From: Richard Sullivan FRPS (richsul@earthlink.net)
Date: 10/01/01-05:16:56 PM Z
More on pigments:
Sieving sounds like a really difficult way to go. With particle sizes
running from 1 to 10 microns it is hard to imagine how one could make or
find a sieve to do this. You might be able to wet filter the pigment
through a known filter but I can see all kinds of problems with clogging
etc. Surely a difficult if not insane task. There is a simpler and better
way to do it:
Mix the ground pigment with water shake it up. Wait a certain amount of
time. The heavier particles settle off first. Pour off the top liquor and
let it settle or filter it. This is the finer particles. This method was
use by the Egyptians and Romans and is still used commercially today.
Also if the particles are real small and light they will remain in
suspension. Lampblack stays up in solution for instance.
Ball milling is used to make the watery first stage pigment dispersions.
Mulling is done to mix in heavy thick binders, etc, with the dispersion to
make tube oils and such. This is done commercially for producing these end
products. Ball milling does not work well for heavy binders. Unless you are
making your own oils or such, you need not get involved in mulling at all.
There is still a significant number of people making their own oils today.
Most good art stores still sell tubes un crimped at the rear for the "alt
painting" crowd.
--Dick Sullivan
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