Renoir once said, “I’ve been forty years discovering that the queen of all colors is black.”

We want to re-familiarize you with the various shades of black in DANIEL SMITH Watercolors – you may be surprised to find just what you are looking for!

When many of us first learned to paint, our teachers instructed us to mix our blacks, which helped us to learn that shadows are almost never black. They’re made with reflected color, and even objects that are themselves black can still have reflected color. You probably experimented with mixing a variety of combinations which you now rely on to create your own darks and blacks – so have you perhaps been avoiding watercolor labeled as black. Take a break from mixing and look at these!

Why do we make so many different blacks?

DANIEL SMITH black watercolors each have different properties with distinctive nuances to give plenty of choice to artists with different needs. Our black watercolors are also great to darken other colors.

For the five black shades described below, we have used three primary colors and one secondary:  Hansa Yellow Light, Quinacridone Rose, Phthalo Blue (RS) and Sap Green.

Hematite Genuine and Ivory Black are warm, both have a slight buff color to them in washes. Hematite Genuine granulates beautifully and Ivory Black is smooth.

Black Tourmaline Genuine fits into the mid-range, being slightly cooler, though it is slightly warm in washes. It has great granulation, and it is the only non-staining black.

Both Lunar Black and Lamp Black are deep, rich cool blacks. Lunar Black is transparent and low-staining with spectacular granulation. Lamp Black is opaque, smooth and high-staining.

And if these five still don’t give you quite what you need – click here to learn all about our deepest, darkest black of all – McCracken Black.

Hematite Genuine

Hematite is ground from a heavy silvery-black mineral rich in iron. In a thick wash, the heavier iron particles settle, creating bold granulation, in a thin wash, it is a soft dove gray. Hematite mixes beautifully with other colors adding its granulation and slightly neutralizing the mixed in color. One way to use Hematite Genuine is, with single brushstrokes, sketching in branches from thick to thin, the beautiful granulation automatically providing the texture of bark. Hematite or the traditional Greek name, Bloodstone – when you paint, you can almost feel the pounding of the battle drums as ancient warriors covered their bodies with Hematite in the belief that they would be protected from mortal wounds. According to lore and superstition, large surface deposits of Hematite mark the site of hard fought battles, where the blood of fallen soldiers flowed into the ground.

Pigment: hematite mineral
Series: 3
Lightfastness: I – Excellent
Transparency: Semi-Transparent
Granulation: Granulating
Staining: 2-Low Staining

Ivory Black

A warm, semi-transparent, leaning to an opaque pigment. Historically, this black was derived from burnt ivory from now-endangered species, thankfully, this is no longer the practice. An Ivory Black touched with yellow creates a blackened green excellent for backlit foliage. Think sumi and hand-painted stone lithographs. Can be used to darken transparent pigment.

Pigment: PBk 9
Series: 1
Lightfastness: I – Excellent
Transparency: Semi-Transparent
Granulation: Granulating
Staining: 2-Low Staining

Black Tourmaline Genuine

Can be as dark as night or as pale as a wispy fog. This intriguing PrimaTek color is made from a semi-precious stone thought to bring luck, dispel negativity and promote clarity of purpose. In washes, especially on rough paper, it displays exciting granulation with delicate settling and a tracery of spidery runs. Intensely black in mass tone, it lets down to a beautiful, warm pearl gray.

Pigment: black tourmaline mineral
Series: 3
Lightfastness: I – Excellent
Transparency: Transparent
Granulation: Granulating
Staining: 1-Non-Staining

Lunar Black

Imagine a transparent black with an expansive value range and pigment particles that react like magnetic shavings attracting and repelling each other. Unique pigment properties make Lunar Black a radically reticulating color. When dry, a Lunar Black wash resembles a marbled moonscape. This mottled stony texture can be successfully glazed. You can even gently paint into a wet-to-damp Lunar Black, dropping into the watery pigment, virtually any combination of favorites. Lunar Black is a wonderful mixer adding exciting black granulation to the mix! Lunar Black is an inorganic neutral black watercolor pigment and a DANIEL SMITH exclusive. Think Black Magic – and re-think black.

Pigment: PBk 11
Series: 1
Lightfastness: I – Excellent
Transparency: Transparent
Granulation: Granulating
Staining: 2-Low Staining

Lamp Black

Opaque and cool. This is the most intense black available. It is a sooty by-product of burned mineral oil and tar. Lamp Black mixed with Burnt Sienna can add a trace of warmth to a passage. Think classic black velvet. Use to darken transparent pigments.

Pigment: PBk 6
Series: 1
Lightfastness: I – Excellent
Transparency: Opaque
Granulation: Non-Granulating
Staining: 4-High Staining

Adding a DANIEL SMITH Black Watercolor to your collection gives you some extra options when painting, which is one appeals the most to you?

Now that you have been formally introduced, we think you might want to consider adding one of our Black Watercolors!