Darks

Consider first the traditional dark colours as a group, then add the new Chiaroscuro Blacks.

While contributing tonal depth, these colours can also be used unobtrusively to carry a colour contrast as well as just a darker tone.

The traditional palette contains: Payne’s Grey, a warm blue near black. Indigo, a cool blue near black. Burnt Umber, a warm brown near black. Raw Umber, a cool brown near black.

We have added: Brown Black, a warm brown black. Red Black, a warm red black. Green Black, a cool green black.

We have called these translucent near blacks “Chiaroscuros”. Caravaggio would have loved them. From the beginning stage of drawing outlines and sketching out basic tones for a painting, the choice of the dark colours used can set the mood of the painting to follow. Since these colours are tonal, when white is added they can later tolerate the addition of brighter colours.

It is easier to brighten a tonal colour than to neutralise a bright colour. This applies to the “earth colours” as well as these new “Chiaroscuro” blacks. It is possible to neutralise bright colours with their complementary (eg. purple and yellow), but it is difficult to control and is an expensive method. Translucent glazing colours can also be used to reduce colours which are too bright. A translucent all-over wash can be used to calm down an out of control, discordant painting, so that it can be worked on again.

The New Chiaroscuro Colours

Chiaroscuro means the treatment of light and shadow in painting.

Chiaroscuro near blacks can be used to give life to the dark tonal areas of the painting. These colours are Blue Black, Red Black, Green Black and Brown Black. They are very useful because they impart colour to darks, which might otherwise have been dark but dull. Consider these along with the traditional dark transparents.

Drawing with a tonal deep colour can flavour the way you use other colours when you start a painting and will help to get rid of all that virgin-white, dazzling, untrammelled gesso or paper. If you use Slow Medium and a paint rag you can build a tonal image quickly instead of just outlines.

Tone without too much colour is a good way to begin. From there you will need to feel your way along because colour is probably the hardest component of a painting to control. Too much, too soon can be obviously wrong and at the same time hard to correct. The only way to proceed is to apply a glaze of one of the Chiaroscuro colours to suppress the discordant effect. You may be able to use your paint rag to bring back some of the colour in a more subdued form, which may in turn, give you more ideas to continue your painting.