Straight tube blacks have a very limited use in my painting. They are used mainly as accents, & occasionally, IN VERY SMALL quantities, to darken certain colors. When it comes to tube blacks (or any black, for that matter...you'll see later), "black" is not "black".

There are three main tube blacks on the market today...they are:

• Carbon Black (P Bk 7)
• Ivory Black (P Bk 9)
• Mars Black (P Bk 11)

Each of these blacks have different undertones and color temperatures.

Carbon Black is a cool black with bluish undertones. The pigment is derived from carbon produced by burning different materials, such as animal or vegetable matter, tars and oils.

Mars Black is a warm black with brownish undertones. Mars black is made from a synthetic iron oxide.

Ivory Black is one to watch out for, as some manufacturers mix the pigment with Prussian Blue to change its normally warm brown undertone to a darker, bluish black. If you're not sure of the tonal quality of your Ivory Black, then mix it with a little white. This will allow you to see the undertone - brownish or bluish. Ivory black used to be made from charred ivory, but today it is made from charred bones. You will also see this black marketed as Bone Black.

I tend to avoid Ivory Black. If I want a cool black accent, I'll use Carbon Black. If I want a warm black accent, then I'll use Mars Black.

It's important to know the undertone in order to choose the best black for accenting. In most cases, you don't want a brown-black to accent areas that are bluish-black, for example.

One way to make harmonious "blacks" is by mixing two or more colors together that fall opposite (or nearly so) from each other on the color wheel. These opposite colors are called complementary colors. Some examples are violet + yellow, red + green, blue + orange (the ultramarine blue + burnt sienna listed below is one "blue + orange" mix). I am listing the generic hues here to keep things simple. There is a huge range of different colors within these hue families to choose from. Each will yeild its subtle properties to the final "black" mix. Depending on the color scheme of my carving, I will mix different, i.e. warm or cool, "blacks", using colors found on my carving and their compliments.

The "blacks" are actually very dark browns & greys. They are so dark as to appear black, epsecially when contrasted against the lighter colors that appear on the carving. These "blacks" are a truer representation of what occurs in nature...there are no true blacks. Each "black" will have some undertone of color.

The three combinations described below are generic, "blue + brown/orange" mixes, and while they are an excellent starting point they are only a very small representation of the possible "blacks" that can be mixed using the complimentary combinations.

My intent here is simply to introduce you to mixing your own "blacks" and hopefully, pique your curiosity to explore this further on your own.

Mixing your own "black" also opens the door to a much wider variety of tints and tones for shading and highlighting...much more so than simply mixing white with one of the tube blacks.

Three possible "blacks" use Ultramarine Blue (P B 29) and an earth color, such as Raw Umber (P Br 7), Burnt Umber (p Br 7) and Burnt Sienna (P Br 7).
Which earth color depends on whether I want a greenish-black, bluish-black, brownish-black or purplish-black.

The chart above shows three possible combinations to make black.

• Mix #1 is Ultramarine Blue (P B 29) + Raw Umber (P Br 7)
• Mix #2 is Ultramarine Blue (P B 29) + Burnt Umber (P Br 7)
• Mix #3 is Ultramarine Blue (P B 29) + Burnt Sienna (P Br 7)

Each mix has different properties which will be described separately. The swatch of color next to each black mix is a tint made from the mix and Titanium White. If you are having trouble determining the properties of your black, i.e. warm, cool, bluish, greenish, etc., then mixing with white lightens the mix and better shows these properties.

A word of warning to those using Jo Sonja's paints:
Ultramarine Blue's CIN is PB29 and nothing else. Jo Sonja's version called "Ultramarine" is not what it appears. It can be confusing to one who's shopping for "ultramarine blue" and is not familiar with CIN's (Color Index Names).

Jo Sonja's "Ultramarine" is actually a mixture, consisting of PB29 (the CIN for ultramarine blue), PW6 (the CIN for titanium white) and PB15 (the CIN for phthalo blue). This color behaves very differently if used in mixtures calling for ultramarine blue. Because there are two blues in this mix, and one of them phthalo blue (PB15), the mixes will have a strong bias towards blue. The phthalo blue is an extremely strong color, and easily overpowers anything it's mixed with. It's difficult to tone down. The corresponding color for ultramarine blue in the Jo Sonja's line is called "Ultra Blue Deep" and it is "straight" PB29.

For a more thorough discussion on CIN (Color Index Names) see What Is the Color Index Name?

Mix #1 was made from a 50/50 mix of Ultramarine Blue (P B 29) and Raw Umber (P Br 7). I have applied the mix full strength on the left side and then diluted it with water on the right side in order to show the properties of the mix.
Below it is the tint made by adding a small amount of Titanium White.
This "black" has a greenish tone, because the Raw Umber itself has a green bias, which is strengthened by Ultramarine Blue. This is more eveident when compared with the other mixes shown in the chart above.

Mix #2 was made from a 50/50 mix of Ultramarine Blue (P B 29) and Burnt Umber (P Br 7). I have applied the mix full strength on the left side and then diluted it with water on the right side in order to show the properties of the mix.
Below it is the tint made by adding a small amount of Titanium White.
This "black" shows more brown undertones, but the Ultramrine Blue still has a sight influence on the red contained in the Burnt Umber, which gives a slight purplish undertone, as well. The brown undertone is more evident in the tint. Compare this mix with the others in the chart above.
This is one of my favorite "blacks" as it is the most versatile. I can introduce another color into the mix with very little "muddy-ing". Or, by adding more Ultramarine Blue I can change the bias towards blue. More Burnt Umber changes the "black" towards a more purplish-brownish bias.

Mix #3 was made from a 60/40 mix of Ultramarine Blue (P B 29) and Burnt Sienna (P Br 7). I have applied the mix full strength on the left side and then diluted it with water on the right side in order to show the properties of the mix.
Below it is the tint made by adding a small amount of Titanium White.
This "black" shows a more purple bias, as well as a more brownish undertone. The purple bias is caused by the red contained in the Burnt Sienna, but the orange in Burnt Sienna is also enough to "kill" the purple, giving the slight brownish undertone.
The purple bias is more evident when compared to the other mixes in the chart above.

Generally, to create more harmony in my piece, I will add a third color to my "black" mix. This third color is one that appears elsewhere on the carving, but always a dark color...more green, more blue, more purple, etc.

For instance, I would use Mix #1 on a bird that has blues or greens on it, and one of these colors would be added to the mix to further adjust and richen up the "black".

I would use Mix #2 on a bird that has blues, browns or purples on it, and one of these colors would be added to adjust and richen up the "black".

I would use Mix #3 on a bird that has purples, reds or blues on it, and I would add any of these colors to adjust and richen up the "black".

Part 2 will demonstrate how to use the mixes and variations of them to create areas of black that do not appear "dead" to the eye. It is all in the variation and application of the mix.