Practice question · Numerical answer
A canvas of 2.4 square metres is to be divided between yellow and violet at Itten's harmonious ratio. How many square metres should the yellow occupy?
Hints
- The areas go as the inverse of Goethe's light values, 9 for yellow and 3 for violet.
- Yellow to violet is 1 to 3, so yellow takes one quarter.
Show the answer
0.6 (answers within ±0.03 count)
Why
0.6 square metres. Goethe gives yellow a light value of 9 and violet 3, so the harmonious areas are in the inverse ratio 1 : 3 and yellow takes a quarter of 2.4. The remaining 1.8 goes to violet, which needs three times the area to hold its own against a colour three times as light.
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