Each volume concentrates on different pigments. "Artists' pigments series: an encyclopedic reference [intended] For the practicing artist to learn a pigment's color, hiding power, lightfastness, toxicity, compatibility; For the art historian to know how an artist worked, what pigments were used, whether they were pure or mixed, opaque or transparent, layered or not; For the conservator to devise techniques necessary for the care and conservation of works of art, to determine what is original, to repair damages, to compensate for missing portions of a painted surface; For the curator and the connoisseur to know the history of manufacture and use of pigments, to authenticate and assign probable dates to works of art; For the conservation scientist to learn identification methods used, including optical microscopy, microchemical tests, X-ray diffraction, infrared and reflectance spectrophotometry, and electron microscopy."