Michael Skalka
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...
THE SYNTAX OF COLOR
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Michael Skalka
- Aug 17
- 5 min
Cadmium Yellow Deep: A Misnamed Pigment? Part 1
Summary: Pigments with the same Color Index name but appearing to be a different hue is confusing for the consumer. Abiding by the Color...
1010
Michael Skalka
- Aug 4
- 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...
3282
Michael Skalka
- May 25
- 3 min
The Pastel Standard
Summary: So many activities with so little time. However, I am pleased to announce that the article I wrote for the Pastel Journal –...
1172
Michael Skalka
- Apr 30
- 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...
501
Michael Skalka
- Apr 23
- 4 min
Mind the Gap
Summary: The art materials industry provides a wealth of color choices, but sometimes a gap is found in if a 12-step color wheel is used...
1060
Michael Skalka
- Mar 14
- 5 min
Chrome Colors
Summary: Chrome colors were derived from the discovery of chromium by the French scientist, Louis Nicolas Vauquelin in 1797. Their...
450
Michael Skalka
- Mar 2
- 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...
650
Michael Skalka
- Feb 19
- 5 min
"... as Clear and Transparent as a Piece of Coal" Part 1
Summary: When it comes to painting mediums used by artists, the debate about their merits or problems becomes a source of heated...
830
Michael Skalka
- Jan 23
- 5 min
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...
500
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...
790
Michael Skalka
- Oct 7, 2021
- 3 min
Should 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...
1292
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...
771
Michael Skalka
- Sep 16, 2021
- 3 min
Permanent Green Light
Let’s explore another of what art material manufacturers sometimes refer to as “convenience colors.” This means a color that can be mixed...
760
Michael Skalka
- May 11, 2021
- 4 min
The Competition to Make Artificial Ultramarine Blue
Ecole Polytechnique vs. The University of Tubingen. Scholastic rivalries have interesting histories. Each year both school athletic teams...
140
Michael Skalka
- Apr 12, 2021
- 3 min
A Glitch in the Color Matrix
“How can you be in two places at once, when you’re not anywhere at all.” I encountered this phrase in high school when my classmates...
420
Michael Skalka
- Mar 29, 2021
- 3 min
A Matter of Trust
We are faced with issues of trust in all areas of our lives. Art materials are no different. We trust that when it says Organic Lettuce,...
934
Michael Skalka
- Nov 17, 2020
- 3 min
Bodies in the Cellar or The Old and Forgotten:
Only a handful of theater enthusiasts would know the name Joseph Kesselring. However, many would recognize one of his most famous plays,...
251