# Pigments, Colors & Other Stories An interdisciplinary look at color, art, cognition and the things that make us human. Page: Feed: --- ## [Pigment Tuesday: ultramarine blue](https://mariacj.substack.com/p/pigment-tuesday-ultramarine-blue) _2026-07-21 · María C.J_ I've started a new series called 'Pigment Tuesday'. In each post, we'll discover a new pigment, its history and applications in art. We're starting with the king of blues: lapis lazuli. ## [Pigment Guide #7: oil paint](https://mariacj.substack.com/p/pigment-guide-7-oil-paint) _2026-07-06 · María C.J_ This week, we turn to one of the most popular art techniques of the last 500 years: oil painting. ## [Pigments under the skin: ancient and traditional tattooing among women](https://mariacj.substack.com/p/pigments-under-the-skin-ancient-and) _2026-06-21 · María C.J_ Is this post, I explore some of the traditional methods, meaning and ingredientes used in ancient and indigenous tattooing around the world. ## [Pigment Guide #6: iron gall ink (recipes from 16th century Spain)](https://mariacj.substack.com/p/pigment-guide-7-iron-gall-ink-recipes) _2026-06-07 · María C.J_ Conservation studies about iron gall inks have increased exponentially in the past years. ## [Debunking the myths and prejudices surrounding prehistoric rock art](https://mariacj.substack.com/p/debunking-myths-and-prejudices-surrounding) _2026-05-17 · María C.J_ In this post, I cover six topics that are usually controversial or misunderstood about prehistoric art. ## [Pigment Guide #5: egg tempera](https://mariacj.substack.com/p/pigment-guide-6-egg-tempera) _2026-05-03 · María C.J_ Welcome back to the Pigment Guide! ## [Coats of arms: the ID of the Middle Ages](https://mariacj.substack.com/p/coats-of-arms-the-id-of-the-middle) _2026-03-29 · María C.J_ How could you demonstrate who you were before modern IDs were invented? ## [Bonus post #5: A legendary varnish?](https://mariacj.substack.com/p/bonus-post-5-a-legendary-varnish) _2026-03-15 · María C.J_ What makes the Stradivarius and Guarneri string instruments the best in the world? ## [Pigment Guide #4: charcoal](https://mariacj.substack.com/p/pigment-guide-4-homemade-charcoal) _2026-03-08 · María C.J_ We change gears in this post, from mineral pigment to charcoal. In this post, you'll learn how to make charcoal pencils and black pigment in a totally natural way. ## [Chovy's Blog: Agentic Coding (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/QW4QuvuNICV5) _2026-03-08 · **Sponsored**_ Personal posts on agentic coding, moshcode CLI, and security findings. ## [What was in Diego Velazquez's palette?](https://mariacj.substack.com/p/what-was-in-diego-velazquezs-palette) _2026-02-22 · María C.J_ Las Meninas is one of the most famous paintings in European Art History. There have been countless studies about it, but what pigments were used in Velázquez´s masterpiece? Find out in my latest post.