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Painting with a Mixed (Chromatic) Black

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by Marion Boddy-Evans
Updated October 30, 2018

Chromatic black is a mixed paint color that looks black but doesn't contain any
black pigment in it. None of the pigments in a chromatic black mix have a PBk
(Pigment Black) Color Index. Instead, a chromatic black is created by mixing dark
Hobbies & Activities versions of other colors, typically a red and green or blue and red.

Painting Why Use Chromatic Black?

Painting Supplies Given how easy it is to squeeze paint out of a
tube, why would you bother mixing up a
Learn to Paint
substitute for black? It's partly the fault of the
Lessons & Tutorials Impressionists (such as Renoir and Monet)
Techniques and statements they made about shadows not
being black and how it should never be used
Famous Painters
(although most of them did at some stage or
other).
Hiking
It's partly because using too much black to
Paddling darken colors easily results in muddy colors.
This is especially true amongst beginners, so
Fishing some art tutors find it easiest to ban black
altogether. It's partly because black can be a
Sailing & Boating very flat and dull color. And it's partly
because a chromatic black is a more complex,
Scuba Diving Experim ents m ixing a chrom atic black: interesting color, with a subtlety that straight
adding anthraquinone red (PR1 7 7 ), perm anent
rose (PV1 9 ), and cadm ium red m edium (PR1 08)
black lacks.
Playing Guitar to phthalo green blue shade (PG7 ). Far left:
Iv ory black (PBk9 ). Photo © 2 01 0 Marion
Boddy -Ev ans. Licensed to About.com , Inc.
Playing Piano

VIEW MORE Recipes for Chromatic Black

Experim ents m ixing a chrom atic black: adding anthraquinone red (PR1 7 7 ) and perm anent rose
(PV1 9 )m ixed with phthalo green blue shade (PG7 ), and titanium white (PW6 ). Photo © 2 01 0 Marion Boddy -
Ev ans. Licensed to About.com , Inc.

What pigments you use to create a chromatic black is not a question of right or wrong
colors, but experimenting with various options until you find a combination you like.
Start by mixing in equal proportions, but be sure to also try mixes that aren't equal, so
you've a 'black' that leans towards a color.

Basic Complementary Colors: Your darkest green + darkest red (check the paint
tube labels to ensure there isn't any black in a color, for instance a cadmium red
deep.

Perfect Complementaries (according to Robert Gamblin): Quinacridone red +

phthalo emerald.

The Deep Purple Recipe: Your darkest blue + darkest red

Art Teacher Jim Meaders: Prussian blue + alizarin crimson + and an earth color.

Warm + Cool: Any two deep, dark colors with one warm and the other cool.

A quick way to see whether your chromatic black has a bias towards one color or
another, is to mix a little into some white. You'll immediately see if the grey has a pink
(or green, or something) tinge to it, or not. Alternatively, scrap a little bit smooth with
a painting knife to reveal the undertone.

Ready-Made Chromatic Black:

If you don't like mixing colors and would rather buy a tube of chromatic black, as far
as I know Gamblin is the only paint company that sells one. Gamblin makes an oil
chromatic black using PG36 and PV19 (phthalo green and quinacridone red). (Buy
Direct)

Example of Chromatic Black in a Painting

In the painting shown here, artist Jön
Otterson has used chromatic black for
shading and texture, as well as blended with
other colors to darken or gray them. He said:
"This is my favorite way to use chromatic
black." It's not hard to see why: the colors
harmonize beautifully, there's a color unity
across the composition, and a range of tones.

Painting tip: Jön used drafting tape

(similar to masking tape) for blocking out the
tree trunks while he painted the background.
If you want straight lines, tape is easier than
masking fluid. (More on Masking with Tape.)

"Birch" by Jön Otterson, using chrom atic

black. Painting © Jön Otterson

Color Mixing Tip:

How to Mix a Black

Tips and Techniques for

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