Those of you who have followed this blog know of my passion for historical pigments that have quirky legends attached to them, the quirkier the better. Indeed, there are some mighty bizarre tales related to the making of colors, painting techniques, and stories of strange artists themselves. Well, stack lead white is a color that is … [Read more...] about Creme d la creme of White Pigments – Part l
historical pigments
A Basilisk and a Rooster Walked into a Bar
Many of the quirkiest stories I have told have been right here in this blog during my Lessons from the Low Countries series. Remember the one about the red haired man and the basilisk? If you recall, a basilisk is the legendary reptile, hatched by a serpent (or toad, depending on the source) from a rooster’s egg, and is so revolting, if it gazes … [Read more...] about A Basilisk and a Rooster Walked into a Bar
Girl in the Red Hat
Throughout the 40 or so years that I have been painting, copying master works has held a certain fascination. It is a great way to practice and learn techniques from the very best. I copied Vermeer’s Girl in the Red Hat a number of years ago and gave it to Dave for his birthday. It was very unfair to actually buy the real one in the National … [Read more...] about Girl in the Red Hat
Meeting of the Minds
On July 9th on Artists Mentors Online, I listened to the captivating discussion with Michael Harding and Tony Pro. Mr. Harding talked about the making of his line of paints and how he became interested in this topic. There were intelligent questions asked by artists via email and telephone. As you know, one of my favorite pigments is natural … [Read more...] about Meeting of the Minds
Nicosia Green Earth
Left - Pure Nicosia Green Earth mixed with Linseed Middle - Holbein Silver White Right - Exact beads of each color mixed together Nicosia Green Earth has many differing properties than Bohemian. This one has far lower saturation qualities. As you can see, mixing the same size bead together resulted in a much more pastel tone. This is a … [Read more...] about Nicosia Green Earth
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