Michael Skalka
Food Coloring
Summary: Both in the past and the present, foods have been used as colorants for a variety of purposes. They can serve as pigments as...
THE SYNTAX OF COLOR
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Michael Skalka
- Aug 21
- 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...
380
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
- Feb 7
- 3 min
The Color of Time
Summary: Perception of color and changes that occur is a function of vision and memory. We expect old things to look old and new things...
510
Michael Skalka
- Jan 29
- 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...
410
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
- Jan 14
- 5 min
Testing the Test?
Summary: The ASTM subcommittee D01.57 creates standards that manufacturers may follow to assure their products are light fast, indicate...
380
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...
1282
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 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...
340
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
- Jun 22, 2021
- 5 min
Henry Levison: A Debt of Gratitude
Depending on a person’s age, the art materials manufacturer, Permanent Pigments, may or may not be recognized. Even more senior artists...
1335
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...
1190
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...
630
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....
160