The Question of Black

I have been painting with oils for over a decade and I absolutely hate the color black. In my entire career as an oil painter I have never once bought black paint, ever. I love dark values and I love contrast, but you will never see me using black in any of my paintings. 

You might be asking yourself, "Why would a self identified painter disregard such a basic color? 

Well, I am a very stubborn painter, and old habits die hard. 

Particularly, old comments from my 5th grade art teacher. As an eleven year old, my favorite art teacher, Miss Patty, taught me two things: mix your own blacks, and never use paint out of the tube. I was conditioned from an early age to mix my own black, and I still do to this day. 

Why painters mix black

It is a very "painterly" thing to mix your own blacks. But why do painters do this? Painters mix their own blacks to create a cohesive pallet. Black is a very harsh color, and it tends to overshadow the nuances of color. Utilizing colors you already have on your pallet, such as blues and purples, will create unity, and a little bit of softness.

Mixing your own blacks will create that softness, but it will also bring your painting to life. 

I'm a person who likes color in my work. The more black you use, the more color you lose. It takes away that vibrancy. Color is life, and a painting without color is lifeless. 

If you are attempting to represent the natural world, mixing black is the way to go. That's not to say you can't make a great painting with black - of course you can! Substituting black for color simply creates nuance. 

Rarely do we see pure black in the real world. If you look closely, you might notice some undertones in the shadows around you. You might see some blues, purples, and even some greens. But one thing is for sure: 

No shadow is 100% black.

How to do it yourself 

You might be asking yourself, "How do you mix black?" It's as simple as mixing two opposite colors together!

Some of my absolute favorite color combinations are as follows:

• Burnt Sienna and Ultramarine Blue

• Cadmium Red Light and Cobalt Teal

• Alizarine Crimson and Emerald Green

Pro tip: If you are interesting in mixing your own blacks, spend some time practicing. Opposite colors generally make black, but that's not always the case. It takes some time to learn how much of what to mix together to get the desired black that you want. Just know that the color combinations are rarely 50/50.

Start with small amounts of paint and add more as you go. And remember, you can always go back to Michaels and pick up some black paint.

Miss Patty will be just fine if you decide not to mix it yourself.