Mona Lisa Facsimile Project
Mark Balma is creating a facsimile copy of the painting using the methods and materials Leonardo used in the creation of his Masterpiece! Mark will be using Oil of Spike
Read More
History
Of Bottles, Balsams and Blues
As many artists are recognizing, the supply situation for art materials is shifting. As one customer recently noted, it used to be possible to walk into a local art store
Read More
ROMAN BLACK EARTH
Roman Black Earth, our newest colour, gets its black from minerals, iron oxides, and carbon. The high iron content means this is a fast drying paint. Black earth pigments have
Read More
The Tube-Wringer Story
The Tube-Wringer was invented in the 1970s by Oregon inventor John Gill. As more products came in tubes, he saw that many tubes were thrown out still partially filled with
Read More
Leonardo and Light
According to Mark Balma, Leonard Da Vinci was an innovator in the realm of painting, as well as his many other inventions. In the previous tradition before Leonardo, painters would
Read More
LEONARDO DA VINCI Painting Techniques
2019 is Leonardo da Vinci’s 500th Anniversary. In the articles and videos that follow on this page, Leonardo specialist and artist Mark Balma explores Leonardo’s painting materials and techniques.
Read More
COMING FULL CIRCLE FOR ARTISTS
Globally we are coming full circle, returning to biobased materials. In fact, many early artist materials were based on natural oils, rosins, waxes, gums, polysaccharides, and other materials. One of
Read More
The Mystery of Sfumato
Much of today’s art places stress on bright colors and strong sharp lines. In a gallery the “high contrast” look will always stand out, leaping off the wall. However, there
Read More
The Color of a Culture
Can a culture develop an identity around certain colors? In the case of Indian Yellow, it appears to be the case. Indian Yellow, a beautiful yellow with overtones of vermilion,
Read More
OIL OF SPIKE LAVENDER AND “VENICE OF THE NORTH”
Bruges, in the Flemish region of Belgium, is sometimes called the “Venice of the North”. During the 1400s, it was home to such famous painters as Jan van Eyck, Geerard
Read More