Michael Skalka
Plein Air Painting Evolution
Summary: Plein air is defined as the act of capturing nature outdoors. Its origins and purpose have changed over time and while the term...
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THE SYNTAX OF COLOR
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Michael Skalka
- Jun 8
- 7 min
Ultramarine Blue - A Historical Reassessment?
Summary: A small portion of an article in the New York Times provides an abundance of food for thought regarding the art materials...
1952
Michael Skalka
- Apr 6
- 7 min
Inkjet Art Reproductions - Giclee
Summary: This is the story of how a good idea crashes into a dead end. It illustrates the complexity of what artists encounter if they...
991
Michael Skalka
- Feb 2
- 4 min
What If Colors Had No Names?
Summary: Ponder this idea. What if the colors we use as artists had no names or were forbidden to have names? Make believe that we are...
1821
Michael Skalka
- Nov 30, 2022
- 4 min
Painting Supports - Part 3
Summary: Looking over the Horizon - As both an artist and a chairman of an ASTM subcommittee focused on quality standards for the art...
1143
Michael Skalka
- Oct 5, 2022
- 4 min
Adventures In Color Mixing
Summary: Can a piece of software teach us how to mix colors? It may serve as a good starting point for beginner artists who need some...
1752
Michael Skalka
- Aug 21, 2022
- 5 min
Cadmium Yellow Deep: A Misnamed Pigment? Part 2
Summary: Pigments with the same Color Index name but appearing to be a different hue is confusing for the consumer. Abiding by the Color...
920
Michael Skalka
- Aug 4, 2022
- 5 min
Titanium White
Summary: A very recent news article caught my attention regarding a ban on the use of titanium dioxide white in food products within the...
3713
Michael Skalka
- Apr 30, 2022
- 7 min
Get the Lead Out?
Summary: What is the impact of continued use of lead white oil paint on the health of artists? What does health/safety literature tell us...
801
Michael Skalka
- Mar 25, 2022
- 4 min
We tame the medium and the medium tames us
Summary: Making art is a two-way proposition. An artist masters the medium of their choice and bends it to their will. However, the...
530
Michael Skalka
- Mar 2, 2022
- 5 min
...as Clear and Transparent as a Piece of Coal... Part 2
Summary: John Steuart Curry and Reginald Marsh corresponded with Jacques Maroger in the 1940s to obtain the long lost secret of Old...
1010
Michael Skalka
- Jan 14, 2022
- 5 min
Testing the Test?
Summary: The ASTM subcommittee D01.57 creates standards that manufacturers may follow to assure their products are light fast, indicate...
570
Michael Skalka
- Jan 7, 2022
- 3 min
Adventures in Painting
In a previous Syntax of Color essay, I encouraged readers to branch out and try other media to expand your skills and capabilities. ...
591
Michael Skalka
- Dec 18, 2021
- 4 min
Painting and Music
It is likely that many of you have a wide number of art forms that you appreciate. My interests in music, especially technical, music...
550
Michael Skalka
- Dec 5, 2021
- 3 min
Do This, Not That!
While two or three instances of what I am about to describe does not constitute a trend, I find this method of destroying unwanted...
850
Michael Skalka
- Nov 24, 2021
- 4 min
Paint Big or Go Home
I painted thickly. I painted thinly. I scraped things off. I over painted many areas. I changed my mind several times because things...
670
Michael Skalka
- Nov 11, 2021
- 3 min
Step Outside Your Comfort Zone
Sometimes making art requires the same strategy that is employed when doing physical exercises. Doing different sets of repetitions,...
702
Michael Skalka
- May 5, 2021
- 3 min
We All Scream for Ice Cream
Do you remember where and when you were the first time you saw and had an opportunity to use art materials? Were you immersed in the...
290
Michael Skalka
- Feb 25, 2021
- 5 min
This Art Is So Stupid a Monkey Could Paint That!
This is probably a phrase that is muttered daily under the breath by some patrons who visit a modern art museum. It is easy to recognize...
1650
Michael Skalka
- Dec 3, 2019
- 1 min
We're back....
After a considerable hiatus, the art materials website devoted to pigment history stories, interviews with artists and manufacturers,...
610
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