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THE SYNTAX OF COLOR
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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...
Michael Skalka
Jan 29, 20224 min read
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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...
Michael Skalka
Jan 23, 20225 min read
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Testing the Test?
Summary: The ASTM subcommittee D01.57 creates standards that manufacturers may follow to assure their products are light fast, indicate...
Michael Skalka
Jan 14, 20225 min read
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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...
Michael Skalka
Oct 26, 20213 min read
519
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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...
Michael Skalka
Sep 30, 20214 min read
233
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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...
Michael Skalka
Sep 21, 20214 min read
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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...
Michael Skalka
Sep 16, 20213 min read
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Henry Levison: A Debt of Gratitude
Depending on a person’s age, the art materials manufacturer, Permanent Pigments, may or may not be recognized. Even more senior artists...
Michael Skalka
Jun 22, 20215 min read
497
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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...
Michael Skalka
Jun 11, 20213 min read
496
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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...
Michael Skalka
Jun 4, 20214 min read
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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....
Michael Skalka
May 29, 20213 min read
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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...
Michael Skalka
May 11, 20214 min read
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A Glitch in the Color Matrix
“How can you be in two places at once, when you’re not anywhere at all.” I encountered this phrase in high school when my classmates...
Michael Skalka
Apr 12, 20213 min read
48
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Seeing Red! The Power of Magenta
Top Left: Alizarin Crimson, Top Right: Cadmium Red, Bottom Left: Magenta, Bottom Right: Permanent Magenta A number of artists on the...
Michael Skalka
Apr 5, 20214 min read
88
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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...
Michael Skalka
Mar 22, 20214 min read
225
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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...
Michael Skalka
Mar 7, 20214 min read
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Bodies in the Cellar or The Old and Forgotten:
Only a handful of theater enthusiasts would know the name Joseph Kesselring. However, many would recognize one of his most famous plays,...
Michael Skalka
Nov 17, 20203 min read
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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...
Michael Skalka
Nov 16, 20203 min read
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The Lead White Pot
Displayed is a 19th century depiction of a pot that would contain a coil of lead that was destined to be exposed to acetic acid contained...
Michael Skalka
Apr 19, 20161 min read
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