Currently, I possess four distinct black oil paints, each exhibiting unique characteristics.
I will illustrate the differences between them and their interactions with various types of white.
Ivory Black - PBk9
I believe Ivory black is the most universally used color since it is the most subtle of the four. It is extremely versatile in a limited color palette. I often use it in my flesh tones instead of blue.
Originally it was made from ivory, but (fortunately) this practice was discontinued in favor of charring animal bones.
The pigment is moderately opaque, very stable and lightfast.
Here you can see my Ivory Black by Schaal and how it behaves with Titanium White, Lead White, Zinc White, and Titanium/Zinc (the Sennelier one says titanium, but it also contains zinc). The Lead White shows the true brownish tone of this color.
The light in this picture isn't perfect. Note that Ivory Black + Titanium and Ivory Black + Titanium/Zinc are almost the same; the latter is just less opaque, so you need to put more white in it to achieve the same result as the first one.
Note: the middle row of each column is always 50% black and 50% white
Lamp Black - PBk6
It's one of the oldest pigments, made by collecting soot from oil lamps (hence the name). Now this process is obviously industrialized.
Lamp black is known for its deep, neutral to slightly cool black tone. It’s a bit more matte and flat in appearance compared to other black pigments. It also takes forever to dry.
I have Michael Harding's Lamp Black ground in linseed oil.
Vine Black - PBk8
Vine black is produced by carbonizing (burning without oxygen) grapevine twigs, stems, or similar plant materials.
It is less opaque than the other blacks and have a slightly brownish tint that makes it perfect for creating an organic feeling in the artwork. With lead white it looks almost like sepia black and can be used for glazing and layering thanks to its transparency.
I have a tiny tube of Old Holland's Vine Black.
Mars Black - PBk11
It's the most modern of the four, made from synthetic iron oxide. The name "Mars" comes from the association with iron, as Mars is the Roman god of war, often linked with iron and weaponry.
It is the most opaque black we have and it can easily overpower other colors. It has a neutral tone and dries faster than the others.
You can use it to easily cover parts of your painting without the need for a second layer.
I also use a pinch of it to ground my canvases, so it slightly dulls the other pigments making them more natural looking.
This is Mars Black by Old Holland, and I cannot use it often because it makes my studio smell bad for two days.
From separate photos, you can't truly appreciate the variance of tones between the four pigments. Here is a better view of how different they all can be.
It is also shocking how much tones can change if we use titanium or lead white.
Personally, especially for figure painting, I like to use Ivory Black. Even though it's a little bit warmer than Lamp Black, I enjoy the blues, greens, and purples it can create with other colors.
Lamp Black is denser, more opaque, and produces a cooler, deeper black.
Vine Black is softer, more transparent, and has a warmer tone; I can see it being used in landscape paintings. I want to experiment with it a little more as it has great potential.
Mars Black is the bully of the situation. If you are going to make a big dark background, Mars Black is the way to go. But it will punch you in the face with its pungent odor and will dull and overpower every color it touches (and that, depending on the situation, can be very useful).
I really hope this little guide can be usefull!!!
Untill next Thursday,
Ania
Hello, Thank you for this post. Surprisingly, I also use different blacks and I confess I'm not familiar with “Lamp black”. To darken and cool shadows in skin tones, I also use Payne's grey, but I'm going to try out this “noir de fumée” in French, I've seen it available from Winsor & Newton.