel. In a general way a colour scheme is either arranged according to tho laws ol contrast or harmony. Now and again there may he a combination of the two ideas, hut tho modern tendency is to confine tho plan to tho single issue. & . Where it is desired to make a strong impression there is nothing so arresting as a colour scheme arranged according to contrast. Tho smart appearance of a black and white design is duo to tho ao *,t e H ec t is one of contrast, all colours have their contrasting shades, and by combining those with the originals an attractive result is assured, Whatever a colour may bo is not difuculfc to discover its contrast. frecuro a small circle, in paper or material, or the colour which it is desired to tost. Place this on a dead black ground and gazo fixedly at it for twenty seconds. Then direct‘the "banco to a white ground and. after admail intervals, the contrasting colour is clearly seen. Some common colours and their contrasts are red-green, blue—organo, mauve—yellow, and so, on. But. by following tho little plan indicated, the correct contrast for any shade, no discerned compllcatcd ’ ™ay he readily T1 here a more restful effect is desired the colours should bo arranged according to tho laws of harmony. Colours TJ aK \ ° ] l ar , ,noniso w hen the different shades blend almost insensibly into each other. I his is quite easily detected by anyone who has what is commonly fru' 11 eye for colour. Those tints which aro most closely associated m the spectrum harmonise perfectly. thus red is tho harmonising colour to orange, blue to violet, vollow to white, and so on. If tile rules of contrast and harmony were closely followed when arrauninii colour schemes there would bo uniformly bettor results.