Colors from Du Fresnoy's De Arte Graphica

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:02:51 -0400

Du Fresnoy writes about colors that appear on the palette of Roger de Piles' translation of De Arte Graphica:

Red Oker is one of the most heavy Colours.

Yellow Oker is not so heavy, because 'tis clearer.

And the Masticot is very light, because it is a very clear yellow, and very near to white.

Ultramarine, or Azure, is very light and a very sweet Colour.

Vermillion is wholly opposite to Ultramarine.

Vermilion and Cinnabar Toxicology Test Results

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:02:36 -0400

Vermilion and cinnabar are historical pigments that are compounds of red mercuric sulfide (HgS). The former is the artificial mineral pigment, whereas the latter, cinnabar, is the mineral found in nature. Their hues and undertones are unmatched by any modern equivalent pigments, such as cadmium red.

An independent laboratory tested the pigments for soluble mercury and lead metals, according to method ASTM D5517-03 in which a sample is placed in a dilute solution of hydrochloric acid, which is the method accepted for simulating the acids found in the human stomach and the principal route of entry of these metals.

The test showed that less than 20 �g (micrograms) of soluble mercury metal per gram of pigment was dissolved

Reactive and Non-Reactive Pigments

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:02:23 -0400

The reaction of natural and synthetic mineral pigments with binders containing lipids, such as egg yolk, drying oils, etc., has been reported by various authors.

Generally, the formation of metallic soaps with the free fatty acids in the binders is assumed to be the reaction. These metallic soaps may act as driers, accelerating the oxidation and polymerization of the binder and providing a hard and resistant pigmented film.

Usually, and without much verification, pigments such as lead white, umber and zinc oxide, etc., are said to accelerate the drying of binders. The synthesis and use of metal soaps, such as those from lead, cobalt, manganese, are common in the paint industry and are used as driers in artists' colors.

Aqueous Pigment Dispersions

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:02:11 -0400

Natural Pigments introduces a new way of making traditional waterborne paint: Rublev Colours Aqueous Dispersions. Aqueous dispersions are pigments dispersed in water ready to be mixed with water-based mediums. These dispersions

Colors from the Earth: Violet Hematite

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:01:59 -0400

Rublev Colours Violet Hematite is a deep reddish purple hue that tints toward subtle violets when mixed with white. It is useful in flesh tints, shadows and its purple bias makes good grays. Rublev Colours Violet Hematite is formulated using pure natural ground hematite (Colour Index Name Pigment Red 102 or PR 102) that is absolutely permanent and very opaque. This beautiful earthy red violet is cooler than other red iron oxide earths, such as Venetian red or Sartorius red.

Fig. 1. Color swatch of Rublev Colours

About Drying Oils for Painting

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:01:49 -0400

Where do all the different brands of drying oils in artists' supply shops originate? Artists' materials manufacturers do not process their own oil, but rather purchase it in bulk from large industrial sources. For example, there are two major producers of linseed oil in North America and at least two in Europe, but there are many brands of linseed and stand oils offered by artist materials companies. Artist materials companies do not have the resources to process linseed oil, which today is a very specialized and large-scale industry.

About Linseed Oil
Linseed oil is obtained by various methods, including pre-expelling, followed by hexane extraction of the resulting press cake. The oil is refined to remove phosphatides

Ancient Pigments and their Identification in Works of Art

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:01:38 -0400

DURING the history of Art, from the earliest times to the present day, certain pigments have remained common to the artists palette, and while some have dropped out of use, others have been added. Although a great deal of information on the subject has been collected from the examination of old records, and, in addition, by the occasional analysis of the actual pigments used, the whole subject seems to me to be deserving of a more exact inquiry than it has as yet received.

It is, in the first place, a matter of considerable interest to know what pigments were in actual use at various periods in the history of Art, and how far in practice the old receipts represented the artists palette. Such information, if sufficiently complete, would be of great assistance

Why Some Paints are Transparent and Others Opaque

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:01:25 -0400

Artists are sometimes surprised to see one application of paint barely hide the drawing or underpainting below, and another color completely mask all that was underneath. Some wonder why a few months after they completed a painting, they begin to see pencil lines of the sketch that before were completely unnoticed. (This effect is called pentimento.) Other artists wishing to apply a beautiful glaze are frustrated when the glaze kills the color below. These are common problems experienced by all painters at one time or another, but the reasons are little understood.

Given the same thickness of applied paint film, not all paints are equally opaque (or transparent). We call this the hiding strength or covering power of a paint. The hiding

Traditional Oil Painting: The Revival of Historical Artists' Materials

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 21:00:00 -0500

In recent years, we have witnessed the trend towards the use of traditional artists� materials�painting materials used prior to the twentieth century. This is evident from the growth of small artists� color companies and in the increased interest among artists about historical painting techniques and materials. Why this trend is occurring is subject to much speculation, but some may say it is due to the revival in figurative art, especially since the 1970s. I would prefer to say that interest in figurative art never really died out, but rather it has survived abstract art.

If this is the case, that the trend towards traditional artists� materials is related to the renewed interest in figurative art, than Bill Creevy, author and contributing writer to

Sizing Paper and Gelatin Sizing

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 15:52:00 -0500

Unsized paper is called �waterleaf� paper. It is usually composed of cellulose fibers that are hydrophilic, meaning they �love water.� This is an advantageous quality while paper is being made, but can lead to unfortunate consequences once the paper is made. The extreme porosity of an untreated sheet of paper means that printing or drawing inks and water-based paints will soak into the paper spreading quickly and randomly. This is called �bleedthrough.� Sizing retards some of paper�s absorbency.

Sizing Benefits

Sizing paper will reduce or eliminate this bleeding and feathering by enveloping the cellulose fibers. As an added benefit, sizing protects the fibers from breakdown due to oxidation. In addition, since other commonly used fillers can inhibit bonding