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THE SYNTAX OF COLOR
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Testing the Test?
Summary: The ASTM subcommittee D01.57 creates standards that manufacturers may follow to assure their products are light fast, indicate...
Michael Skalka
Jan 14, 20225 min read
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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. ...
Michael Skalka
Jan 7, 20223 min read
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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...
Michael Skalka
Dec 18, 20214 min read
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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...
Michael Skalka
Dec 10, 20214 min read
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Do This, Not That!
While two or three instances of what I am about to describe does not constitute a trend, I find this method of destroying unwanted...
Michael Skalka
Dec 5, 20213 min read
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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...
Michael Skalka
Nov 24, 20214 min read
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Are We All Using the Same Yardstick?
The focus of this essay is on an apparent lack of consistency that has been going on for decades. ASTM (The American Society for Testing...
Michael Skalka
Nov 11, 20214 min read
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Step Outside Your Comfort Zone
Sometimes making art requires the same strategy that is employed when doing physical exercises. Doing different sets of repetitions,...
Michael Skalka
Nov 11, 20213 min read
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"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,...
Michael Skalka
Nov 4, 20214 min read
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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...
Michael Skalka
Oct 26, 20213 min read
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How Can I Be Sure?
How can I be sure, in a world that's constantly changing? (Young Rascals “How Can I Be Sure” 1967) We place a tremendous amount of trust...
Michael Skalka
Oct 22, 20213 min read
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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...
Michael Skalka
Oct 15, 20214 min read
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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...
Michael Skalka
Oct 7, 20213 min read
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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...
Michael Skalka
Sep 30, 20214 min read
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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...
Michael Skalka
Sep 21, 20214 min read
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