| Experience has taught us that certain | | | | But there are no arbitrary rules to be |
| combinations of colors, whether in nature or | | | | followed with regard to area and color |
| art, affect the eye and mind agreeably, while | | | | harmony. |
| others give offense. We call the former | | | | |
| "harmonies," the latter "discords." | | | | Nor are there definite laws governing the use |
| | | | of such phenomena when alternating bands of |
| Just as numerous attempts have been made to | | | | complementary colors were viewed from a |
| discover the laws of light and of color | | | | certain distance. Yet effects such as this |
| vision, and to invent practical systems of | | | | are capable of making some schemes |
| color measurement and notation, great effort | | | | disagreeable and others pleasing or telling. |
| has been expended in trying to ferret out the | | | | |
| reasons why some combinations of color are | | | | Texture, although not a quality of color, is |
| pleasing and others are not, and to devise | | | | another influence that can seldom be ignored. |
| laws to insure harmonious color employment. | | | | In architecture and decoration, for example, |
| We have finally learned, however, that even | | | | materials harmonious in color often show |
| if it were possible to grasp all such | | | | textural inconsistency or discord. A mere |
| reasons, workable laws guaranteeing immunity | | | | coating of varnish, changing dull woodwork to |
| against chromatic discord still could not be | | | | shiny, can be enough to upset a scheme |
| devised. | | | | completely. Even in painting pictures, |
| | | | textural harmony is almost as important as |
| In view of the contrary claims of some | | | | color harmony the two are closely wedded |
| writers, we offer the following arguments to | | | | yet there are no clear cut laws. |
| substantiate our statement. | | | | |
| | | | Color fitness or suitability must also be |
| First, as we have demonstrated, colors change | | | | considered, as must that ever present matter |
| in effect according to their environment, | | | | of personal taste. After all, who is to say |
| each hue being modified by those adjacent to | | | | which colors harmonize and which do not? We |
| it. Color harmony is not merely a matter of | | | | have all seen that changing fashions can have |
| selection, therefore, but also of arrangement | | | | a considerable effect on the average person`s |
| a fact not nearly as commonly recognized as | | | | ideas of what colors are or are not |
| it should be. A color scheme extremely | | | | attractive and suitable for particular |
| pleasing to the average person can become, in | | | | purposes, especially in relation to women`s |
| rearrangement, positively disturbing. | | | | clothing and interior decoration. There are |
| Arrangement obviously cannot be controlled | | | | also, as we are all aware, attitudes toward |
| wholly by rule at least in representational | | | | particular colors and color combinations that |
| paintings. | | | | stem from temperament, national traditions, |
| | | | climate, environment and other unpredictable |
| Area, like arrangement, influences color | | | | factors. |
| appearances, as we have seen. Harmonious | | | | |
| schemes can often be made discordant, or at | | | | This should be enough to warn the student |
| least uninteresting, simply by increasing or | | | | against the exaggerated statements of writers |
| decreasing certain color areas. Of course, | | | | who claim or imply that their methods or |
| the reverse is also true. It is easy to see | | | | systems of obtaining color harmony are |
| that a small spot of vivid red, which | | | | infallible or universally applicable. Printed |
| delightfully reinforces, through contrast, a | | | | laws and clever devices designed to reveal |
| large area of bright green, might, if | | | | color schemes can certainly be of help, but |
| sufficiently expanded, rival the green, | | | | only in a very limited way. |
| causing a disturbing division of interest. | | | | |