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Series editors' preface - Wood Tools

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580 Conservation of Furniture<br />

Intensity<br />

(a) Sun and sky (5500 K)<br />

Intensity<br />

Wavelength<br />

Wavelength<br />

Figure 12.5 Although they may appear ‘white’, different lights sources contain different energy distributions of the<br />

wavelengths that make up white light. These variations impart a slightly different hue to sunlight, north facing<br />

natural light (northern hemisphere), incandescent, tungsten and fluorescent light (Thomson, 1988)<br />

(a) Sunlight. In comparison to artificial light, the distribution of relative light energy of different wavelengths in<br />

sunlight is roughly equal. When sunlight enters the earth’s atmosphere, some of the blue light is scattered. This<br />

decreases the blue component of sunlight’s spectral distribution and imparts a slight yellow hue<br />

(b) Natural light reflected from the northern sky (northern hemisphere) contains a higher proportion of blue light<br />

energy that direct sunlight. This gives a bluer light source that has better overall colour balance than sunlight,<br />

incandescent or fluorescent light and is therefore better for colour matching. A variety of ‘colour matching’ electric<br />

bulbs are available as an alternative, such as those that conform to the 6500 K standard<br />

(c) Incandescent (tungsten) light emitted from an electric light bulb has a very high proportion of yellow–red light<br />

and a comparatively low proportion of blue light. As a result it has a marked yellow tinge in comparison to other<br />

light sources and is unsuitable for colour matching<br />

(d) Fluorescent light contains a high proportion of blue-green light in combination with very little red light. As a<br />

result it has a marked blue tinge and is unsuitable for colour matching<br />

spectral curves of retouching pigment/s to the<br />

original to minimize metamerism. Spectral<br />

curves show the range and amount of each<br />

wavelength present in the light reflected from a<br />

coloured surface. The spectral curves of many<br />

common artists pigments can be found in<br />

Barnes (1939), Johnston and Feller (1963) and<br />

Mayer (1991).<br />

Although colour may be measured using<br />

instrumentation, conservators usually colourmatch<br />

by eye. The ability to accurately distin-<br />

Intensity<br />

Wavelength<br />

(b) Natural light reflected from the northern sky (northern<br />

hemisphere) (6500 K)<br />

Intensity<br />

Wavelength<br />

(c) Incandescent (tungsten) light (CIE source A, 2854 K) (d) Fluorescent light (Phillips 84)<br />

guish colour varies from person to person and<br />

with age. The ability to match colour depends<br />

on practice, skill and experience but may be<br />

aided by knowledge of the theory of colour.<br />

Information on the theory of colour and colour<br />

matching can be found in Brill (1980) and<br />

Wilcox (1989). Information on the instrumental<br />

measurement of colour can be found in<br />

McLaren (1983).<br />

The language used by artists to describe<br />

colour is often vague. The terms hue, value and

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