top of page
THE SYNTAX OF COLOR
Search


International Klein Blue
Summary: Yves Klein Blue is a fascinating art concept, making the detective work to fully understand it both intriguing and frustrating....
Michael Skalka
Feb 24, 20246 min read


Proper Art Material Labeling Issues
Summary: Art Material Labeling Issues -Most artists are careful about the art materials they purchase, especially when it comes to the...
Michael Skalka
Feb 7, 20246 min read


Cave Dust and Gold – Realgar and Orpiment
Summary: Old pigments contain a glimpse into the history of what was mined or harvested materials, the chemical makeup of these...
Michael Skalka
Jan 20, 20246 min read


Color Name Confusion
Summary: Were the names that art materials manufacturers invented for paints a well-thought idea or a blend of romantic, historical, and...
Michael Skalka
May 29, 20236 min read


Pyrrole Red, The Allure of Rosso Corsa
Summary: Pyrrole Red is one of a number of pigments that were accidentally discovered. In this essay, take a trip from East Lansing,...
Michael Skalka
May 15, 20236 min read


Divine Aniline, Won’t You Be Mine
Summary: The invention of mauve by William Henry Perkins in 1856 from coal tar initiated the study of aniline chemistry. A wide variety...
Michael Skalka
Feb 17, 20234 min read


Materials Marketing Mishaps
Summary: Costly and elaborate advertising materials for artists’ materials have become a rarity. Specifically, hand-painted color charts...
Michael Skalka
Jun 21, 20224 min read


Let's Raise a Glass to Naphthol Red
Summary: An unusual relationship exists between the brewing industry and the invention of a host of synthetic organic pigments in the azo...
Michael Skalka
Jan 23, 20225 min read


Testing the Test?
Summary: The ASTM subcommittee D01.57 creates standards that manufacturers may follow to assure their products are light fast, indicate...
Michael Skalka
Jan 14, 20225 min read


Are We All Using the Same Yardstick?
The focus of this essay is on an apparent lack of consistency that has been going on for decades. ASTM (The American Society for Testing...
Michael Skalka
Nov 11, 20214 min read


"We May Never Pass This Way (Again""
Perhaps the reason I gravitate so strongly towards researching art materials and related items is that they have a long history. For me,...
Michael Skalka
Nov 3, 20214 min read


Frankly My Dear, I Don’t Give a Lake!
I heard an “interesting” story years ago on the origin of lake pigments. A person who felt he was a leading expert on pigments, told a...
Michael Skalka
Oct 26, 20213 min read
bottom of page