Michael Skalka
Studying Impressionist Technique at the Musee d’Orsay
Summary: The use of a digital camera with telephoto capabilities can reveal minute details on works of art and provide a window to...
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THE SYNTAX OF COLOR
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Michael Skalka
Jul 6, 20238 min read
Plein Air Painting Evolution
Summary: Plein air painting is defined as the act of capturing nature outdoors. The origins and evolution of the movement have changed...
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Michael Skalka
Jun 8, 20237 min read
Ultramarine Blue - A Historical Reassessment?
Summary: A small portion of an article in the New York Times provides an abundance of food for thought regarding the art materials...
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Michael Skalka
Apr 6, 20237 min read
Inkjet Art Reproductions - Giclee
Summary: This is the story of how a good idea crashes into a dead end. It illustrates the complexity of what artists encounter if they...
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Michael Skalka
Feb 2, 20234 min read
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...
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Michael Skalka
Nov 30, 20224 min read
Painting Supports - Part 3
Summary: Looking over the Horizon - As both an artist and a chairman of an ASTM subcommittee focused on quality standards for the art...
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Michael Skalka
Oct 5, 20224 min read
Adventures In Color Mixing
Summary: Can a piece of software teach us how to mix colors? It may serve as a good starting point for beginner artists who need some...
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Michael Skalka
Aug 21, 20225 min read
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...
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Michael Skalka
Aug 4, 20225 min read
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...
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Michael Skalka
Apr 30, 20227 min read
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...
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Michael Skalka
Mar 25, 20224 min read
We tame the medium and the medium tames us
Summary: Making art is a two-way proposition. An artist masters the medium of their choice and bends it to their will. However, the...
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Michael Skalka
Mar 2, 20225 min read
...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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Michael Skalka
Jan 14, 20225 min read
Testing the Test?
Summary: The ASTM subcommittee D01.57 creates standards that manufacturers may follow to assure their products are light fast, indicate...
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Michael Skalka
Jan 7, 20223 min read
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. ...
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Michael Skalka
Dec 18, 20214 min read
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...
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Michael Skalka
Dec 5, 20213 min read
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...
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Michael Skalka
Nov 24, 20214 min read
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...
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Michael Skalka
Nov 11, 20213 min read
Step Outside Your Comfort Zone
Sometimes making art requires the same strategy that is employed when doing physical exercises. Doing different sets of repetitions,...
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Michael Skalka
May 5, 20213 min read
We All Scream for Ice Cream
Do you remember where and when you were the first time you saw and had an opportunity to use art materials? Were you immersed in the...
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Michael Skalka
Feb 25, 20215 min read
This Art Is So Stupid a Monkey Could Paint That!
This is probably a phrase that is muttered daily under the breath by some patrons who visit a modern art museum. It is easy to recognize...
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