Black oil paint

Ninoum

Hi my "happy little friends"!!
I am looking for a black oil paint that would be very black like gesso. If mixed with white, it gives you gray. There are so many different type of blacks out there, I have no clue what to get.

Any suggestions?

dracula

I think Ivory Black is, at least in my opinion, the most common, all-purpose black that will turn gray when mixed with white. If you're looking for an even more neutral gray, you might consider Mars Black. If you're looking for a really rich, deep black, you could look for Spinel Black (I think only Gamblin makes this).

I find the Spinel black to be too dark for Bob Ross paintings, but it would depend on your approach. If I were only going to have one true black paint (not the more chromatic Bob Ross Midnight Black), I would probably go with Ivory Black personally.

Ninoum

dracula Fabulous! Thank you very much for that great info. I will give it a shot! 😃

tel

I use lamp black but not for any particular reason, it's not particularly thick and it moves around the canvas beautifully

Ninoum

tel Does it have any tint to it? meaning, when you mix it with white, it gives a different color than a neutral grey?

Sunnylady

Ninoum I would suggest to go the brand you intend to buy and visit their website with research mission. Please search for color matrix. It gives pure color as it is and usually well establish brands also provide what happens with addition of white. They may do it as gradient or just a simple square split in halves : one half for pure out of tube and another for whitened color. Within one brand you can see which black works better for you as some give brownish and some give bluish undertones.

Ninoum

Thank you Sunnylady!!! Great advice!