Pigment Classes

There are four different types of pigments, inorganic, organic, natural, and synthetic. The difference between natural and synthetic pigment is that synthetic pigments are made from raw materials that weren’t already pigments. As well synthetic pigments are chemical reactions, while naturals are refined from native ores or earths and with a little help of physical and chemical treatments they are turned into pigments. An inorganic pigment would be hematite or another type of mineral and an organic pigment is one coming from a vegetable or animal. A pigment coming from an animal is Indian Yellow. It came from the urine of cows that were only fed mango leaves and water. This diet made their urine very bright but unfortunately it also ended the cows’ lives so they had to ban this color from being sold. I mentioned this pigment in one of my earlier post, if you would like to know more organic pigments you can visit that same site.

For more information on this matter try visiting: http://www.noteaccess.com/MATERIALS/ClassificationP.htm

Art by Benton

The Covered Wagon (1944)

This is just a painting by Benton that i myself found ascetically pleasing.

For more artwork by Thomas Hart Benton as well as information visit:http://www.areaofdesign.com/americanicons/benton.htm

Neosho

Born in Neosho, Missouri, on April 15, 1889 was Thomas Hart Benton. Now you may think who is this Thomas you speak of, not like there isn't enough people with that name in the world already, but anyway Thomas Hart Benton was a famous painter/muralist. He was most known for having a big impact in the regionalism art period. Regionalism was a movement where the artist would not concentrate on the new technological developments at the time and focus more on rural life. Benton's art was based on the common worker or regular life of people of his time. His art was said to "make common people heroes." His artwork also was focused on the "good" and "bad" people. He would have villans in his paintings and Thomas did not like them since they took adavantage of people. Although his art seems very powerful and meaningful of course there were people that thought it was too outspoken and that he looked into politics too much.

For more about Thomas Hart Benton's life visit : http://shs.umsystem.edu/famousmissourians/artists/benton/benton.shtml#legacy

American Scene Painting Movement!

(1930 to 1935) The "American Scene" in other words is the American Regionalism, which is when artist would create art on the rural life of people and landscapes. The artist didn't want to have to focus on what was going on since would War I just ended so their art was more like a nationalism and romanticism of everyday American life. Another type of art that was a branch from Regionalism is Social Realism. It was kind of like Regionalism but it was more political. Unlike American Regionalism, Social Realism was more urban. Some famous artist from this type of art were Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco. The best known artist of the Regionalism were called the Regionalist Triumvirate and consist of Grant Wood in Iowa, Thomas Hart Benton in Missouri, and John Steuart Curry in Kansas.

American Scene Painting. 24 February 2008.

<http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/americanscene/>

Question!

While looking at a wedsite that was displaying how you make tempera paint. It lays it down plain and simple that you simply mix egg yolk, water and "finely ground pigments." So i was wondering if you could substitute the "finely ground pigments" with like a colored pixie stick or something like that.

Making Egg Tempera Paint. The Society of Tempera Painters. 18 February 2008. <http://www.eggtempera.com/paint.html>

A Plethra of Pigments

While on the quest to find more information on pigments and their history i came across this site below. It has many different colors and how people "discovered" them. I put discovered in quotations because all they did was add a little water or something. I mean its all natural stuff, you can't make it yourself.

The paint color i found most interesting would have to be Indian Yellow. It was made from the pee of cows but these cows were only fed mango leaves and water. This made their pee really bright and it also made them die. So they had to stop making this color yet now they found a new way to make this color with gold.



Historical Pigment Hisotry. Golden Artist Colors. 18 February 2008. <http://www.goldenpaints.com/products/color/heavybody/histpighist.php>

The pigment RED

Have you ever wondered how we get the lovely color red?

Well I know I have never personally thought about it, but I came across how they found traces of red pigments on dead bodies from as late as the Paleolithic period. Red symbolized the meaning of life or its ending. I found this very interesting yet it makes sense. I mean blood is red and I guess that's how it explains it self. Another thing I learned was how they got the red pigment from the mineral hematite. At first I didn't know what hematite was but after a little research I found out that it is Iron [III] Oxide. When crushed in the powder form it looks a blood red color and that’s how they would use it.

The Mineral Hematite. Amethyst Galleries. 18 February 2008. <http://www.galleries.com/minerals/oxides/hematite/hematite.htm>

Why have this blog?!?!

The purpose of this blog is to reflect on what new information i am learning about how art and the Industrial Revolution go hand in hand. I will mention a few projects and the steps i am taking to make them a final project as well as listing cites that i think might be help full to you if you are interested about the same things.