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.
—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.
—Lamp black and a little French ochre added to white lead give this colour. Another mixture is as follows: twoparts of burnt sienna, three parts of light ultramarine blue, sixty parts of zinc white.
—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.
—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.
—This is a dark grey, being produced simply by adding lamp black to white lead.
—This is simply mineral or other black added to white. The admixture under “Black Slate” would answer.
—Black, a little bright blue, and Indian red mixed with white lead produces this colour.
—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.
—French ochre and lamp black added to white lead produce this colour.
—Mix five parts of black with three of white and three of blue and add a little red.
—Mix five parts of black with four of white and a little deep chrome yellow.
—Same as lead, but with more black and blue.
—Mix eight parts of black with two of white and a little orange.
—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.
—This is simply a dark gray, and is made by adding lamp black to white lead with sufficient blue.
—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 ifrequired. Another shade is obtained by mixing seven parts of black, four and one-eighth parts of white, and eight parts of blue.
—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.
—Tint white lead with French ochre, a bright green and a little lamp black.
—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.
—An artist’s colour is sold under this name.
—Three parts of lamp black, one part chrome green, with about forty times the quantity of white lead, will give this colour.
—One part of burnt sienna, two parts of cobalt blue, and thirty parts of zinc white.
—Is an artist’s colour, which may be described as a gray having a lilac tinge.
—This is the same as French grey, but is much lighter.
—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.
—This greenish gray shade is produced by mixing two parts each of yellow and green and five parts of white.
—Tint white lead with French ochre and lamp black.
—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.
—See “Dark Slate.”
—Tint white lead with French ochre and lamp black.
—Tint white lead with a mixture of lemon chrome and medium chrome and lamp black.
—Add black and chrome to white lead.
—Two parts of oxide zinc and one part of terra verte.
—Tint white lead with French ochre and lamp black or sienna and lamp black.
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.
—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.
—This is a crimson which can be made by mixing three parts of vermilionette with one of Prussian blue.
—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.
—Mix middle chrome yellow with a little vermilion and add a very little lake.
—Mix one part of yellow ochre with two parts of Venetian red.
—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.
—Mix together five parts of black, three of Venetian red, and a little orange chrome.
—A dark red purple, which may be obtained by mixing sixteen parts of lamp black, five of bright red, and four of blue.
—Take eight parts of black and mix them with one of a bright red and a little blue.
—Any bright red toned down with a little black will produce a shade sometimes called by this name.
—Take nine parts of black and with it two parts of orange chrome and one of Prussian blue.
—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.
—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.
—This is a red toned down with about a fourth part of black, a little bright yellow or orange being added.
—Vermilion, to which is added about one twentieth part of Prussian blue, gives a colour sometimes called “Cambridge red.”
—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.
—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.
—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.
—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.
—Mix together crimson lake, burnt sienna and azure blue, or two parts of vermilion and one part of carmine.
—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.
—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.
—This shade is produced by mixing Venetian red with a little lamp black and white lead.
—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.
—A dull orange red produced by mixing two parts of black, three of red, one of orange, and a little yellow.
—One hundred and twenty parts white lead, two parts yellow ochre, and one part Venetian red will produce an excellent flesh-colour. Or mix eight parts of white lead, two parts of orange chrome yellow, and one part of light Venetian red. An increased proportion of red may be employed where desired. A mixture of orange and white in the proportion of one part of the former to three parts of the latter may also be used, or a mixture of medium chrome yellow, ochre, and Venetian red added to white.
—Use equal parts of Indian red and vermilion, and glaze with carmine.
—To obtain this mix Venetian red, lamp black and Indian red, and add sufficient white lead to produce the desired shade.
—To produce this colour use nine parts of bright red and one of blue. Or Indian red may be used, afterwards glazing with madder lake for good work. Most of the larger colour manufacturers make geranium red, which is better than one can obtain by mixing.
—Tint white lead with a little Indian red.
—This is a good permanent pigment to be bought ready made, and is most useful in mixing with other colours.
—Tint white lead with a little pure vermilion.
—Tint white lead with raw Italian sienna, burnt Italian sienna, and burnt Turkey umber. Or tint white with any bright red, toning down with sienna.
—A great deal of difference of opinion exists as to this tint. One part of ultramarine to one part of bright carmine, added to eighty parts white lead, give a very good lilac. A cheaper way is to use Indian red and lamp black as a tinting colour, or rose pink may be added to the lead only. Yet another method for producing a lilac is to mix three parts of bright Indian red, three parts of white lead, and one part of ultramarine blue, but less white lead is preferred by some painters. A touch of yellow will help this colour if too raw for the purpose.
—This is principally used by artists, but it is useful to the house decorator for glazing the best work where a bright red is required.
—Carmine and vermilion, with a little ultramarine blue, produce this colour.
—This colour is obtained by mixing carmine and blue black, and adding a small quantity of medium chrome yellow. It may also be made by mixing one part of ultramarine blue with three parts of Tuscan red. This gives a tint that is often considered a little too red, but this defect may easily be remedied by adding more blue. Some painters add ivory black and a little chrome yellow to carmine.
—Mix one part of red lead with four parts of Venetian red.
—Three parts of blue and seven of red, mixed with a little white, give this purplish red shade.
—Mix together three parts of vermilion and one part of rose pink.
—This is a very dark purple obtained by adding a little blue and just a tinge of red to black.
—Tint white lead with French ochre, Indian red, and lamp black, or Venetian red and lamp black may be used if desired.
—Tint white lead with red lead.
—Tint white lead with a mixture of five parts of vermilion and one part of medium chrome green.
—Mix one part of red lead with two parts of Indian red.
—This colour may be obtained by adding two parts of orange lead to one part of white lead.
—Orange lead comes nearest to this colour. The tone may be made by adding chrome to vermilion.
—This is a mixture of white lead and Venetian red. Or it may be produced by adding sufficient Indian red to white lead to give a warm tint and mixing it with equal proportions of white lead, lemon chrome yellow, ultramarine blue and light Indian red. Or a mixture of three parts of Indian red with seventeen parts of white is sometimes used.
—White lead tinted with orange lead gives a bright pink.
—Mix with equal parts of white lead, Indian red and ultramarine blue in the proportion of two parts of lead to one of each of other colours. This makes a dark plum that is only suitable for inside work. If a light tint is desired add more white lead. A very rich plum may be obtained by mixing together ultramarine blue and carmine, and adding a little white and a little yellow.
—Small quantities of red and orange are mixed with black to produce this shade.
Blue and vermilion mixed in the proportion of one of the former to twenty-four of the latter give this shade.
—Light Indian red, four parts; white lead, three parts; ultramarine blue, two parts; or a purple may be obtained by mixing Indian red and white. A mixture preferred by some painters is made by mixing ultramarine and vermilion with a little white. A little crimson lake gives richness to the colour.
—This earth colour is cheap, and can be readily bought in most places. It can be imitated by mixing India red and chrome and adding a little vermilion.
—Use equal proportions of burnt sienna and white lead. The tone may be varied by the addition of either of the umbers and the chromes. A good bright terra-cotta is also made by using Venetian red as a base and colouring up with ochre and a touch of lake.
—Mix together four parts of white lead, two parts of cobalt blue and one part of carmine lake.
—Mix black with half its quantity of red and add a very small proportion of blue and white.
—Five parts of white lead mixed with two parts of carmine give a rose colour that is suitable for inside work only. An admirable rose colour may be obtained by using zinc white instead of white lead, as the zinc is a much purer white than the lead, and hence gives a purer tint.
—Mix together one part of rose madder and eight parts of oxide of zinc. This is a beautiful colour, but the madder is too expensive for use except by artists.
—To produce this colour, red is mixed with about twelve times the quantity of black and a very little green. The shade given is a very dark red.
—Mix together two parts of zinc white and carmine lake. This will only do for inside work.
—Mix one part of vegetable black, one and half of rich red, and seven of Prussian blue. Some manufacturers make this colour ready for use.
—Six parts of white lead, one part of vermilion, and a little lemon chrome yellow. This mixture produces a colour somewhat bright. Another salmon colour is made by a mixture of raw sienna, burnt sienna, and burnt umber. A tint preferred by some is produced by adding to the white, Venetian red, burnt umber and French ochre. Another method is to add vermilion and golden ochre to white, which gives a nice bright colour. Venetian red and chrome, added to white, gives a duller colour. Still another mixture is Venetian red, vermilion, yellow ochre and white.
—This colour can be purchased ready made. A colour very similar may be obtained in one of the many vermilionettes on the market. It will be convenient to remember that all vermilions are lightened by the use of pale chrome instead of white lead. Lead takes down the brilliancy of the colour, producing a pink.
—This is bought ready made. It is the name given to the brightest of the oxide paints.
—This colour is sometimes made by adding a little good Indian red to white, but some decorators prefer to use vermilion with a little chrome yellow and burnt sienna.
—Mix Venetian red, burnt sienna and white lead, and add a little vermilion.
—This is a speciality of Messrs.Mander Bros., a deeper shade being termed Carmoisin madder lake. Both are perfectly fast to light, even when used for tinting purposes, and are admirably adapted for the use of the decorator.
—This is usually made by mixing orange lead, vermilionette and Paris white, or orange lead by itself may be tinted with vermilionette. “Signal Red” is a well known speciality.
—Mix together two parts of white lead and one part of burnt sienna. See also under “Red Terra-Cotta.”
—Mix equal proportions of Indian red, vermilionette and rose pink.
—This can be bought ready made, and may be imitated by mixing ten parts of Indian red with one part English rose pink. Indian red is very similar in colour but somewhat darker.
—Tint white lead with a little Venetian red.
—This colour is one of the most useful that the house painter has, being cheap, and having good covering power and body. It is not very good for tinting purposes. It would not, of course, be often imitated, but Indian red—a very similar pigment—could be tinted with red. Or it may be imitated by mixing vermilion, yellow ochre, madder carmine, and a little Cappagh brown, which is an artist’s colour and is rarely used by house painters.
—This bright red cannot be imitated by an admixture of ordinary pigments, but there are many excellent substitutes on the market, most of them being vermilionettes.
—Add a little ivory black to a mixture of carmine and vermilion.
But few general remarks are necessary concerning the mixture of blues. Indigo is used far less, of course, than Prussian blue, which is the most useful blue employed by the house painter. When burnt sienna and white are added the brilliance is toned down.
—This colour should always be bought ready made. If necessary to imitate it, mix one part of bright green with two parts of ultramarine; add a very little zinc or other white, but not lead. Brunswick blue is frequently used in the place of Antwerp blue.
—One part of ultramarine blue and forty parts of zinc white. Another shade may be obtained by mixing forty-four parts of white, twenty-nine of green, and twenty-seven of blue. Or celestial blue and a little red on a base of white will give an azure shade.
—This is only another name for Prussian blue.
—One part Prussian blue, three parts of emerald green, seven parts of white lead.
—This is a colour to be bought only ready made. It is not now much used, and is not suitable for an oil colour.
—A dark blue colour, which may be made by mixing three parts of black with one of Prussian blue.
—This is bought ready made, and can be imitated by adding white lead to Prussian blue in sufficient quantity to obtain the desired tint.
—This is an artist’s colour of a light and somewhat greenish blue tone. An imitation may be made from ultramarine and white, with a little yellow, although the colour is a difficult one to imitate successfully.
—About equal parts of Prussian blue, chrome green and white lead will give this colour, but there should be most white, and the tint should be more blue than green.
—Another name forPrussian blue, which see.
—This colour is one of the best artists’ colours, and cannot be successfully imitated. It is a beautiful and most useful colour, but unfortunately it is expensive, and it is, therefore, only used in the finest work.
—Obviously this is no very definite colour. Manufacturers often use one part of white, two of chrome green, and seven of Prussian blue. But ultramarine, or indeed any blue, may be used, and this may be first lightened with white and black added as may be desired.
—Equal parts of burnt sienna and Prussian blue, lightened up with about twenty parts of white lead.
—Mix four parts of white, one of green, and four of ultramarine blue. The name is also applied to the best quality of artificial ultramarine.
—Mix together four parts of ivory black, two of white, one of chrome green, and three of Prussian blue.
—To produce this shade mix two parts of black with six of white and one of ultramarine blue.
—This colour is obtained by using two parts of zinc white, three of bright red, and four of ultramarine blue.
—This is made simply by mixing ultramarine with white. Barytes and zinc mixed are frequently used for the white, as lead cannot be employed in the presence of ultramarine.
—This dark blue is, of course, a natural vegetable pigment. An imitation may be produced by using nine parts of black and four of Prussian blue, but this will not look like the real thing. Indigo should not be mixed with lead or lead chromates.
—Three parts of ultramarine blue and one part of carmine, added to zinc as a base, give a very good lavender tint for inside work. Ivory black mixed with a little carmine and ultramarine and added to white lead may be employed for outside work.
—This is simply an ultramarine blue tint producedby the addition of zinc. Or the colour may be obtained by tinting white lead with Prussian blue.
—This is a colour much used formerly for mixing distemper, but artificial ultramarine has to a great extent supplanted it. It must not be used in oil. What is now usually sold for lime blue is a variety of ultramarine.
—A very dark blue, which is obtained by mixing one part of ultramarine blue with nine of ivory black.
—This is a very dark blue shade, which is got by mixing black and blue in the proportion of seven parts of the former to one of the latter with a very little green.
—Four parts of cobalt blue, twelve parts of oxide of zinc, and one part of carmine lake give an excellent mauve, or the colour may be obtained by mixing yellow ochre, blue black, and Venetian red with a little white lead. Another shade is obtained with blue, red and white mixed in the following proportions: blue, three parts; white, two parts; red, one part. Or white may be tinted with ivory black, carmine and ultramarine.
—Mix green with twelve times its quantity of blue and a touch of red.
—One part of ivory black, two parts of rose madder, three parts of cobalt blue, and four parts of white lead. This colour is only intended for artists’ use.
—Ivory or drop black mixed with one-fourth the quantity of blue will give this shade.
—A series of neutral blues may be made by tinting white lead with Prussian blue and adding burnt umber, the quantity of blue and umber being varied according to the tint required.
—Mix a little white with Prussian blue and chrome green, using rather less of the latter than the former. The result is a pale greenish blue.
—To get this greenish blue shade mix green and blue in about equal proportions with white.
—One part of lemon chrome yellow, two parts of Prussian blue and twenty parts of white lead.
—This colour is one upon which opinion variesconsiderably. A splendid colour is made by taking cobalt as a base and adding a little white and a little Chinese blue.
—Some manufacturers produce this beautifully rich colour. It is very like cobalt, but slightly darker.
—This is made by tinting white with ultramarine and adding a little vermilion and Italian ochre.
—To get this shade mix one part of zinc white and chrome green with four parts of ultramarine blue and a touch of black.
—This colour is certainly the most important blue the house painter has. It cannot be imitated. It works well in both water and oil, and is transparent.
—Add a little black to Prussian blue, and lighten up with white.
—Use white for base, tint with ultramarine until a fairly strong blue is obtained, and then tinge with a little lemon chrome green.
—This is made by adding a little white to Prussian blue with a touch of crimson lake. Some manufacturers make a very rich blue, which they sell under the name of Royal blue.
—One part of Chinese blue mixed with double the quantity of oxide of zinc. This should not be used for outside work.
—Two parts of Prussian blue, three parts of raw sienna, thirty parts white.
—One part of Prussian blue added to one hundred and twenty parts of white lead give a sky blue, but some prefer cobalt, and this is for many purposes doubtless the best. Still another method of obtaining sky blue is to tint white lead with a little lime blue, adding a very little middle chrome, but the latter is more suitable for a distemper colour than it is an oil paint, as lime blue is not very lasting in oil.
—Zinc white tinted with lime blue gives this colour for distemper.
—One part of raw umber, twice the quantity of Prussian blue, on a base of white lead will give this colour.
—Mix together four parts of ultramarineblue and one part of crimson lake. This is suitable only for artists’ use.
—Two parts of cobalt blue, one part of emerald green, twelve parts of white lead.
—This is one of the chief blues used by the painters, and must be bought ready made. It cannot be imitated, but it can be bought in many different qualities. It must not be mixed with chromes or white lead, as it contains sulphur, and there would on that account be a likelihood of discolouration. Natural ultramarine is very expensive.