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THE SYNTAX OF COLOR
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Michael Skalka
Feb 24, 20246 min read
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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Michael Skalka
Jan 20, 20246 min read
Cave Dust and Gold – Realgar and Orpiment
Summary: Old pigments contain a glimpse into the history of what was mined or harvested materials, the chemical makeup of these...
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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
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
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 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
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
Sep 7, 20225 min read
Food Coloring
Summary: Both in the past and the present, foods have been used as colorants for a variety of purposes. They can serve as pigments as...
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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
Feb 7, 20223 min read
The Color of Time
Summary: Perception of color and changes that occur is a function of vision and memory. We expect old things to look old and new things...
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