Margret E. Short Fine Arts

Portland, Oregon artist Margret Short - a modern day master of 17th Century Dutch art using the chiaroscuro technique to create still life and floral paintings.

Pigments: Historical and Modern

There is a distinct difference between modern day pigments and the natural pigments used prior to the middle of the 1700s. In the past, artists had apprentices who ground the colors for them throughout the oil painting sessions. Because they were made by hand, the pigments retained a natural grittiness and consistency with larger particle size. Today's oil paint manufacturers make synthetic colors in huge vats where the end result is exceptional smoothness. Prior to the middle of the 1700, natural pigments came from dirt, minerals, and even plants.

Dragons and Elephants

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Without going too deeply into the scientific technicalities of cinnabar/vermilion properties, the differences between the two pigments are: cinnabar is created by the combination of mercury and sulfur through a natural process and found in mines in many locations, and vermilion is made by combining mercury and sulfur in very hot temperatures … [Read more...] about Dragons and Elephants

Monks Seeing Red

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  Very early manuscripts document both the manufacture and use of vermilion. Some called this indispensable color the prince of reds which was more brilliant than the natural cinnabar. Theophilus (Roger of Helmarshausen)the Benedictine Monk, described the alchemical synthesis in his technical handbook De diversis artibus (On Divers Arts … [Read more...] about Monks Seeing Red

Red Haired Men and Other Curiosities on Pigments

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A lively and strange excerpt from Bright Earth by Philip Ball,  gives us a recipe for Spanish Gold using pure magical thinking. From the writings of Theophilus: "There is also a gold named Spanish gold, which is compounded from red copper, basilisk powder, human blood, and vinegar. The heathen, whose skill in this art is … [Read more...] about Red Haired Men and Other Curiosities on Pigments

Burnt Sienna Differences

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I have three jars of burnt sienna pigment purchased over the past years. They are also shown here in the pure form on the left with linseed added and on the right with lead white added. The Kremer pigment at the top is the lightest and has a distinct hot feel to it. The Sinopia English variety is darker but still very warm. The one at the bottom … [Read more...] about Burnt Sienna Differences

Raw Sienna Review

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A reader wrote last week confused about the differences between the shades of raw sienna and burnt sienna. As you can see by the image here, not only are the shades different from pigment to pigment but also from supplier to supplier. The five samples shown here are the ones I use on my palette. On the left is the pigment in its pure form with … [Read more...] about Raw Sienna Review