Chemistry of Art:
The History of Pigments
Prehistory
The Kinds Of Pigments
Pigment #1
Red Ochre: Red ochre is made up of iron oxide mainly. Its Greek name is hematite. It was introduced to the world of art since the prehistoric times, that makes this pigment one of the oldest pigments that we know in the world today. It is easily compatible to be mixed with other pigments. The transparency of ochres very tremendously. Some may seem exceptionally opaque while others may only be of use only as a glaze. This pigments origin can be both natural earth and artificial. Its chemical name is Anhydrous iron(III)-oxide. Although this pigment can be found all around the world, you will find the highest quality of it from Cyprus.
Pigment #2
Lead-tin yellow: Lead tin yellow is made up of 3 parts lead oxide, and 1 part tin oxide. It was first discovered in the 13th century, but commonly the 15th, and 17th centuries. This yellow is a very bright, opaque yellow. It is used, and mixed with earth greens, and foliage. There is 2 types of lead tin yellow. The first type is lead-tin oxide and is mostly found on old paintings. While the second type is a second variety of lead-tin oxide that may contain free tin oxide and additional silicon. both were said to be used as opacifiers in ancient glasses.
Pigment#3
Carbon Black: Carbon Black has been a pigment since the pre historical time, and is made by charring wood. Carbon Black is charcoal and has been used for sketching and the bottom layer of paintings throughout history. Today, carbon black is still used in art, but also as printer toner. The chemical name of Carbon black is Amorphous carbon, with a simple formula of C. Carbon Black is one of the most stable of all materials, and is non toxic.
Look Closer: Scientific Techniques
Technique #1
3D Modeling: 3D Modeling is a technique that involves the design of a subject. The technique transforms the design into a 3-dimensional so you can experience the design more in depth and at a more enhanced level. 3D Modeling is used for recording layouts of land, and it can create interactive 3D models of land. Models such as these allow viewers to see everything that is on the land, such as rocks, trees, hills, and valleys on a small scale. Instead of being a non-dimensional flat landscape, 3D modeling allows viewers to see details that could be missed otherwise. 3D Modeling has become one of the greatest advancement in history for design because of the efficiency of the technique and technology. This technique has been proven and will continue to be proven to be both timely and economically efficient to other traditional techniques.
Technique #2
Tomography: Tomography is the technique of observing and analysing the inside of a painting without actually cutting open the painting. This amazing and innovative technique uses penetrating radiations like x-rays, gamma rays, neutrons, and ultrasounds. With the ability of being able to to actually look at the insides of a painting or priceless artifact and not destroying or damaging it will help conserve the heritage of the subject. The subjects that are mainly tested by this technique are mummies, statues, vessels and other little subjects. Tomography comes from the Greek word tomos which means "slice".
Conclusion
The History of Pigments
Prehistory
- Decorated walls with paint made from dirt or charcoal mixed with spit or animal fat.
- Historians believe that the paint was applied with brushing, smearing, dabbing and spraying techniques.
- Prehistoric painters used the pigments available in the vicinity. These paints were called earth pigments.
- These pigments were not toxic.
- Paints were created by using ground pigment along with gums or animal glue, these made the pigments workable and fixed them to the surface being decorated.
- Egyptians covered walls with a layer of plaster then painted onto them.
- They mixed their colors in a binder to make them stick to the plaster, the binder usually was wax or wax and resin.
- Colors in paintings were highly symbolic to the Egyptians, however they only really used the colors red, green, blue, yellow, white, and black.
- All of the materials used in prehistory and antiquity were used in the medieval ages, with the addition of ultramarine, and green earth.
- They invented chalk like sticks iron oxide.
- All paints in this section is non toxic except for lead.
- Includes the earth pigments just like the last couple of time periods.
- Includes earth ores, carbon black, malachite, azurite, lazuite, calcite, orpiment, and lake pigments.
- Lead is the only toxic pigment in this time period.
- Dutch Vermillion was also created from heating mercury and sulfur.
- Same earth pigments were used along with the ones added to the previous times.
- The new pigments were the Prussian Blue and the Cobalt Green. They were labelled as the first modern pigments because it uses iron-hexacyanoferrate along with cobalt and zinc oxides.
- Lead again was the only toxic pigment in this time.
- Watercolors became popular and honey prevents the color cakes from cracking when the watercolors are in storage.
- There was a rapid growth for the textile industry and urgent calls for dyes.
- Manufacturers began to pre-mix the paint when they figured out how to keep pigments suspended in linseed oil.
- The common paints became cheaper and new paints were created.
- The toxic paints were lead and the emerald-green paints.
- No chemical reactions were in this section.
- Titanium White was discovered in this time period and it is now the brightest white that was ever used in art. It was created from different minerals, anatase, and rutile.
- The introduced pigments in this time period were really toxic. This was because most of the pigments included titanium for brightness.
The Kinds Of Pigments
Pigment #1
Red Ochre: Red ochre is made up of iron oxide mainly. Its Greek name is hematite. It was introduced to the world of art since the prehistoric times, that makes this pigment one of the oldest pigments that we know in the world today. It is easily compatible to be mixed with other pigments. The transparency of ochres very tremendously. Some may seem exceptionally opaque while others may only be of use only as a glaze. This pigments origin can be both natural earth and artificial. Its chemical name is Anhydrous iron(III)-oxide. Although this pigment can be found all around the world, you will find the highest quality of it from Cyprus.
Pigment #2
Lead-tin yellow: Lead tin yellow is made up of 3 parts lead oxide, and 1 part tin oxide. It was first discovered in the 13th century, but commonly the 15th, and 17th centuries. This yellow is a very bright, opaque yellow. It is used, and mixed with earth greens, and foliage. There is 2 types of lead tin yellow. The first type is lead-tin oxide and is mostly found on old paintings. While the second type is a second variety of lead-tin oxide that may contain free tin oxide and additional silicon. both were said to be used as opacifiers in ancient glasses.
Pigment#3
Carbon Black: Carbon Black has been a pigment since the pre historical time, and is made by charring wood. Carbon Black is charcoal and has been used for sketching and the bottom layer of paintings throughout history. Today, carbon black is still used in art, but also as printer toner. The chemical name of Carbon black is Amorphous carbon, with a simple formula of C. Carbon Black is one of the most stable of all materials, and is non toxic.
Look Closer: Scientific Techniques
Technique #1
3D Modeling: 3D Modeling is a technique that involves the design of a subject. The technique transforms the design into a 3-dimensional so you can experience the design more in depth and at a more enhanced level. 3D Modeling is used for recording layouts of land, and it can create interactive 3D models of land. Models such as these allow viewers to see everything that is on the land, such as rocks, trees, hills, and valleys on a small scale. Instead of being a non-dimensional flat landscape, 3D modeling allows viewers to see details that could be missed otherwise. 3D Modeling has become one of the greatest advancement in history for design because of the efficiency of the technique and technology. This technique has been proven and will continue to be proven to be both timely and economically efficient to other traditional techniques.
Technique #2
Tomography: Tomography is the technique of observing and analysing the inside of a painting without actually cutting open the painting. This amazing and innovative technique uses penetrating radiations like x-rays, gamma rays, neutrons, and ultrasounds. With the ability of being able to to actually look at the insides of a painting or priceless artifact and not destroying or damaging it will help conserve the heritage of the subject. The subjects that are mainly tested by this technique are mummies, statues, vessels and other little subjects. Tomography comes from the Greek word tomos which means "slice".
Conclusion
- How does art depend on chemistry?
- Art has depended on chemistry and science ever since the actually beginning of art. It plays in effect to almost every part of it. It plays in effect for the creating of pigment, it plays in effect in the preservation of paint, and it plays in effect for the preservation of artwork. Pigments are in fact just a variety of compounds and elements that mix together and create characteristics that humans happen to find pleasing to the eyes. Chemistry is at work when all these compounds and elements are mixing and creating the different visually pleasing characteristics. For example when the compounds Aluminum-Chloride and Cobalt-Chloride mix they create Cobalt Blue, a pigment that has been commonly used since the Middle Ages. Another example might be the creation of Prussian Blue. This pigment is created from the chemical reactions of potassium ferrocyanide and iron(III)-chloride. This pigment has been in use since the Modern Ages. Another effect that chemistry and science have on art is preserving the art pieces that are created. Different technologies and techniques help in the preservation of priceless art such as X-ray scanning, 3D Printing, and the use of Tomography technology. All of these techniques and technologies have been developed from chemistry and science and because of them we now have the power to observe and analysis these astonishing works of art without leaving a scratch on them. This helps in preserving the art and the culture and heritage that comes along with it. These are the reasons that art depends on chemistry and science.
Sounds of Science:
- How does music work as a tool to educate?
- I believe that music can be used as a learning tool in school as well as outside of school. I also believe that the studies on classical music such as Mozart are true and can help us relax and help us learn and get our work done faster because I have had first hand experience with that at school and it helped me.
- Why is music an effective educational tool?
- Yes, Music is a very effective educational tool.
- What is happening in the brain when a person listens to music?
- There is a chemical reaction in our brain that helps us calm down, there are also many other things that music has said to have done to the brain, those things being calming us down, pumping us up, and boosting our mood.
- What chemicals are responsible for producing/regulating emotions?
- The chemical that is responsible for regulating our emotions is “Immunoglobulin a” that is what scientists say. They don’t exactly why is regulates our emotions but they are studying the brain to be able to understand it.
- How do those chemicals react to musical stimuli?
- These chemicals react to musical stimuli because there is something about music that makes your brain react and it releases this chemical and sends it throughout your body and makes us feel good and enhances our moods.
- What is music therapy?
- Music therapy is a clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions. It is often used to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship and is only used when there is a credentialed professional who had gone through an approved music therapy class.
- What types of medical conditions can music therapy be used for?
- Music can help with many things it can help reduce stress and anxiety levels before surgery. They have done studies for this where they gave a patient anti-anxiety pills and the other patient music, the study had shown that music was able to reduce the anxiety levels of the patient faster and overall calmed them down faster than the pill would have.
- How can music enhance mood or quality of life?
- Music can totally enhance our moods! Scientists at the University of Missouri found that when you’re listening to upbeat music on things such as Pandora or Spotify you can boost your mood.
- What is synesthesia?
- Synesthesia is an anomalous condition where the production of a sense impression relating to one sense or part of the body by stimulation of another sense or part of the body.