Michael SkalkaNov 12, 20203 minThe Issue of Black:Interesting that we should start with the color that Webster's Dictionary describes as “the achromatic color of least lightness.” ...
Michael SkalkaDec 9, 20192 minThe "Atomic" Pencil of the Future I find it a lot of fun to run across advertising that predicts what will happen in the future. This ad appeared in the February 1949...
Michael SkalkaDec 3, 20191 minWe're back....After a considerable hiatus, the art materials website devoted to pigment history stories, interviews with artists and manufacturers,...
Michael SkalkaApr 19, 20162 minCurious About Making Gesso?(Editor's Note: This essay has been re-titled corrected and reworked. It was first published on April 19, 2016. Essays will be...
Michael SkalkaApr 19, 20163 minWhy Are Solvents So ConfusingThis topic comes up many times in discussions with artists. Artists start to question the toxicity of a solvent and the cold hard...
Michael SkalkaApr 19, 20161 minThe Lead White PotDisplayed is a 19th century depiction of a pot that would contain a coil of lead that was destined to be exposed to acetic acid contained...