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
- Jan 26
- 4 min
Can the Old Masters Teach Us Anything Useful?
Summary: A visit to a museum can be a rich and rewarding educational experience. Looking carefully at paintings as a learning tool is a...
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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...
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Michael Skalka
- Nov 4, 2022
- 4 min
Painting Supports - Part 1
Summary: Artists need to understand the positive and negative aspects of painting supports. A support that appears stable and sound when...
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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...
550
Michael Skalka
- Jan 29, 2022
- 4 min
It Sure Doesn’t Look Like Tomato Juice!
Summary: It is time once again to dive into the realm of common household foods as they apply, or in this case, should not be applied to...
500
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 10, 2021
- 4 min
The Unvarnished Truth
The subject of selecting varnish is important because the decision can result in a painting being protected and long-lasting verses a...
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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
- Sep 30, 2021
- 4 min
Through Thick or Thin?
I am focusing on paint viscosity while working on some big pictures that required a large quantity of oil paint. This got me thinking...
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Michael Skalka
- Sep 9, 2021
- 3 min
Stretching and Straining (Canvas, That Is)
An artist can get a bit spoiled by continuously painting on pre-primed panels because it is easy to forget the steps needed to prepare a...
410
Michael Skalka
- Sep 2, 2021
- 5 min
A Primer on Primers -"A Little Dab Will Do Ya."
Oil Penetration The same question appears repeatedly on various social media sites that utilize crowd-sourced responses. The question:...
640
Michael Skalka
- Jun 4, 2021
- 4 min
What's The Limit of Your Limited Palette?
Selecting Colors A number of years ago when I lived in the New York metro area, I listened to a FM station that had a program called...
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Michael Skalka
- Mar 15, 2021
- 5 min
How to Avoid Airborne Easels
We are starting to get a glimpse of the start of the outdoor painting season approaching in the mid-Atlantic region. Soon, deciduous...
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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...
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Michael Skalka
- Nov 17, 2020
- 4 min
The Priming Layer
The priming layer or ground a painting is placed upon has gotten a lot of attention in recent years. Since the priming layer serves as a...
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Michael Skalka
- Apr 19, 2016
- 2 min
Curious About Making Gesso?
(Editor's Note: This essay has been re-titled corrected and reworked. It was first published on April 19, 2016. Essays will be...
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