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55

Thick Colours.

Those who write on the Art recommend Artists to use their colours [[underline]] thick [[underline]], because the less oil is used the less will the colours change or darken. This is true; but paintings thus executed will be heavy & coarse; & therefore these same critics & advisers, in [[strikethrough]] our [[/strikethrough]] contradiction to their own recommendation advise artists to employ a flowing mellow brush - which can only be found [[strikethrough]] in [[/strikethrough]]with the free use of oil, some suitable Megelp, or [[strikethrough]] of [[/strikethrough]] drying oil diluted with spirits of Turpentine. The Colourman should furnish the pigments thick, that the artist may thin them at his pleasure - observing at the same time that no colour can be ground fine, without a sufficient quantity of oil.
 
Colour only relative.
 
Although a Blue or Black Coat appears equally blue or black whether seen in the shade or the sunshine; yet, being entirely in the shade, and a ray of sunshine falling on it through a small hole in [[strikethrough]] the [[/strikethrough]] a fence, the spot, so lighted, appears & [[underline]] White [[underline]] as chalk - on moving entirely into the sunshine no part of it appears White.

Colour and Light.
 
"Strong colours & light seem incompatible; for although in Nature light renders colours more bright, yet it detatches the light parts of figures, even tho' dressed in blue or black from the most delicate background"
"Corregio's lights are much [[underline]] impasted [[underline]] with white, over which he laid colours of the most delicate nature, or semi-transparent washes, which permit the ground to shine through, giving a luminous effect; while his shadows are filled with a juicy Vehicle, in which transparent particles of rich colour are floating."  
[[underline]] Reynolds [[underline]] says "for the sake of harmony, the Colours, however distinguished in their light, should be nearly the same (colour) in their shadows." [[underline]] Burnet [[underline]] ,on the contrary remarks that "Nothing gives a more natural look than [[underline]] preserving [[underline]] the local Colours of the objects in the shadows, provided they are not too light to disturb the breadth." Thus do Doctors disagree. I have seen Pictures by [[underline]] Andrea del Sarto [[underline]], out-door scenes, with much of this effect - Indoor scenes certainly should not be so represented, the colours in the shadows being lost in the darkness, when not lighted by some reflections. These should always be judiciously introduced.