Black is one of those colors that can make or break a painting. A flat tube black can sometimes feel dead — lifeless shadows, muddy details, or chalky overtones. But when you mix your own black, you can control its temperature, transparency, and depth, giving your work a richness that store-bought blacks often can’t match.

Today, we’ll walk through two classic approaches:

• Mixing a beautiful black in watercolor

• Crafting a deep black in oil paint

Let’s get mixing.

1. Mixing Black in Watercolor

Classic “Velvety Black” Recipe

• Perylene Green (or Phthalo Green) – 1 part

• Alizarin Crimson (or Quinacridone Rose) – 1 part

• French Ultramarine Blue – 1 part

Instructions

1. Start with Ultramarine: Lay down a rich Ultramarine Blue puddle on your palette. This gives the mix body and a slightly warm undertone.

2. Add Crimson: Slowly introduce Alizarin Crimson, stirring until you get a deep violet. This is your “shadow core.”

3. Introduce Perylene Green: Mix in the green a little at a time — you’ll see the violet swing toward a neutral, almost black tone. Adjust until it looks nearly black in the palette.

4. Test on Paper: Always stroke it on watercolor paper — blacks can look deeper wet than they’ll dry. Adjust temperature:

   • Too warm? Add a touch more green.

   • Too cool? Add a bit more crimson.

   • Too flat? A tiny flick of Ultramarine wakes it up.

Tip: If you want a transparent black for glazing, thin the mix heavily with water and layer it gradually. The triad of complementary pigments builds luminous depth when glazed rather than plopped on thick.

Note: Laurin Mccracken uses Carbazole violet (dioxazone violet can work as well) rather than the Perylene Green.

2. Mixing Black in Oil Paint

Rich “Painter’s Black” Recipe

• Ultramarine Blue – 2 parts

• Burnt Umber – 1 part

This is a classic warm black beloved by landscape painters.

Instructions

1. Start with Ultramarine: On your glass palette, squeeze out a generous ribbon of Ultramarine.

2. Add Burnt Umber: Place half as much Burnt Umber beside it.

3. Mix with a palette knife until you get a smooth, even blend. The warm umber knocks back the blue’s intensity, creating a neutral black that leans ever so slightly warm.

4. Adjust to taste:

   • Want a cooler black? Add a touch more Ultramarine.

   • Want a warmer black? Lean on Burnt Umber.

   • For maximum depth, introduce a smidge of Alizarin Crimson — this gives the black a subtle inner glow.

Alternative Cool Black Recipe

• Phthalo Green + Alizarin Crimson — equal parts → a stunning, deep, cool black.
  This combination produces a near-inky tone with high tinting strength, perfect for dramatic shadows or night skies.

Why Mix Your Own Black?

• Control temperature: Warm vs. cool blacks affect mood and realism.

• Depth: Mixed blacks have subtle undertones that make shadows feel alive.

• Harmony: You’re using the same pigments already in your painting, which keeps your palette cohesive.

• Avoid chalkiness: Tube blacks (like Ivory Black) can dull mixtures and sit flat on the surface.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re working in the luminous transparency of watercolor or the buttery richness of oil, mixing your own black gives your paintings a living, breathing darkness. It’s less “dead void” and more “rich velvet curtain” — a backdrop that lets colors sing.

Once you try these recipes, you might find that tube black gathers dust in your paint box.