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
Jan 26, 20235 min read
Can the Old Masters Teach Us Anything Useful?
Summary: A visit to a museum can be a rich and rewarding educational experience. Looking carefully at paintings as a learning tool is a...
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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
Nov 4, 20224 min read
Painting Supports - Part 1
Summary: Artists need to understand the positive and negative aspects of painting supports. A support that appears stable and sound when...
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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
Jan 29, 20224 min read
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...
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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 10, 20214 min read
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...
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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
Sep 30, 20214 min read
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...
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Michael Skalka
Sep 9, 20213 min read
Stretching and Straining (Canvas, That Is)
An artist can get a bit spoiled by continuously painting on pre-primed panels because it is easy to forget the steps needed to prepare a...
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Michael Skalka
Sep 2, 20215 min read
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:...
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Michael Skalka
Jun 4, 20214 min read
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...
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Michael Skalka
Mar 15, 20215 min read
How to Avoid Airborne Easels
We are starting to get a glimpse of the start of the outdoor painting season approaching in the mid-Atlantic region. Soon, deciduous...
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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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Michael Skalka
Nov 17, 20204 min read
The Priming Layer
The priming layer or ground a painting is placed upon has gotten a lot of attention in recent years. Since the priming layer serves as a...
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Michael Skalka
Apr 19, 20162 min read
Curious 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...
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