The Art Blog of David Myers

Just a Thought on black and black holes

2011-04-09T10:41:00.004-04:00

hmmm?

If a "perfect" or absolute black paint could be made that reflects no color at all, would it then create a black hole?

A black hole is a phenomenon that scientists believe captures and absorbs everything around it. Like a giant drain everything is gulped down and nothing can escape, not even light. Given enough time a black hole may swallow the whole universe.
If a true black paint were made, it would have to be the same. According to the modern color theory, we perceive an objects color because white light (which contains all colors) is being partially absorbed, and what is reflected back at us is the color we actually see. When we perceive something as being "black", it is because it absorbs the entire spectrum of light, and reflects very little light back into the eye. However, there must always be some impurities that keep the black from being absolute, even if it looks very black to the naked eye. (he,he, I just said "naked")
.
If a absolutely perfect pure black paint or object were ever made, it would suck up all the light, reflecting no light at all (he,he, I just said "suck"). ...and therefore would become a black hole! You would not be able to see anything as all light would be absorbed into it, the whole world would go dark in an instant.

So the next time you are mixing up a nice new dark color, be careful, you might accidentally create a true black and destroy the solar system.

Indian Yellow

2011-02-01T13:34:00.047-05:00

Photo courtesy of Windsor & Newton

Balls of Indian Yellow on display
at Windsor & Newton's museum.

Photo © Winsor & Newton

Indian Yellow is a pigment of legend and mystery. Also known as C.I. Natural Yellow 20, Gaugoli, Giallo Indiano, Peori, euxanthic acid, Purree and Purée of India. It has long been claimed to be the made from the urine of cows (or camels according to W. Schmidt, 1855) that were cruelly force fed Mango leaves.
Due to the color and urine like smell, Indian Yellow had long been rumored to be made from urine of cattle or camels, but the true nature of the pigment was a not really known. The process of making it was kept a secret and there was apparently only one main source for the color, manufactured by an "Englishman in Calcutta".
Then, in 1883, a letter was received at the Society of Arts in London. In that letter, from a Mr. T.N. Mukharji, the process for making Indian Yellow was stated by Mr. Mukharji to be the urine of cows fed Mango leaves. Mr. Mukharji claimed to have studied the process in Monghyr, north-east Bihar, India. Mr. Mukharji further described how the urine of the cows was collected in buckets placed under the cows, it was then cooled (uh?cooled and heated?) and concentrated over a fire. The liquid was then filtered through a cloth and the sediment collected into balls, and then dried over a fire and in the sun. The European importers would wash and purify the balls, separating greenish and yellow phases.
A legend was born, and through repeated telling, it seems to have been accepted as fact, for it has been reiterated in countless books and writings, even by respected authors, ever sense that time. It has continued on so far as to claim it was illegalized in the late 1800's or early 1900's, on the bases of being cruel to animals.

There was always some doubt cast as to the truth of the of this myth. As early as 1839, J.F.L. Merimee, in his book "The Art of Painting in Oil and Fresco," gives a more plausible source for Indian yellow as follows:
"For many years past the English traders have furnished us (in France) with a brilliant yellow lake, which is more lasting than the greater number of this class. I have been informed by a learned naturalist, who traveled in that country (Bengal), that this color is manufactured in Calcutta by an Englishman (mmm?, do we know somebody from Calcutta?), who keeps the process quite a secret; but the traveler has found out that the coloring matter is extracted from a tree, or large shrub, called memecylon tinctorium*(see more info on memecylon tinctorium below), the leaves of which are employed by the natives in their yellow dyes. From a smell like cows' urine, which exhales from this color, it is probable that this material is employed in extracting the tint of the memecylon."

In 1844, chemist Dr. John Stenhouse, PH.D examined the origin of Indian yellow in an article published in the November 1844 edition of the Philosophical Magazine, Examination of a yellow substance from India called Purree, from which the pigment called Indian Yellow is manufactured. Dr. Stenhouse carried out a complete chemical analysis and found the principal coloring matter to be magnesium salts of a chemical he preliminarily named purreic acid (now called euxanthic acid). He found no traces of ammonia or nitrogen (which would be found if it have been made from urine) and concluded it was in fact of vegetable origin, and that it was "highly probable that the purree of commerce is the juice of some tree or plant, which, after it has been expressed, has been saturated with magnesia and boiled down to its present consistence"

In her 2004 book 'Color: A Natural History of the Palette', Victoria Finlay attempted to verify whether Indian yellow was really made from cow urine. Apparently the only printed source mentioning this practice she was able to find was a single letter written by a Mr. T.N. Mukharji of Calcutta (mmm? Calcutta, sound familiar?), who claimed to have seen the color being made. Aside from this letter, there seems to be no other written sources from the time period mentioning the making of Indian yellow. Finlay also searched for legal records for the supposed banning of Indian yellow production in the India Library in London and the National Library in Calcutta, and found none. She visited the town in India mentioned in Mukharji's letter as the only source of the color, but found absolutely no trace of evidence that the color had ever been produced there. None of the locals she spoke with had ever heard of the practice.

Even if the story of how Indian Yellow was produced, has some truth, which is doubtful, mango leaves were probably not force fed to cattle, or cruel at all.
In the 2005 'Species Profiles for Pacific Island Agroforestry' a publication made to educate extension agents, farmers, ranchers and landowners about growing native and traditional trees, it is stated "Mangos grow well in pastures, although cattle will graze off lower leaves. It is necessary to fence off young trees for the first 3–4 years to protect them from livestock.", In other words the Mango leaves need to be protected from the cattle, because the cattle love them!
There have also been numerous studies of the food value of mango leaves and in most cases have been found to have little ill effects. In the article 'Feeding Value of Mango Leaf (Mangifera indica) for Growing Rabbits' in the Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 2006,Vol.5, Iss.10,Pgs 800-804 it was concluded that "Mango leaf meal can be fed to weaner rabbits up to 50% level without any adverse effect on performance variables."
In Indonesia and the Philippines, young mango leaves are cooked and eaten by people! (reference 'Uses of Mango Leaves,Seeds and Bark' at www.mdidea.com)

Chemically the principle coloring matter Indian yellow is magnesium euxanthate a magnesium salt of euxanthic acid. It is a brilliant deep and luminescent reddish yellow pigment that fluoresces in "yellow green" spectrum. Considering the above information on the origin of Indian yellow, it is quite possible to conclude that it did not come from cows urine at all, and is most likely magnesium euxanthate extracted from some plant source and possibly precipitated onto a calcium or magnesium carbonate base. Another possibly is euxanthic acid extracted from mango leaves or other plant (euxanthic acid is a glycoside of the mango pigment euxanthone, also isolated from the roots of the herb Polygala caudata, and other plants), and then treated with magnesium carbonate to precipitate the magnesium euxanthate (see Hand-book of chemistry, Volume 17, By Leopold Gmelin, Henry Watts, 1866).

In "The Chemistry Of Paints And Painting", by Arthur H. Church (see the Free Art Books Page), there is a recipe for a yellow pigment using euxanthic acid by Church: "A fine yellow pigment may be prepared from the euxanthic acid, which is the characteristic constituent of Indian yellow, by throwing it down in combination with the two bases - alumina and magnesia. The following directions may be followed: Dissolve 1 part of pure euxanthic acid in just sufficient dilute ammonia. Pour the solution into a liquid prepared by dissolving 45 parts of potash-alum, 15 parts Epsom salts, and 6 parts salammoniac in 250 parts of water. Now cautiously add dilute ammonia to the mixture, stirring all the time, and avoiding any excess of ammonia. The precipitated pigment is to be thoroughly washed, and then pressed, dried, and ground." Although no ammonia was found in the samples of real Indian Yellow by Dr. Stenhouse's analysis in 1844, It should be noted that made with excess ammonia, or before being washed, the finished substance using the recipe above may well look and smell like dried p---.

Making a Pseudo Indian Yellow Oil Paint:

It seems that for some reason, a lot of interesting pigments are available in watercolor but not in oils, even when the pigment is known to be compatible with the oil medium. I've been thinking about trying to convert a watercolor into an oil color for some time now and decided to give it a try.
I happened to have the Daniel Smith watercolor "Indian Yellow" with magnesium euxanthate (PY108) in my watercolor paint collection. That paint for all intents and purposes could be called a genuine "Indian Yellow" as it is most likely chemically similar or possibly almost identical to the known samples of the genuine article. It is a very nice transparent bright reddish yellow, that does look like it could have been made of p--, Yep, you guessed it.--- Luckily, it doesn't have the smell.

At this time, Daniel Smith is the only manufacturer of artists paints that carries a paint with magnesium euxanthate as the only pigment. I wish they had it in oil paint too, but so far, they only make it in watercolor.
Because I have been unable to find a magnesium euxanthate oil color and at the moment couldn't afford to get the pigment from Kremer Pigments or a chemical supply house, I decided to try an experiment converting the Daniel Smith Indian Yellow watercolor to an oil paint.
Although I don't know all the ingredients to D. S. watercolors, it is safe to say they are probably mostly pigment in a gum arabic solution (see below for my thoughts on the pigment load of the Daniel Smith watercolors). Considering all the possible additives, they would most likely would have added some glycerin to help in re-wetting, and probably also have a very small amounts of stabilizers, dextrose or honey, maybe small amounts of a wetting agent or flow improver (such as ox gall) and a preservative. Most of the additive substances, in normal use (added in very small amounts), should have little or no real adverse effects on an oil paint film that I'm aware of.

I began by simply taking a little less than a teaspoon of paint from the tube of Daniel Smith Indian Yellow and mixed in about 3 parts of calcium carbonate to extend it (I figured this would also dilute any additives that might be present), while mixing in some water to thoroughly wet, and dye, the pigment onto the calcium. That amount of calcium only lightened the color slightly. I could have used Aluminum Hydroxide (would have been more transparent) as an extender, but I wanted to stay within the chemical make up of the genuine pigment and calcium is found in the original. After allowing that mixture to thoroughly dry for a day, I pulverized the dried mass and ground it down, with mortar and pestle, into a very fine powder.

Grinding the dried mixture (water, Daniel Smith Indian Yellow and calcium carbonate), with a mortar and pestle

Daniel Smith Indian Yellow watercolor mixed with calcium and changed into a dry powdered Pigment

I added a little linseed oil (walnut oil is clearer and would be an interesting alternative), and then a touch of Dorland's Wax Medium to act as a stabilizer and give it a "buttery" quality (Gamblin's "Cold Wax Medium" would work just as well, or better, in this application). I then mixed up a paste using a palette knife. I got out my trusty old Glass Muller and proceeded to mull the dull out of it. I kept grinding the paint until I was satisfied with the smoothness and "buttery" quality, about 15 minutes all together.

Roughly mixed with linseed oil before grinding the paint

After grinding the paint for about 15 min.

With the calcium carbonate I had added, I was able to get about 15 ml "Indian Yellow" oil paint from a short teaspoon (about 3-4 ml) of the Daniel Smith watercolor. I made a "draw down" test and am very pleased with the color and handling of this paint. I am really surprised at it's tinting strength and brightness, considering that I diluted it by almost 3 to1 with the calcium carbonate. This really attests to the exceptional pigment load of Daniel Smith watercolors. Chemically this pigment may be very close to the genuine and certainly has a similar color to the actual pigment samples that Windsor & Newton have. For comparison, I have it shown next to a draw down of Sennelier Indian yellow PY153 straight from the tube and also with a tint mixed with 50% titanium white.. ummmm........vvverry inter-reeeeesting...

My DS Psuedo Indian Yellow Oil color,
CI Pigment yellow 108, made from Daniel Smith watercolor "Indian Yellow"

Sennelier Indian Yellow
PY153

Photo courtesy of Windsor & Newton

Balls of Indian Yellow on display
at Windsor & Newton's museum.

Photo © Winsor & Newton

Update 3/5/2011: The paint seems to be taking a long time to dry. The straight color took about 4 days to dry, and the thicker areas mixed with white are still wet 8 days later. This may be do to the additives in the that were in the water color paint or just a property of the pigment. The paint that was mixed with 50% titanium white (an old tube of Alexander titanium white) long drying time may be do to the brand used. Poppy oil is often used in white paints to avoid yellowing and takes longer to dry than linseed oil.
Update 3/9/2011: The paint is still not dried, the glycerin or other additives in the original watercolor paint must be inhibiting the drying process somehow. I should have washed the original watercolor by mixing it with water and letting the pigment settle out. That would have removed all water soluble additives. Earlier I had thought the paint without white was dry, but when I checked it again the thick areas were still wet. I'll have to try adding a drier to speed things up.
Update 3/12/2011: The paint is finally dry to the touch and seems to have made a firm but elastic film. I may try making some more and, this time, removing the watercolor gum and additives by washing. Although it took 7 days to thoroughly dry, I am pleased with the final paint color and consistency.

* "Memecylon tinctorium; a cold infusion of its leaves gives a yellow colour. It is used for dyeing cotton cloths and grass mats. It also forms an ingredient of the dyes obtained from sappan wood and myrobalans, and it is likewise used with the chay-root, Hedyotis umbellata, as a red dye." Description from The cyclopædia of India and of eastern and southern Asia ..., Volume 1, By Edward Balfour.
"The leaves of Memecylon tinctorium and M. edule, Roxb. are used in dying, and afford under proper management a very delicate yellow lake, but I have not heard whether the color is permanent. The berries of most of them are pulpy and have an astringent sweetish taste." from Illustrations of Indian botany: or figures illustrative of each of the ..., By Robert Wight.

References:
* Agroforestry.org, (2005) Species Profiles for Pacific Island Agroforestry
* Church, Arthur Herbert (1901 ) The Chemistry of Paints and Painting, Published by Seeley (see my Free Art Books Page)
* Eastaugh, Nicholas (2004). Pigment Compendium: A Dictionary of Historical Pigments. Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN 0750657499.
* Feller, Robert L., ed., Artists Pigments : a Handbook of their History and Characteristics, Vol. 1, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1986.
* Finlay, Victoria (2003). Color: A Natural History of the Palette. Random House. ISBN 0812971426. (Kindle Edition $9.35)
* Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 2006,Vol.5, Iss.10,Pgs 800-804, Feeding Value of Mango Leaf (Mangifera indica) for Growing Rabbits
* mdidea.com, 2011, Uses of Mango Leaves,Seeds and Bark'
* Merimee, M.J.F.L. (8/5/2009). The Art of Painting in Oil and Fresco. Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 9781437141160. Stenhouse (Kindle Edition 99 cents), also see my Free Art Books Page
* Stenhouse, John (November 1844). Examination of a yellow substance from India called Purree, from which the pigment called Indian Yellow is manufactured, The London, Edinburgh and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science: 321–325.
* Watts, Leopold Gmelin, Henry, 1866 Hand-book of chemistry, Volume 17 pg.530
* Weber, F.W. Artists' Pigments: Their Chemical and Physical Properties. New York: D. Van Nostrand Company, 1923.
* wikipedia.org : Indian Yellow

Free Art Books

2010-11-25T21:54:00.001-05:00

I have added a page of free art reference books & e-books on my website http://www.artiscreation.com/books.html. These are all 100% Free and 100 % legal downloads of great historical books on oil painting techniques, water color techniques, color theory, anatomy, figure drawing and making paints & pigments, some written by the old masters themselves. Most of these books are as pertinent to modern times as they were when they where created. They also can give great insight on the techniques and processes of the old masters. There are also many modern books as well, released free to the public, with some having unique and hard to find information on pigments with the latest studies of the great masters works from universities and art conservators. Most are available in PDF format or viewable online, and almost all are even available in formats for the kindle and and other eBook readers. Have fun, it really is worth checking these out.

Twins at Birth

2010-09-07T12:38:00.002-04:00

Look similar? As soon as I saw this rolling palette stand at Daniel Smith for "only" $139, I recognized it it as nearly identical to my laptop computer stand that only cost me $19 at my local drug store. All i need to do is get a scrap piece of glass cut to fit on the adjustable platform and act as a nice palette surface. If I want to get really fancy, I could use a jigsaw and cut out a hole on the level section of the table and insert a container of some type to put solvent or brushes in.

Huntington Rolling Painting Table

generic laptop stand from "Drug Mart"

My laptop table would work just as well as the fancy artists table and it's a lot cheaper. Of course, it would be really nice to have the real thing (available from Daniel Smith here,), it's sturdy, all wood and made in the USA.
You can check your local department store for the laptop table, I've seen them all over the place. I got mine at Drug Mart, like i said on sale for $19.

Artiscreation Pigment Database updates in progress

2010-09-03T19:27:00.001-04:00

Updates are in progress to the pigment database. I decided to do the changes in increments so that the additions will be available soon as they are updated. You may experience minor difficulties, inconsistent appearance or other incomplete changes, so please bear with me during the update process I think the changes will make a better experience for all.

Updates Coming

2010-08-27T12:14:00.003-04:00

I am planning some improvements and updating the Pigment Database at my website here. The pigment code database has the colors are sorted by color index name (pigment code) making it easy to look up the color index identification code printed on the paint tube or the pigment container.
Some improvements will include separating the brand paint names into oil, watercolor or dry pigment. I will be also adding some new pigments as well as some layout changes and minor corrections.
Any input will be helpful, so feel free to make any comments or suggestions.

Alternative to Paint Tubes

2009-05-12T21:11:00.013-04:00

For those artists who make there own paints it is sometimes hard to find empty paint tubes. Most local art supply shops do not carry them. While you can find them online they are usually $1.00 a piece or more, which seems a little expensive for an EMPTY tube.
The original paint containers made by Windsor & Newton before the use of metal tubes was basically just a syringe.
It is easy to make your own and they are indefinitely reusable. They are great for storing your handmade paint but are also great for saving custom mixes you use a lot.
"Irrigation" syringes are widely available at most drug stores, but you'll probably have to ask the pharmacist because they are usually behind the counter (they are perfectly legal to buy). Farmers supply stores will usually have big veterinary syringes too. They come in various sizes from the most common are 37ml, 60ml and 150ml and are usually less than 75 cents each. Baby medicine syringes work great too for small mixes and batches of paint too. Many baby syringes come complete with a cap. For the larger syringes you'll have to add a removable cap.
Below the first picture shows the typical business end of the syringe, and the next picture shows it after carefully drilling out the inner nipple.
Next I cut the top off a old used tube of toothpaste and simply epoxied it to the syringes.

Publish Post

syringe business end

center drilled out

toothpaste tube treads epoxied to syringe

done

top from an used up old tube of oil paint glued to syringe

I also tried the same thing using a the nipple of an old used up empty paint tube with even better results. The great thing about these is that they are reusable, and are actually cheaper than most empty metal tubes sold at art supply stores.

Brush Racks

2008-04-17T14:27:00.001-04:00

These brush drying racks are a great idea I had, They make choosing a brush easier and after cleaning they allow the brush to dry flat. Drying flat keeps the water, solvent and any left paint from dripping down into the farrel, where it can cause the wood to swell and loosen.
The fist one I made is just nails pounded in rows into some scrap MDO board I had laying around. I also cut a couple V shaped scraps and nailed them to the side of the MDO board creating a "lean to" shape that allows it stand up at an angle. It would be better to make it out of all wood using dowels for the rack arms instead of nails and then finished to look nice. A way of making a portable brush rack using wood construction would be to add a hinge on the top so it can be folded flat, putting a carrying handle on top and adding a way of locking down the brushes so they'll stay put. Also it would be better to have 3 rack arms to a row, spaced a little farther apart to accommodate long and short brushes better.This wood rack is something I found at a thrift store pretty much as is. I don't know what it was originally used for, but it works great as a brush rack.
The wire rack is actually a $1.00 cheapo CD holder the works almost perfectly for brushes.
I have a lot of brushes.Instead of washing out brushes for every color, it's much more handy just to use a different brush for every color used. That also keeps the colors clean and pure.

Guitar Shaped Palettes

2008-04-17T14:11:00.000-04:00

Here's my guitar shape palettes. I made these from 1/4" birch plywood that finished on both sides. The plywood looks nice, is stronger and less likely to split than solid wood. The only finish is a little linseed oil rubbed into all sides and left about a day to dry. When I'm fished painting for the day I just wipe off (and rub in) any excess paint with a rag or paper towel. After a while they develop a nice neutral patina.
The first one I did is about 18 x 24 and was based on a fender srat body. I simply sketched it out first, and then cut it out of a 2'x4'plywood sheet using a jig saw. The second picture is a detail of the back showing a piece of metal I epoxied on that fits into my hand when holding the palette, an innovation that makes it more comfortable and secure to hold. It works very well.

That first palette was a little too big for the way I normally paint, and I had some plywood left, so I tried making another one that was a little smaller. This one is well used and has a nice grey patina that helps judging colors. It gets quite glossy and smooth too.
The newest one I made is much smaller and shaped like a les paul. As you can see the "neck" area is a great place to keep the sulvent cups. The smaller size allows me to get up close to my work and is quickly becoming my favorite palette, just as the real Les Paul has become my favorite guitar.
These can be fairly easily made yourself I less than an hour.
If you would like one that hand made by me, I can make them at $18 for the small (approx. 8"x11"), $25 for the mid-sized (aprox.16"x20") and $32 for the large (approx. 18"x24"), shipping will be extra. Each one will be hand made and unique and made to order. I can also customise one to any guitar you want including accoutics. For an additional fee, I can also make them in animal or other object shapes. They can also be made of any solid wood of your choosing. The cost will be based on the diffcaulty of the shape and expense of the wood. Email me at toxicgraphix@gmail.com if your interested.

There is no such thing as Art

2008-04-09T09:35:00.000-04:00

*Sarcasm alert.*
In the art circles composed of critics, galleries and their rich patron sheep, there is apparently a difference between art and illustration. A great artists like Frank Frazetta or Norman Rockwell are not considered artists, but a "illustrators". This is because they paint scenes from books or other commercial work. What makes an illustrator a illustrator instead of an artist? If it is because he was paid for it, then any artist who makes money on their art is an illustrator. If it is because his paintings tell a story or are scenes from books then all the old masters were just illustrators too. What's the difference between painting scenes from Myths, The Bible or Tarzan of the Apes? They are all storys.
It seems to me that all representational art tells a story, including still lives, Surrealism, Expressionist,Impressionist,Pointillism,Pop Art and indeed almost all art.

Now that we've established that all representational, and abstract representational artists are not artists but "illustrators", what do we have left?
We have the pure abstract artists who paint abstract images, colors and shapes that have no meaning (if they had meaning they would be illustrators). It can be said that abstract art isn't art, but merely design. Arranging shapes on a space for a pleasing effect. It takes little skill or craft as many episodes of "trading spaces" can attest. With some forms of abstract art it is doubtful that anyone could be able to tell the difference from work done by a artist and one painted by an elephant if they were not told.

In conclusion let's sum things up:
Representational artists are not "real" artists but "Illustrators". Abstract artists are not real artists, they are just "Designers".

This proves that there are no "real" artists and there is no such thing as real art.

The Theory of the Universal Center

2008-04-06T20:16:00.000-04:00

If you were at the center of the universe it would be equal distance in all directions stemming from your position. If the universe is infinite then each person, each thing, each atom, each point is at the center of the universe because no matter where an object is, it is equal distance of infinity in all directions to the edge of the universe. I'm not a mathematician but I'm sure this could be mathematically proven rather simply.
It also follows that since each object is at the center "everything" is at the same place. Space travel should be easy, since your not going anywhere. For instance if I am at the center of the universe, and Mars is at the center of the universe too, we are both in the same spot already.
This is in contradiction to current theories on the universe that claim it has no center. The universe must have a center or it can't exist. In fact, the universe is all center, because every point contained in it, is the center.
I also propose this can be extended to time. If time has always been and always be then each object is at the exact center of the time line. When the dinosaurs were alive, they were at the center of time, and future events will be at the middle of time also. If that is true then everything is always at the same point in time. Therefore it would be easy to travel through time, because past, present and future are happening all at once.
TA-DA, put that in your pipe and smoke it.

Archival Painting Method

2008-03-03T14:31:00.000-05:00

I've heard and read a great deal of debate and discussion among artists on the best methods for keeping their paintings from deteriorating over the years. They heatedly discuss proper supports, materials, grounds, types of gesso, the light fastness of paints and a multitude of other methods and proper procedures.

While good craftsmanship is essential to good work of any type, the single most important thing you can do to make your art last for centurys is to paint great art! All the greatest materials and methods and recipes in the world are not going to make your art last if it's in a dumpster. Your art needs to move people save it, to pass it down to their children, or for somebody to buy it, hang it up and love it. If it moves someone they will take care of it no matter what it was made of.

Look at all the paintings that have lasted for centurys, they are almost all masterpieces. Is this just coincidence? Are great painters the only ones that used sound techniques? Did lesser painters use "student grade paint's" on cardboard - so that no "average" art has survived? Many masters like Da Vinci experimented with fugitive materials and paints, but are still around today.
The reason great paintings are with us today, is because they are great paintings, not what they are made of. Great pieces of art that motivated people to keep them, take care of them and love them through war, famine and all manner of things that would have destroyed even solid steel! I am willing to speculate that the there are thousands - maybe hundreds of thousands of paintings that are gone despite the fact that they were made to last forever and used impeccable materials and paints.

So if you wish that your paintings to last a long time - make great paintings.

I am the ERASER.

2008-02-27T12:33:00.000-05:00

The color that we see on a painted surface is reflected light. The paint reflects the light that we see and call it's color, but it is actually sucking up all the colors we don't see. For instance red paint is actually yellow and blue. "Red" paint absorbs and gathers blue and yellow light and REJECTS the red light, it is reflected back at us to perceive as "red".
Get it? I didn't think so.

White light is all the colors of the spectrum mixed together, but a white canvas is actually black because it has no color of it's own. It reflects all colors back to us and we only perceive it as white. When I begin to paint on a white panel or canvas I am merely stripping away or erasing the layers of light and revealing the art that was unseen. I am taking colors away from the white, so that only some colors are reflected back and no longer perceived as white.

Tattoo Machines

2008-02-07T17:57:00.000-05:00

Here's a few simple designs for some tattoo machines I did a few years ago. The tattoo machine has stayed basically the same since 1876. These were an attempt to make a new type of machine.

There are no stars in the sky and that is why

2008-02-03T10:20:00.000-05:00

I was looking at the sky noticing how few stars you can see. Even on a clear night in the city, only a few of the brightest stars will make it through the multitudes of artificial lights. A thought came to me.
My theory is that at least in part, some of the problems of the inner city (drop out rates, schools, crime, bigotry, poverty, the lack respect for themselves, others, and nature) is due to the city lights. At night you cannot see any stars. People have lost there sense of wonder. They can't look up in the sky in awe and realize the magnificence of the universe, and wonder at their place it. --just a thought.

Ancient Water Mixible Oil Paint

2008-01-25T15:51:00.000-05:00

I'm just going to use this blog as for general ideas and notes. Later I will design and improve the overall Blog. I'm not a great writer an don't intend this to be anything but a notepad.

I was reading an interesting article on ancient Indian cave paintings here: http://www.shumla.org/discover/paintmaking.htm . The archaeologists were attempting to manufacture the paint they used, but they would need to use the ingredients that would be available to the Indians at that time. Ruffly 2000 years BC.
They know through tests on samples what pigments were used, but they didn't know for sure what the binder was. It would have to be something that lasts 4000 years and be easily available in the area. Animal fat is a common binder is often used by native tribes. After trying other possibilities they decided that animal fat was the most likely binder.
But what did they use as a thinner? They hypothesised that a thinner must have been used to make some of the cave paintings. There was no petroleum solvents or turpentine available. Water can't thin paint with animal fat (oil) as it's binder. They eventually tried adding an extract of Yucca root (a natural soap) to the water and it worked beautifully as a thinner for the fat based paint. It apparently even added some very nice handling properties to the paint.
I'm would think that this should work just as well with linseed, or other oil based paints too.
This predates the invention of water mixable oil paints by nearly 4000 years.

I'm going to try adding a little concentrated Yucca extract to linseed oil and see if I can use it to make a water soluble oil based paint. If this is indeed what the Indians used then it should be a very tough and permanent paint, as it lasted 4000 years on the cave walls!