Pigment Microscopy: A tool for the identification of pigments in works of art by Ruth Siddall

Being a pigment analyst and my interest, specifically, is the analysis of artists’ pigments. By which I mean pigments that have been used by a historical or contemporary artist in creating a painting or installation. Whilst this may at first seem obvious, it is an important… more

Theory(s) of Colour

An enormous diversity of ideas exists with regard to colour and its many uses. These ideas are fluid and depend on cultures, histories, religions, and professions (including that of an artist) and change through time. Therefore, having one single unifying theory of colour would be simplistic… more

Cadmium and Lemon Yellows by Steve Johnson

*stevejohnsonart.eu There are three primary colours, red, yellow and blue. Red is the warmest; blue is the coolest. From these three primaries, all other possible colours can be mixed. Colours for Fine Art painting are made from pigment mixed with a binding medium, and pigments are… more

Three Uses of ‘Black’ in Fine Art by Steve Johnson

Francisco Goya, Ad Reinhardt, Anna Barriball   In terms of the science of physics, black is not a colour. Black absorbs all light from the visible colour spectrum and reflects none of this light back into our eyes. Black’s opposite, white, is a colour, scientifically speaking,… more

Palette table by Richard Wathen

(Picture above: Floating in still water, 2019)    Some years ago, I built a palette table on wheels, which has followed me from studio to studio. It has a large glass top and the white table can be seen through enabling me to mix colours cleanly.… more