Michael Skalka knows about art materials!

I first "met" (as in online) Michael Skalka many years ago when I was looking into the lightfastness of art materials. At the time, Michael was 

• Chairman of the D01.57, Artists' Paints and Related Materials subcommittee of the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) - which he still chairs.
• Conservation Administrator at the National Gallery of Art in Washington (for over 37 years) - where he managed the daily operations of the Conservation Division. He retired recently.

We started to correspond about lightfastness and have continued off and on over the years. 

Since he retired he's started a retirement project and is posting about fine art materials on his new website/blog Syntax of Color. This site provides a HUGE amount of expert and reliable information about fine art materials and their constituents (past and present) - which is very accessible.  I did a massive online colour project back in 2008 and learned an enormous amount about colour and pigment/materials performance (and have continued to remain interested in the topic ever since) - but Michael continues to publish consistent good quality information on a regular basis which I've not come across before which is both very interesting and informative. Plus he writes well!

I highly recommend Syntax of Color to all those interested in using colour in their art and looking to develop their knowledge of the fine art materials they use.

FIND OUT more about what it covers below - it also covers a number of related fine art materials for painters.

What does Syntax of Colour cover?

The Syntax of Color website provides the following - with examples:

• Various posts about PIGMENTS and different colours - including ones from the past  e.g.
• Through Thick or Thin? - a commentary on the thickness and viscosity of paint in tubes
• Permanent Green Light - how it came about and how to make it
• Henry Levison: A Debt of Gratitude - a history of permanent pigments
• HISTORICAL Artist Materials e.g. 
• Frankly My Dear, I Don’t Give a Lake! - about the origins and traditions of lake pigments and paints
• CHEMICALS used in Art  e.g.
• The Unvarnished Truth - a commentary on the use of old and contemporary varnishes for paint

While not having done a survey, I would safely say that no conservator would advocate the use of epoxy resin as a surface coating for a work of fine art.

• COLOR MEASUREMENT  e.g.
• The Color of Everything - about the contribution of the brewing industry to the measurement of colour.
• informative posts about HEALTH and SAFETY e.g.
• Why are solvents so confusing? - about solvent toxicity
• Do This, Not That! - in relation to what to do when you want to get rid of/reuse old paintings
• Protect the Skin You’re In - how turpentine can cause bodily harm

A host of skin problems can be encountered by short and long-term exposure to turpentine. Casual, short-term contact can result in irritation and redness. Prolonged exposure may cause dermatitis. Dermatitis is an inflammation of the skin that is red, swollen, and itches.

• Artists making ART MATERIALS  e.g.
• I Did Not Chop Down the Cherry Tree - a commentary on what to do when the global market for wood goes haywire - making wood products, including canvas stretchers, difficult to obtain and expensive
• ...as Clear and Transparent as a Piece of Coal... Part 2 - a recent post about attempts to unravel the long lost secret of Old Master painting medium

in hindsight, we can see that Maroger was just another snake-oil salesman desperate to come up with a formulation to simulate a painting technique that we now know by scientific investigation, never relied on any secret medium created in the past.

• ART TECHNIQUES   e.g.
• The Priming Layer - a discussion of the different types of primer and things to think about about and avoid.

Since the priming layer serves as a foundation for a work of art it deserves to have a critical role in the successful completion of a sound, integrated artwork.

• A Primer on Primers -"A Little Dab Will Do Ya." - a commentary on how priming layers have developed and what happens over time

While a few traditionalists still employ animal glue as the first coating for a canvas, that material has proven to cause accelerated embrittlement and the glue reacts to humidity by swelling and shrinking. Given enough expansion and contraction cycles, the ever-stiffening paint layer applied on top of the ground layers will react to the tension imposed on the paint by cracking. The energy has nowhere to go so the paint breaks to relieve the stress.

• How to Avoid Airborne Easels - the pros and cons of different types of supports which help avoid projectiles while painting plein air
• 
  
• he's started to provide PRODUCT REVIEWS - which, while while not yet extensive (see below), provide a different perspective to many I read elsewhere (PS use the sub-menu under the menu for access)  e.g.
• Gamblin Solvent-Free Gel
• Cobra Water-Mixable Oils
• Golden Open Acrylics

Enjoy this site. All of the reviews seek to find positive aspects for all art materials offered on the market. If you are looking for critical testing and harsh critiques of art materials, you won't find it here. If a product is truly flawed or not intended for the serious fine artist, I won't waste my time writing about it.

• The ART MATERIALS INDUSTRY  e.g.
• A Matter of Trust - why some art materials manufacturers care - while others care more about making money

Art materials manufacturers live by their reputations. Releasing untested, cheapened or adulterated products have a tendency of being discovered by artists. Artists also communicate with each other in person, on message boards and in art materials/techniques forums. An old saying goes, you can spend 100 year building a reputation and ruin it in 1 day.

• an overview about what American Society for Testing and Materials International (ASTM International) does in relation to Artists Materials - and some of the details:
• Testing the test

So, a question is posed by an artist: “What is wrong with the ASTM light fastness test?” The answer is nothing is wrong with the test. The reason for fading is due to the manufacturer using a pigment that is sensitive to light and fades. Nothing complex to understand here. If a manufacturer does not have a quality control step in their company process for assessing raw materials and does not test batches of colorants, especially if their supplier is new or has indicated a change in formulation or additives, then the fault is with them, not ASTM.

• Art Materials Advertising

REFERENCE:

If you're interested in fine art colours, paints and associated materials, you can find Michael Skalka's Syntax of Color on the following sites

• Syntax of Colour - his website/blog https://www.syntaxofcolor.com/
• Syntax of Color on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/syntaxofcolor/
• Syntax of Color on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SyntaxofColor

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