Black
SPOTLIGHT ON COLOUR
SPONSORED
IVORY BLACK is a brown black of moderate tinting
strength recommended for general use. An inorganic
synthetic black made from carbon black and Calcium
Phosphate, in Roman times the best grades of Bone black
were burnt ivory. A very slow drier in oil, it should never
be used in under painting.
LAMP BLACK is a blue black that is lightfast, permanent
and opaque. A pure carbon, made from the residual soot
when burning oil, its name comes from the practice of
making it with oil lamps. It is a fluffy, fine pigment which
has a bluish tint and produces a wide selection of slightly
cool and blue greys. Slow drying, it should not be used
extensively as an under-painting layer for oil paints.
MARS BLACK is a denser, more neutral black with
stronger tinting power. It takes its name from Mars, the
god of war and patron of iron. An inorganic synthetic
iron oxide, Mars Black is more opaque and less toxic
than other black pigments. Developed in the early 20th
century, it is dense and opaque with a warmish brown
undertone.
PERYLENE BLACK. Introduced within the last ten years,
it is a strong black with a green undertone, it is so green
that in watercolour and acrylic it is called Perylene
Green. It can be used straight from the tube as black
or is good for green and blue mixtures and tweaking
complementaries.
“A painter should begin every
canvas with a wash of black,
because all things in nature are
dark except where exposed by the
light.”
Leonardo da Vinci.