In 2019, Jane Blundell came to us with an idea to create a special grey watercolor without the use of black or white pigments.  El gris de Jane is a lovely mix of Siena tostada y Ultramarine Blue. “Pretty much all greys have black in the mix, and black pigments can dull a painting…this blend is also liftable, whereas many other greys are staining,” Jane said. “Now I can create lovely stormy skies and softened shadows. It also works as a neutral tint by darkening colors without changing them.”

When mixed, the opposite colors Azul ftalo (tono rojo) y  Naranja de pirrol transparente create a transparent and non-granulating black that’s perfect for subjects like stones or colorful birds, where blue and orange are the dominant colors. It can be modulated by adding more Phthalo Blue to create deep dark blues, or more Pyrrol Orange to create rich, orangey browns.

Transparent, staining and non-granulating, this perfectly neutralizing pair of pigments – Verde ftalo (tono azul) y Pirrol carmesí – creates a convenience black without any black pigments. It’s perfect wherever a rich black is needed and is particularly well-suited for subjects with a red and/or green color bias.

“I use Jane’s Black (Red/Green) for paintings that are largely red and green, like roses and other florals, but it’s also great as a general rich black – it’s easy to mix into my palette, which keeps colour harmony in paintings – from rich deep greens to wonderful maroon shadows. Jane’s Black (Blue/Orange) is useful when painting subjects that are based around earth tones. The range of beautiful browns and deep blues that this pair can create is inspiring!”  Haz clic aquí para leer más. about how Jane uses her newest signature blacks.