Michael SkalkaJan 235 minLet's Raise a Glass to Naphthol RedSummary: An unusual relationship exists between the brewing industry and the invention of a host of synthetic organic pigments in the azo...
Michael SkalkaJan 145 minTesting the Test?Summary: The ASTM subcommittee D01.57 creates standards that manufacturers may follow to assure their products are light fast, indicate...
Michael SkalkaNov 11, 20214 minAre 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 SkalkaNov 4, 20214 min"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 SkalkaOct 26, 20213 minFrankly 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 SkalkaOct 22, 20213 minHow Can I Be Sure?How can I be sure, in a world that's constantly changing? (Young Rascals “How Can I Be Sure” 1967) We place a tremendous amount of trust...
Michael SkalkaOct 15, 20214 minThe Color of EVERYTHING!The importance of this primary color mixing system to achieve a matched color compared to a sample is that an objective, numerical value...
Michael SkalkaOct 7, 20213 minShould Odorless Mineral Spirits Be Scented?I have been grappling with this question for many years. This issue has a number of technical components that make it hard to explain...
Michael SkalkaSep 16, 20213 minPermanent Green LightLet’s explore another of what art material manufacturers sometimes refer to as “convenience colors.” This means a color that can be mixed...
Michael SkalkaJul 8, 20213 minI Did Not Chop Down the Cherry TreeThe Global Marketplace: My old, worn out pun is that, “colors available in the pigment world are largely ‘driven’ by the automobile...
Michael SkalkaJun 22, 20215 minHenry Levison: A Debt of GratitudeDepending on a person’s age, the art materials manufacturer, Permanent Pigments, may or may not be recognized. Even more senior artists...
Michael SkalkaMay 22, 20212 minLet Every Voice Be HeardWhy do artists avoid being aggressive consumers? I have asked that question both to my friends who are artists in my “civilian” role and...
Michael SkalkaMay 11, 20214 minGo Big Blue!Ecole Polytechnique vs. The University of Tubingen. Scholastic rivalries have interesting histories. Each year both school athletic teems...
Michael SkalkaApr 20, 20212 minNo "D" in Winsor and NewtonThe recent passing of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edenborough, reminded all of us of the long time span that Elizabeth has been the...