Michael Skalka
International Klein Blue
Summary: Yves Klein Blue is a fascinating art concept, making the detective work to fully understand it both intriguing and frustrating....
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THE SYNTAX OF COLOR
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Michael Skalka
Sep 12, 20234 min read
The Spoils of Our Labors - Indanthrone Blue
Summary: The Spoils of Our Labors - Indanthrone Blue explores the discovery of pigment manufacturers have used to add a blue hue to a...
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Michael Skalka
Aug 4, 20234 min read
Again and A”Gahn” - A Human Invention Machine
Summary: Johann Gahn, an 18th-century chemist, discovered an amazing variety of materials that are still in use today. Read how this...
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Michael Skalka
May 15, 20236 min read
Pyrrole Red, The Allure of Rosso Corsa
Summary: Pyrrole Red is one of a number of pigments that were accidentally discovered. In this essay, take a trip from East Lansing,...
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Michael Skalka
Mar 30, 20236 min read
Understanding Solvents for Artists
Part 2 Summary: Understanding something about solvents arms us with the knowledge that can help us make artwork as safely as possible....
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Michael Skalka
Mar 20, 20233 min read
Oversimplification of Art Materials
Summary: Modern life is filled with complex things. Maintaining a basic understanding of the nature of materials provides us with...
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Michael Skalka
Mar 2, 20234 min read
Roses are Red, Violets are VIOLET
Summary: Documents describing the origin of a pigment can consume multiple pages of explanatory facts or be stated in merely one...
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Michael Skalka
Feb 17, 20234 min read
Divine Aniline, Won’t You Be Mine
Summary: The invention of mauve by William Henry Perkins in 1856 from coal tar initiated the study of aniline chemistry. A wide variety...
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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
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 17, 20225 min read
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...
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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
May 25, 20223 min read
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 –...
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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
Apr 23, 20224 min read
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...
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Michael Skalka
Mar 14, 20225 min read
Chrome Colors
Summary: Chrome colors were derived from the discovery of chromium by the French scientist, Louis Nicolas Vauquelin in 1797. Their...
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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
Feb 19, 20225 min read
"... as Clear and Transparent as a Piece of Coal" Part 1
Summary: When it comes to painting mediums used by artists, the debate about their merits or problems becomes a source of heated...
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Michael Skalka
Jan 23, 20225 min read
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...
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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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