Page 10 - Paints

The technique followed by painters in medieval Western Europe to prepare and paint tempera panels and that used by painters in Russia of the same period are closely allied. However, there are some differences in the process, from the preparation of the panel to the final varnish. These differences are interesting to note and can provide some insight into the technique and process used by the earliest Byzantine artists to make panel paintings...

In the previous article of this series, we introduced the idea of collecting your pigments in the article, Pigments from the Earth. In this article, the second in the series, we will discuss the processes involved in preparing the samples of soil you have gathered—grinding, sifting, washing, drying, mulling, and storing the pigment...

Painters interested in Old Master effects benefit from a good understanding of the differences between modern tube oil paints and those used by the Old Masters whose works they admire. Too often, this critical issue is overlooked, and the focus tends to be disproportionately on mediums and additives, while the paints generally receive too little attention. There are significant differences to be acknowledged between modern and oil paints in use in the 17th century and earlier...

Thanks to developments in chemistry over the past 300 years, painters today have hundreds of pure and permanent colors from which to choose. Although fewer pigments were available to painters of Medieval Europe, they had minerals, earth, plants, bones, shells, and insects, and they knew how to transform these into pigments. The question arises whether the extensive range of modern synthetic pigments provides artists of today with anything superior to the natural and artificial pigments used by Medieval and Renaissance masters. Working with natural pigments may offer a renaissance in our understanding of color language. This article discusses what the unique properties of natural mineral pigments can offer to contemporary painters...

Roger de Piles (October 7, 1635–April 5, 1709) was an art critic, theorist, and collector whose significant contribution to aesthetic theory rests on his Dialogue sur le coloris ("Dialogue on colors"), in which he initiated his famous defense of Rubens in an argument started in 1671 by Philippe de Champaigne on the relative merits of drawing and color in the work of Titian. In 1668, he published an annotated translation of Charles-Alphonse Dufresnoy's De Arte Graphica that greatly influenced the aesthetic discussions of the day. De Piles later published several painting manuals that became essential resources for oil painters in the following centuries. The following is a translation by the editor of chapter 4 (incomplete) of Roger de Piles' Les Elémens de Peinture Pratique....

Besides an artist's notes or treatises on painting of the period, the systematic arrangement of separate colors and mixtures on the palette, which the painter prepared before he began his work, can be used to study the artist's painting procedures. Such palettes can be found in portraits or self-portraits, where the palette is held in hand with the rows of colors and tints visible...

Calcite is a naturally occurring calcium carbonate mineral in rocks such as chalk, limestone, and marble. These rocks are the primary sources of the extender pigment. Its whiteness, softness, and fine-grained nature make it an ideal white pigment, both abundant and easily processed. Chalk is relatively transparent in most paint media and is often used as an extender of other pigments and employed with animal glue as a ground for painting...

Lead white is the most important white pigment used in painting throughout history. It was known to the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans and commonly used in the preparation of ointments and plasters, as well as cosmetics. It was first identified in literature as a pigment by Pliny, who mentions it, among other colors, as used by the ancients to paint ships...

Dive into the vibrant world of Renaissance art through the lens of Peter Paul Rubens' distinctive color palette. This article unveils how Denman Ross adapted these historical hues for the modern artist, bridging centuries of artistic innovation. Explore the synthesis of color theory and practical application that can enrich your artistic practice. Click to discover the secrets behind achieving the lush vibrancy and dynamic warmth synonymous with Rubens' masterpieces...

There are many misconceptions about historical pigments and their relative toxicity, compatibility, lightfastness, and consistency in oil paint. At Natural Pigments, we try to clarify the issues and educate artists as to the facts about historical pigments through the extensive product information found on the Natural Pigments website...

Why hand mull pigments into paint? Two primary reasons for doing so are to break down agglomerates of pigment particles and disperse pigments into the paint evenly. Most artists know the need to mix pigment with a binding medium smoothly. Still, few know how breaking agglomerations of pigment particles can also improve the saturation of the paint color. Fewer still know about the possibilities that grinding pigments afford for altering the visual appearance of pigment in paint...

At least one artists' materials manufacturer uses 'nanospheres' as an ingredient in some of their oil paint. What are these scrumptious-sounding little globes, and what do they do to the paint? The term 'nanospheres' is not typically used in the industry to designate fumed silica but appears to be a term coined by some companies to obscure the actual ingredients. Indeed, the term sounds more enticing than fumed silica and plays well with the idea of the optical properties of paint...