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THE SYNTAX OF COLOR
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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...
670
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 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 4, 20214 min read
"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,...
760
Michael Skalka
Oct 26, 20213 min read
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...
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Michael Skalka
Oct 15, 20214 min read
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...
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Michael Skalka
Sep 21, 20214 min read
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...
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Michael Skalka
Sep 16, 20213 min read
Permanent Green Light
Let’s explore another of what art material manufacturers sometimes refer to as “convenience colors.” This means a color that can be mixed...
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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 11, 20213 min read
Aurora Yellow - These are not the charged particles you were looking for...
Aurora Yellow: In artist forums I occasionally notice that a small group of art materials enthusiasts are drawn to seek out old art...
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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
May 29, 20213 min read
A Color Memorial
This time of year is bittersweet, as young men and women make the transition from high school to college or college to the world of work....
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Michael Skalka
May 11, 20214 min read
The Competition to Make Artificial Ultramarine Blue
Ecole Polytechnique vs. The University of Tubingen. Scholastic rivalries have interesting histories. Each year both school athletic teams...
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Michael Skalka
Apr 20, 20212 min read
No "D" in Winsor and Newton
The recent passing of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edenborough, reminded all of us of the long time span that Elizabeth has been the...
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Michael Skalka
Mar 22, 20214 min read
Indian Yellow: A Bovine Story
One would be remiss if the story of the popular 19th century pigment Indian Yellow were not told. A preface to this story is the...
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Michael Skalka
Mar 7, 20214 min read
The Discovery of Thenard Blue (Cobalt Blue)
A new series of essays on the science behind the origins of pigments. An hour and 40-minute drive from Paris will take you to the town of...
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Michael Skalka
Nov 17, 20202 min read
Vermilionettes and Royal Reds
It is a humorous name for a group of colors. Vermilionettes and Royal Reds makes me think of the name of a big band from the 1930s. ...
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Michael Skalka
Nov 16, 20203 min read
What is a Buddle?
Water and mined earth material is poured into the tank on the far left that overflows into the next tank. Lighter particles are carried...
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