| Today’s artists have a virtually unlimited palette | | | | is dry. |
| with tubes of commercial oil paints available in every | | | | Once an artist selects the pigment and binder, these |
| possible color and shade. Not only that, modern oil | | | | components are then hand ground into a paste. Using |
| paints are easy to combine with one another, making it | | | | a marble surface and a stone muller, the artist then |
| possible to create any color imaginable. In the past, | | | | grinds the paint until the desired characteristics have |
| artists had to hand grind pigments, mixing their oils | | | | been achieved. In Vermeer’s time, the paints were |
| individually before each painting session. The book, The | | | | of a much thicker consistency than the oil paints of |
| Girl with the Pearl Earring, gave us a glimpse into this | | | | today. The hand-ground oil paints of the time usually |
| world, showing us Vermeer at work carefully mixing | | | | had to be created daily, as long-term storage was not |
| the brilliant colors by hand. | | | | feasible. Some excess paint could be stored in pig |
| In fact, Vermeer used a simple palette consisting of | | | | bladders temporarily. |
| about a dozen pigments to create The Girl with the | | | | In Vermeer’s time, and as illustrated in the book, an |
| Pearl Earring. This palette was similar to the palettes | | | | apprentice was often tasked with grinding and mixing |
| commonly used by Dutch painters of the time though | | | | oil paints. Once the apprentice mastered the art of |
| Vermeer opted for the more expensive lapis lazuli | | | | mixing oil paints, the artist could then focus on the |
| over azurite. His brilliant blues were not the result of | | | | artwork itself. |
| picking out a tube of paint that met his needs; they | | | | However, Vermeer didn’t simply apply his freshly |
| were the result of his mastery of mixing oil paints as | | | | mixed oil paints to the canvas as modern artists do |
| well as his underpainting techniques. | | | | today. First, he had to prepare the canvas, draw the |
| Grinding pigments is an involved art form in its own | | | | outline, and then begin painting by using a process |
| right. Not only did the artist need to create the colors | | | | known as “underpainting.” This process involves |
| consistently for each painting session, the process | | | | painting a monochromatic version of the composition. |
| involves precise measurements and precise grinding | | | | Once dry, layers of color are then added. The |
| times. A minor adjustment changes the characteristics | | | | underpainting provides depth and luminance to the final |
| of the paint which could lead to undesirable colors and | | | | artwork. X-ray images of The Girl with a Pearl Earring |
| consistencies. | | | | reveal the presence of lead which indicates that |
| Oil paint consists of two components: pigment and oil. | | | | Vermeer used lead white in his underpainting. Some |
| Pigments are usually mineral based or organic in | | | | scholars also believe that Vermeer used the camera |
| nature. Most pigments come in powered form though | | | | obscura technique with this painting. |
| some dyes are mixed with alum or clay. Oils act as | | | | Regardless of how Vermeer crafted The Girl with the |
| binders to the pigment as well as lend their own | | | | Pearl Earring, it is clear that Vermeer was a master |
| characteristics to the paint. For example, linseed oil, | | | | indeed. From hand grinding pigments into brilliant colors |
| walnut oil, and poppy oil each have their own | | | | to capturing the girl’s seductive innocence, a lifetime |
| characteristics both in terms of how well they handle | | | | of dedication to art reveals itself on canvas. |
| as well as how the oil affects the color once the paint | | | | |