Michael Skalka
The Spoils of Our Labors - Indanthrone Blue
Anyone who has traveled to a vacation area or passed through numerous airports has seen this shirt. “I Visited (fill in the location...
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THE SYNTAX OF COLOR
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Michael Skalka
- Aug 4
- 4 min
Again and A”Gahn” - A Human Invention Machine
Summary: Johann Gahn, an 18th-century chemist, discovered an amazing variety of materials that are still in use today. Read how this...
460
Michael Skalka
- May 15
- 6 min
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,...
710
Michael Skalka
- Mar 30
- 6 min
Understanding Solvents for Artists
Part 2 Summary: Understanding something about solvents arms us with the knowledge that can help us make artwork as safely as possible....
1382
Michael Skalka
- Mar 20
- 3 min
Oversimplification of Art Materials
Summary: Modern life is filled with complex things. Maintaining a basic understanding of the nature of materials provides us with...
1260
Michael Skalka
- Mar 2
- 3 min
Roses are Red, Violets are VIOLET
Summary: Documents describing the origin of a pigment can consume multiple pages of explanatory facts or be stated in merely one...
1251
Michael Skalka
- Feb 17
- 4 min
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...
871
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
- 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 17, 2022
- 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...
1500
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
- May 25, 2022
- 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 –...
1922
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
- Apr 23, 2022
- 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...
1400
Michael Skalka
- Mar 14, 2022
- 5 min
Chrome Colors
Summary: Chrome colors were derived from the discovery of chromium by the French scientist, Louis Nicolas Vauquelin in 1797. Their...
610
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
- Feb 19, 2022
- 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...
990
Michael Skalka
- Jan 23, 2022
- 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...
610
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...
980
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...
1534
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