Michael Skalka
...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...
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THE SYNTAX OF COLOR
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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...
1050
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...
670
Michael Skalka
- Dec 18, 2021
- 4 min
Painting and Music
It is likely that many of you have a wide number of art forms that you appreciate. My interests in music, especially technical, music...
590
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...
1180
Michael Skalka
- Nov 4, 2021
- 4 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,...
750
Michael Skalka
- Oct 26, 2021
- 3 min
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...
3403
Michael Skalka
- Oct 15, 2021
- 4 min
The 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...
1290
Michael Skalka
- Sep 21, 2021
- 4 min
Caffeine and Color
The story behind colors takes one to many different places. It is a story of people and their personal accomplishments. This one is...
460
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...
7201
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:...
700
Michael Skalka
- Jun 11, 2021
- 3 min
Aurora Yellow - These are not the charged particles you were looking for...
Aurora Yellow: In artist forums I occasionally notice that a small group of art materials enthusiasts are drawn to seek out old art...
3940
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...
800
Michael Skalka
- May 29, 2021
- 3 min
A Color Memorial
This time of year is bittersweet, as young men and women make the transition from high school to college or college to the world of work....
240
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...
260
Michael Skalka
- Apr 20, 2021
- 2 min
No "D" in Winsor and Newton
The recent passing of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edenborough, reminded all of us of the long time span that Elizabeth has been the...
630
Michael Skalka
- Mar 22, 2021
- 4 min
Indian Yellow: A Bovine Story
One would be remiss if the story of the popular 19th century pigment Indian Yellow were not told. A preface to this story is the...
1700
Michael Skalka
- Mar 7, 2021
- 4 min
The Discovery of Thenard Blue (Cobalt Blue)
A new series of essays on the science behind the origins of pigments. An hour and 40-minute drive from Paris will take you to the town of...
4630
Michael Skalka
- Nov 17, 2020
- 2 min
Vermilionettes and Royal Reds
It is a humorous name for a group of colors. Vermilionettes and Royal Reds makes me think of the name of a big band from the 1930s. ...
410
Michael Skalka
- Nov 16, 2020
- 3 min
What is a Buddle?
Water and mined earth material is poured into the tank on the far left that overflows into the next tank. Lighter particles are carried...
410
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