This handy image shows where some black pigments come from: burnt wood, burnt bone and burnt oil.
But don’t forget these important blacks as well:
Mars Black – a warm black that is very lightfast and very dark. Made from Iron Oxide (rust).
Perylene Black – a cool, greenish black. A synthetic pigment first manufactured in 1957.
The reason for choosing different blacks lies not just in their tones, transparency, staining and mixing qualities but in oil paints the speed at which some blacks dry varies a lot. The lightfastness of blacks also varies quite a lot.
You will find a large variety of black colours on the Jackson’s Art Supplies website.
Postage on orders shipped standard to mainland UK addresses is free for orders of £39 or more.
