Do I use black on my palette?

Yes I do: Ivory black!

I am always surprised when students say that they have been told black is forbidden. One of these useless dogmas! But the answer should be: don’t use black when you need black. That sounds cryptic. Let me explain.

In the painting below I only use black in the hair and in the deepest shadows in the clothing. The main mixture for the large dark areas is ultramarine+burnt siena.

The darker parts of the hair are based on ivory black+burnt siena. I also use a black+ochre+white mixture for neutral grays. These grays are an affective way to lower the intensity of bright colours.

Paula
Paula

My model here is Paula Sanz Caballero. A good friend and an amazing artist. See her website.

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4 Replies to “Do I use black on my palette?”

  1. Hi Mr. Ben! I like your job because it´s a mix of impresionism and realistic technique! I am interested in buying your Tutorial DVD but would like to know if you can send it to a P.O Box in the U.S. ?
    Kind regards!
    José

  2. Hello Ben,

    absolutely fantastic. Thanks for sharing. If i were younger, i would ask to learn from you.

    Best wishes,
    Tommy (Orson)

  3. I am 56 years old. I am a signboard painter. I can do lettering . I could not learn the
    basics of color mixing and application. I am happy to say that your work is excellent.

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