WHITE (n.)
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Quotation
Whether all colours be compounded of white and black or no.
Theophrastus hath long since laboured to proove blacke to be no colour at all, his reason is, because that colour is proper to none of the elements, for faith he, water, ayre and earth are white, and the fire is yellow, but rather would fetch it from white and yellow, whereto Scaliger leaving Aristotle, perhaps for singularitie sake, seemeth to give consent, who sets downe four primary or first colours, viz.
White in the dry body as the earth.
Greene in thicke and moyst as the water.
Blew in the thin and moyst as the ayre.
Yellow in the hot as the fire.
Yet not without reason, for Aristotle affirmed that blacke was the privation of white, as darknesse of light, to that whom Scaliger replyes nothing can be made of privation and habit, but we will leave their argument.
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Quotation
Of White.
This word white in English commenth from the low Dutch word wit, in high Dutch Weif, which is derived from Wasser, that is, water which by nature is white, yea thickned or condensate, […] : in Italian it is called Bianco, in French Blanc, if we may beleeve Scaliger, from the Greeke βλάξ, which as hee takes it, signifies faint or weake : wherein happily he agreeth with Theophrastus who affirmeth omnia candida esse imbecilliora, that all white things are faint and weake, hence I beleeve it is called in Latine Candidus, from the Greeke χαίνω because whitenesse confoundeth or dazeleth the sight as wee finde when we ride forth in a snow in Winter. Il is called also albus of that old Greeke word λφος the same, […] : the principal whites in painting and limning are these. viz.
Ceruse.
White Lead.
Spanish White.
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Quotation
A bright Murrey.
In Latine Murrhinus color, Græc. μυῤῥινον, is a wonderfull beautifull colour, composed of purple and white, resembling the colour of a precious stone of that name, which besides the faire colour yeeldeth a marvellous odoriferous and sweet smell ; it is found in the Easterne parts of the world, the best among the Parthians, being all over spotted with Rosie coloured, and milke white spots yeelding a glosse like changeable silke of this colour : […].
Some have mistaken and thought that colour which wee call Murinus colour to bee this murrey which is properly the colour of a mouse or as some will have it an asse colour. […].
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Quotation
Of Colouring
{Colouring. what ?} Corruption composition or mixing of Colours, we call Painting ; which is, to express shadows in Colours ; thereby, to resemble, what we do desire to imitate, by a moderate confusion, or tempering, discordant Colours ; as white, black, red, blew, green, &c.
[…].
{With Light and shadows.} Observe herein Light and Shadows, Obscurity and Brightnesse.
Contrary things are more apparant, being placed neer their Contraries ; Light and Shadows forward, set out any Painting outwards ; as if you might take hold of any part.
Obscurity or Darknesse, is the duskishness of a deeper shadow ; as brightness is the Intension of Light.
White appears sooner, or neerer to the Eye ; and the black seems farther off, any thing that should seem hollow (as in a Well, or Cave,) must be coloured blackish ; more deep, more black.
On the contrary, to lighten or rise forward, with white.
{Tonus, what?} Tonus or brightnesse ; as it is of necessary use, so of excellent ornament in a Picture, it is which is above light ; {A Brightness.} sparkling as in the glory of Angels, twinckling of precious stones ; […] : the variety of these Ornaments, must be expressed excellently ; but avoid satiety, not cloy your Picture with it.
{Harmogia what ?} Harmoge in Colours, is an unperceivable way of Arts ; stealing to pass from one Colour to another, as in the sea and skie meeting in one thin mistly Horizontall stroake, both are lost and confounded in sight ; […].
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Quotation
Of Limning in Water-Colours
The True Order and Names of Colours, the means to prepare them for the Pensill and to clense them from their corrupt mixtures, wherewith they are Sophisticate.
We name them Seaven (though in truth the first and last White and Black are no Colours ; but Elements.)
Whites,
Ceruse ;
White-Lead. [...] Of Whites.
First in order, the most excellent pure Virgin Colours, are Ceruse and White leade : the latter is the better for use, and less subject to mixtures ; yet both have these Inconveniences, and thus to be prevented.
{Ceruse.} Ceruse, after it is wrought will starve, lavish, and dye; and being laid on with a Pensill, a fair white wil, in a few months, become Russet, Reddish, or Yellowish.
{White-Lead.} White-lead, If you grind it fine (as all our Colours must be) it will glister and shine, both in the Shell, and after it is wrought; and if not ground, it will not work, nor be serviceable.
[…].
{Note.} Be carefull of your white, being the ground and foundation of all your other Colours, and if faulty, all the work is marred.
[…].
{How to grind it} Being thus prepared, grind it […].
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Quotation
Of Colours there be seven Species, to wit, White, Red, Yellow, Green, Blew, Brown, and Black. White and Black are the extremities, and the parents of all other Colours ; for Red is an equal mixture of White and Black, and so is Green : Yellow is two parts of White, and one of Red, &c.
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Quotation
An Exposition of Colours.
Abram colour, i.e. brown
Auburne or Abborne, i.e. brown or brown-black.
Cole black.
Sable black.
Velvet black.
Pitchy black.
Blanket colour, i. e. a light watchet.
Venice blew, i. e. a light blew.
Lincolne blew.
Coventry blew.
A Prince blew.
Crimson, i. e. Scarlet.
Cumatical colour, i. e. blew.
Flesh colour, a certain mixture of red white.
Gangran colour, i. e. divers colours together, as in a Mallards, or Pigeons neck.
Sabell colour, i. e. flame colour.
Incardine, or flesh colour.
Peacocke colour, i. e. changeable blew, or red blew.
Patise, or a kinde of red or Arsenick colour.
Plumbet colour, i. e. like little Speks of gray clouds in a fair day.
Puke colour, i. e. between russet and black.
Purpurine, or Purple colour ; of which read Matth. 27.2. A colour much used heretofore, by the Tyrians ; but now it is not to be had.
Ried colour, or Diversified.
Scarlet, i. e. crimson, or stammel.
Shammy colour, a smoakie, or rain colour, which is a kind of yellow ; as you may see upon whited walls or in a Chymny.
Stammel, i. e. Scarlet, as before.
Lyon Tawny.
Turkie colour, i. e. Venice blew, or as others will have it, red.
Milke white.
Paper white.
Snow white.
Bastard yellow.
Bright yellow.
Dark yellow.
Of the Names of Colours, read more in Aul. Gel. Noct. Attic.
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Quotation
CHAP. XVII. Of the seven Colours in General.
I. The chief WHITES are these, Spodium, Ceruse, White-lead, Spanish-white, Eg-shels burnt. [...].
Les différents blancs mentionnés dans cette partie sont ceux que l'on doit utiliser dans le cas de la peinture à l'eau (limning).
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Quotation
CHAP. II. Of the Colours in General.
I. The chief Whites for painting in oyl are, White lead, Ceruse, and Spodium.
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Quotation
Now the Painter expresseth two things with his colour : First the colour of the thing, whether it be artificial or natural, which he doth with the like colour, as the colour of a blew garment with artificial blew, or the green colour of a Tree with the like green : Secondly he expresseth the light of the Sun, or any other bright Body apt to lighten or manifest the colours, and because colour cannot be seen without light, being nothing else (as the Philosophers teach) but the extream Superficies of a dark untransparent Body lightned, I hold it expedient for him that will prove exquisite in the use thereof, to be most diligent in searching out the effects of light, when it enlightneth colour, which who so doth seriously consider, shall express all those effects with an admirable Grace ; […].
Now when the Painter would imitate this blew thus lightned, he shall take his artificial blew colour, counterfeiting therewith the blew of the garment, but when he would express the light, wherewith the blew seems clearer, he must mix so much white with his blew, as he findeth light in that part of the garment, where the light striketh with greater force, considering afterwards the other part of the garment, where there is not so much light, and shall mingle less white with his blew proportionably, and so shall he proceed with the like discretion in all the other parts : and where the light falleth not so vehemently, but only by reflexion there he shall mix so much shadow with his blew, as shall seem sufficient to represent that light, loosing it self as it were by degrees, provided alwayes, that where the light is less darkned, there he place his shadow,
In which judicious expressing of the effects of light together with the colours, Raphael Urbine, Leonard Vincent, Antonius de Coreggio and Titian were most admirable, handling them with so great discretion and judgement, that their Pictures seemed rather natural, then artificial ; the reason whereof the vulgar Eye cannot conceive, notwithstanding these excellent Masters expressed their chiefest art therein, considering with themselves that the light falling upon the flesh caused these and such like effects, in which kind Titan excelled the rest, who as well to shew his great Skill therein, as to merit commendation, used to cozen and deceive Mens Eyes, […].
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Quotation
The Colours to be used in Limning are termed thus,
Whites (Flake white / Serus)
Red (Carmine, / Indian Lake, / Red Lead, / Indian Red, / Burnt Ocur, &c.)
Yellow (Masticot, / Yellow ocur, / Eng. ocur, / Pinck.)
Greens (Sap Green, / Pinck and Bice, / Green Bice, / Terra Vert.)
Blews (Ultra Marine, / Dutch Bice, / Smalt, / Indigo.)
Browns (Gall Stone, / Mumme, / Cullins Earth, / Umber, / Rust.)
Blacks (Ivory black, / Sea-cole, / Lamp black, / Cherry Stone.)
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Quotation
To make white.
{Serus.} Take two parts of ordinary chalk, and one part of Allum, grind those together, fine, make them up in a lump, burn them in a Cruciple and use them.
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Quotation
To prepare White Excellently.
{White.} Take some Serus which being grosly bruised and put into a fine earthen Bason, […].
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Quotation
The NAMES of the COLOURS Most useful and onely necessary for MINITURE.
(Flake White)
Reds (Carmine / Indian Lake / Cynnabar Lake / Florence Lake / Cynnabar / Red Lead / Yellow Oker burnt)
Blews (Ultra Marine / Dutch Bice / Smalt / Indigo)
Yellows (Light Masticote / Deep Masticote /Yellow Oker / Roman Oker / Gall-stone / Light Pink / Dark Pink)
Greens (Green Pink / Green Bice / TerraVerte)
Browns (Collens Earth / Burnt Umber / Umber / Rust of Iron)
Blacks (Burnt Ivory / Sea Cole / Cherry-stone burnt / Verditer burnt)
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Quotation
SECT III. Of Colours.
There are simply six, viz. White, Black, Red, Green, Yellow, and Blew ; to which we may add Browns, but they are compounded. […].
Chap. II, Of Colours used in Limning : their names, and how to order them.
SECT. I. Of the Names of Colours, and how every Colour is to be prepared ; whether Ground, Wash’d, or Steep’d.
BLACKS. / Cherry-stones burnt. / Ivory burnt. / Lamp black.
WHITES. / Ceruse. / White-Lead.
REDS. / Red-Lead. / Lake.
GREENS. / Bise. / Pink. / Sapgreen. / Cedar-green.
BLEWS. / Indico. / Ultramarine. / Bise. / Smalt.
YELLOWS. / English Oker. / Masticote.
BROWNS. / Umber. / Spanish Brown. / Colen’s Earth.
These are the principal Colours used in Limning ; I have omitted many others but they are such that are not fitting for this Work, which I shall speak of when I come to teach how to wash Maps and printed Pictures, for which use those Colours I have omitted are only useful.
Of the Colours here mentioned, useful in Limning, they are to be used three several ways, viz. either Washed, Grownd, or Steeped.
The Colours to be only Washed are these :
Bise. / Smalt.
Cedar. / Ultramarine.
Red-Lead. / Masticote.
To be Steeped, only Sap-green.
The Colours to be Washed and Grownd, are these :
Ceruse. / White-Lead. / Lake. / English Oker.
Pink. / Indico. / Umber. / Colens Earth.
Spanish Brown. / Ivory, / and Cherry-stone. ) black.
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Quotation
Chap. I. Of the Names of your Colours, and how to Grind and order them.
The Names of the Colours in Oyl.
BLACKS / Lamp-black. / Seacoal-black. / Ivory-black. / Charcoal-black. / Earth of Colen.
WHITES / White-Lead.
GREENS. / Verdigrease. / Terra vert. / Verditer.
BLEWS. / Bise. / Indico. / Smalt. / Ultamarine.
REDS. / Vermilion. / Red-Lead. / Lake. / India-Red. / Ornotto.
YELLOWS. / Pink. / Masticote. / English Oker. / Orpiment. / Spruse Oker.
Spanish Brown, Burnt Spruse, Umber.
These are the chief Colours that are used in Painting in Oyl, the most part of which are to be grownd very fine upon your Stone with a Muller, with Linseed-Oyl : some must be Burnt before they be Grownd ; others must be only temper’d upon the Pallat, and not grownd at all.
The Colours to be burnt are these :
Ivory, Spruse, Oker, and Umber.
The Colours that are not to be Grownd at all, but only tempered with Oyl upon your Pallat, are these :
Lamp-black, Verditer, Vermilion, Bise, Smalt, Masticote, Orpiment, Ultamarine.
All the rest are to be Grownd upon your Stone with Linseed-Oyl ; only White-Lead, when you are to use that for Linnen, you must grind it with Oyl of Walnuts, for Linseed-Oyl will make it turn yellow.
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Quotation
What Colours sets off best together.
1. Whites are very useful in all Colours, and sets off Black and Blew very well ; but Blacks are not much used, but upon necessary occasions in some things, as you judgement shall direct you.
2. Reds sets off well with Yellows.
3. Yellows sets off well with Reds, sad Blews Greens, Browns, Purples.
4. Blews sets off well with Reds, Yellows, Whites, Browns, and Blacks ; but Blews set not off well with Greens and Purples.
5. But Greens sets off well with Purples and Reds.
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Quotation
After you have attain’d to a Mastership in Draught, [...] ; you may begin the great Mistery of Colouring.
And first begin in two Colours as White and Umber &c. after good Draughts or Prints : which you may do in this manner.
[...].
First with a large Pencel lay on the lightest parts of the Forehead, Balls of the upper Cheeks, [...] then the lightest shaddows on the Forehead, under the Eyes [...] and so till you come down to the Darkest : taking care to leave no edges about the Eye-lids, Lips, &c. Observing to keep your Pencels for the same degree of Colouring, [...].
Thus when you have copyd some time in Two Colours, having obtaind some freedom in Pencelling by a light but steady hand : observing carefull all the Muscles and other Remarks : working all in with much Softness ; [...].
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Quotation
Any of the several Species of Colours may be as Beautiful in their Kinds as the others, but one Kind is more so than another, as having more Variety, and consisting of Colours more pleasing in their own Nature ; in which, and the Harmony, and Agreement of one Tinct with another, the Goodness of Colouring consists.
To shew the Beauty of Variety I will instance in a Geldër Rose, which is White ; but having many Leaves one under another, and lying hollow so as to be seen through in some places, which occasions several Tincts of Light, and Shadow ; and together with these some of the Leaves having a Greenish Tinct, all together produces that Variety which gives a Beauty not to be found in this Paper, tho’ ‘tis White, nor in the inside of an Egg-shell tho’ whiter, nor in any other White Object that has not that Variety.
And this is the Case, though this Flower be seen in a Room in Gloomy, or Wet Weather ; but let it be expos’d to the open Air when the Sky is Serene, the Blue that those Leaves, or parts of Leaves that lye open to it will receive, together with the Reflections that then will also happen to strike upon it, will give a great Addition to its Beauty : But let the Sun-beams touch up its Leaves where they can reach with their fine Yellowish Tinct, the other retaining their Sky-Blue, together with the Shadows and brisk Reflections it will then receive, and then you will see what a Perfection of Beauty it will have, not only because the Colours are more Pleasant in themselves, but there is greater Variety.
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Quotation
Perfect Black, and White are disagreeable ; for which reason a Painter should break those Extreams of Colours that there may be a Warmth, and Mellowness in his Work : Let him (in Flesh especially) remember to avoid the Chalk, the Brick, and the Charcoal, and think of a Pearl, and a ripe Peach.
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Quotation
BEFORE we leave this eminent Master [ndr : Apelle], we cannot but take notice what Pliny in two several Places, has, with pretty positive Assurance asserted, that in all the stupendious Paintings of this ARTIST above-cited, he made use of but four Colours only, which were White, Yellow, Red, and Black ; his White Tripoli of Melos ; for Yellows, Okre of Athens ; for Reds, red Okre and Synopye of Pontos, and for Black, ordinary Vitrial, or Shoemakers Black. […] in another Place himself [ndr : Pline] tells us (besides the other Black above-mention’d) Apelles was the first that invented to make Black of Ivory, or the Tooth of an Elephant burnt, which was call’d Elephantinum, and gives us the Particulars of several other Colours, both Natural and Artificial, found out and used among the Greek, […].