Shown below is my favorite red, cinnabar. It is a pigment found as a mineral in nature and can have a wide variety of hues from bright fire red to a more subtle coral red. The principle property is mercury. It can have striations of opal, quartz, calcite and other minerals. According to Anita Albus in her book, Art of Arts, it is a Greek word, … [Read more...] about Naturally Red
Historical Pigments
Modern vs. Historic
Shown here are two reds used by contemporary artists. The color on the left is vermilion straight from the tube on the top, mixed with a little white on the bottom. The color on the right is a very modern pigment, cadmium red. As you can see, the vermilion has a slightly more subtle tone to it, whereas, the cadmium is very shockingly bright. To … [Read more...] about Modern vs. Historic
A Discriminating Palette
Greek painters, especially those from the 5th century BCE, were remarkably skilled and created many hundreds of vases and other paintings. The many varieties of surfaces include terracotta plaques, walls, ceilings, panels, wood, marble, ivory, leather, parchment, and ceramic slabs. They used some of the most beautiful natural and synthetic pigments … [Read more...] about A Discriminating Palette
The Wedding of Thetis and Peleus
About 470-460 BCE, the Wedding Painter painted this stunning vase. It measures 7 1/4" high by 5 1/4" wide. This one is actually quite small and many measured as much as 30" high or more. Many of the artists signed their pieces and historians can now identify the style characteristics of each artist. The Wedding of Thetis and Peleus, … [Read more...] about The Wedding of Thetis and Peleus
It’s All Greek
Quite unexpectedly and yet happily, a new pigment project has come my way. Some months ago, a client came to me with a request to paint a commission with the theme of 5th century BCE Greece. Specifically, he wants the focus to be black/red figure vase painting that was in its apogee at about 480-430 BCE. Again, I have delved head first … [Read more...] about It’s All Greek
Festival of Opet
Festival of Opet ©Margret E. Short, OPA, AWA 30x30 Oil on Linen Lessons from the Pharaoh's Tomb, Part Two Each year in Ancient Egypt, a magnificent event took place which was a most enduring spectacle called The Festival of Opet in Thebes the present day Luxor. The Pharaoh and his queen led a … [Read more...] about Festival of Opet