Le Stig Product-Test-Drives & Reviews Black & Whites
There is so much misinformation and half-truths out there, it can be pretty confusing for the artist. Since the majority of art supply stores in New Zealand own product agencies (which we do not), we've decided to commission a 'tester' who will test products and give unbiased opinions and results.
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"A poor craftsman blames his tools."
We asked le Stig
Which white should I use?
"That depends on what you want to achieve. There are only three white pigments and all three are inorganic synthetics and considered to be opaque."
"Lead White (PW1), also known as Flake White, Cremnitz White and Silver White is one of the earliest artificially manufactured pigments recorded and is not readily available in New Zealand due to extreme toxicity. The Old Masters used this stuff because it was the only pigment available and it was good for mixing with black for under paintings that would be eventually covered with glazes. The cool thing about this white is that it doesn't change the warm temperature of blacks. Le Stig happens to have some stash of Cremnitz White which I will use to demonstrate."
"Titanium White (PW6) also known as Titanium Dioxide is the most recent white pigment and the most opaque. It is very dominant when mixed with other colors and produces bluish grays when mixed with black."
"Zinc White (PW4) is also known as Mixing White, Transparent White, Chinese White and Permanent White. It's a little more transparent than Lead White and very cool in comparison when mixed with black."
Which black should I use?
"Again, that depends on what you want to achieve."
"Carbon Black (PBk9), also known as Ivory Black and Bone Black is an impure carbon black made by charring animal bones. It's also slow drying, but the most widely used black by artists."
"Carbon Black (PBk6), also known as Lamp Black or Vegetable Black is the oldest black pigment known to man and made from burning oils, etc. Its slow drying rate makes it inefficient when mixed with white as an under painting."
"Black Iron Oxide (PBk11), also known as Mars Black is very opaque, brownish in undertone but faster drying that the carbon blacks."
There are other black paint names and they will vary between acrylic paint, oil paint and watercolour. The blacks above are the most widely used.
There also many ways to make more exciting blacks using color (see below) and we will get into those in a future newsletter.
Down below, le Stig made a traditional "grisaille" which literally means "gray picture" using Titanium White and Ivory Black, the most popular White and Black used by modern artists. He found them to be "satisfactory but prefers to use burnt sienna and white as underpaintings in this traditional fashion as this combination doesn't muddy-up the glazes"
In the next Artist's Newsletter, le Stig will do the glazing on "Monsieur Hyde".
Related Products
- Le Stig Product-Test-Drives & Reviews
There is so much misinformation and half-truths out there, it can be pretty confusing for the artist. Since the majority of art supply stores in New Zealand own product agencies (which we do not), we've decided to commission a 'tester' who will test products and give unbiased opinions and results... more »
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About Takapuna Art Supplies
When we purchased Takapuna Art Supplies in April 2007 our intention was to make new friends and create an environment where professional and casual artists can purchase quality supplies and receive expert service and advice. Now, our most frequent comment from customers is, "what an artist's treasure-trove!" In February 2009 we added our tasart online store and we are now giving the same service, advice and selection to artists all over New Zealand. We stock over 17 thousand products and offer over 100 brand names and we continue to grow monthly with new product additions, tutorials and consumer information.
As fellow artists, we want every customer who walks into our shop or who shops on our online store, to be treated to a Smorgasbord of brand names from which they can choose. We are proud to say that we do not own the agency for any of the brands carried in our stores and, therefore, our customers can be confident that the product advice given by us is expert, sincerely informative and not tainted by conflicting profit guided prejudice. We purchase our supplies exclusively from reputable wholesalers and sell our stock at or below the manufacturer’s recommended resale price. Learn more about us...
