BLUES.
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.
ANTWERP BLUE.--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.
AZURE 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.
BERLIN BLUE.--This is only another name for Prussian blue.
BLUE GRASS TINT.--One part Prussian blue, three parts of emerald green,
seven parts of white lead.
BREMEN BLUE.--This is a colour to be bought only ready made. It is not
now much used, and is not suitable for an oil colour.
BRONZE BLUE.--A dark blue colour, which may be made by mixing three
parts of black with one of Prussian blue.
BRUNSWICK 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.
COERULEUM.--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.
CELESTIAL BLUE.--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.
CHINESE BLUE.--Another name for Prussian blue, which see.
COBALT.--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.
DARK BLUE.--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.
FOG BLUE.--Equal parts of burnt sienna and Prussian blue, lightened up
with about twenty parts of white lead.
FRENCH BLUE.--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.
GOBELIN BLUE.--Mix together four parts of ivory black, two of white, one
of chrome green, and three of Prussian blue.
GRANITE (BLUE.)--To produce this shade mix two parts of black with six
of white and one of ultramarine blue.
HELIOTROPE.--This colour is obtained by using two parts of zinc white,
three of bright red, and four of ultramarine blue.
IMPLEMENT 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.
INDIGO.--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.
LAVENDER.--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.
LIGHT BLUE.--This is simply an ultramarine blue tint produced by the
addition of zinc. Or the colour may be obtained by tinting white lead
with Prussian blue.
LIME 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.
MARINE BLUE.--A very dark blue, which is obtained by mixing one part of
ultramarine blue with nine of ivory black.
MASCOT.--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.
MAUVE.--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.
METHYL BLUE.--Mix green with twelve times its quantity of blue and a
touch of red.
MOUNTAIN BLUE.--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.
NAVY BLUE.--Ivory or drop black mixed with one-fourth the quantity of
blue will give this shade.
NEUTRAL BLUE.--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.
NILE BLUE.--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.
NORMANDY BLUE.--To get this greenish blue shade mix green and blue in
about equal proportions with white.
ORIENTAL BLUE.--One part of lemon chrome yellow, two parts of Prussian
blue and twenty parts of white lead.
PEACOCK BLUE.--This colour is one upon which opinion varies
considerably. A splendid colour is made by taking cobalt as a base and
adding a little white and a little Chinese blue.
PERFECT BLUE.--Some manufacturers produce this beautifully rich colour.
It is very like cobalt, but slightly darker.
POMPEIAN BLUE.--This is made by tinting white with ultramarine and
adding a little vermilion and Italian ochre.
PORCELAIN BLUE.--To get this shade mix one part of zinc white and chrome
green with four parts of ultramarine blue and a touch of black.
PRUSSIAN BLUE.--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.
QUAKER BLUE.--Add a little black to Prussian blue, and lighten up with
white.
ROBIN’S EGG BLUE.--Use white for base, tint with ultramarine until a
fairly strong blue is obtained, and then tinge with a little lemon
chrome green.
ROYAL BLUE.--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.
SAPPHIRE BLUE.--One part of Chinese blue mixed with double the quantity
of oxide of zinc. This should not be used for outside work.
SEA BLUE.--Two parts of Prussian blue, three parts of raw sienna, thirty
parts white.
SKY BLUE.--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.
STEEL BLUE.--Zinc white tinted with lime blue gives this colour for
distemper.
STONE BLUE.--One part of raw umber, twice the quantity of Prussian blue,
on a base of white lead will give this colour.
TRANSPARENT VIOLET.--Mix together four parts of ultramarine blue and
one part of crimson lake. This is suitable only for artists’ use.
TURQUOISE BLUE.--Two parts of cobalt blue, one part of emerald green,
twelve parts of white lead.
ULTRAMARINE (ARTIFICIAL).--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.
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