SUGGESTIONS FOR EXERCISES IN THE USE OF COLOUR
THE method suggested in the section on Harmony is probably the safest to begin with Pairs of tints, closely related and in their natural order, should be chosen, and arrangements of designs should be made from each pair so chosen. Orange and red, purple and violet yellow and yellow-green will serve as examples A red figure may be arranged against an orang background, a purple pattern may be worked upon a violet ground, or yellow, sunlit foliag may be painted against a green hillside.
The same exercises should be worked using the colours in different strengths—pale, medium, and rich.
Two strengths of each colour may next be tried in the same arrangement. For example, the red figure may have trimmings of orange (both being rich and vivid), the background of a lighter tint of orange may have some kind of pattern, or some other variation, in a correspondingly lighter red. In the same way the design in purple and violet may contain certain figures, or an underpattern, in a lighter purple and violet.
This is a most useful exercise, because of the variations of which it is capable, and because it suggests so many possibilities. It is by far the best way to work all the early exercises in pure colour—if possible let it be taken directly from the colour-box, so that the student may be able, freely and fearlessly, to use bright, fresh, and strong colour, for, unless he does so, he will never be able to face the greater colour problems which he will be called upon to deal with later on. Broken tints are very attractive, because a certain harmonious effect is comparatively easy to obtain by their use, but such effects may often be obtained by chance and the student is none the wiser. Pure, strong colour is generally enjoyed by young students, and, if they are regularly exercised in using it, they should attain to at least some degree of certainty in arranging strong, simple schemes, while, if they have a natural taste for colour, this early exercise may easily lead to a wonderful mastery of the mo^t difficult problems.
After a set of exercises in very closely allic:d tints it will be well to work some experiments with pairs of tints which are separated by a short interval in the colour-circle, such as orange and crimson, or red and purple. Tl}e increased diflference between the colours used will produce more variety in the arrangement made from them ; quick steps will take tl^e place of slow transitions. The longer tl^e interval between the selected colours the moiie energetic will be the effect upon the eye, bit if the interval be made very long, and yet net long enough to produce a true contrast, the effect will be that of a jarring note.
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