This video made me...wince. I have three small black-only palettes--mineral, granulating, and various formulations of smooth blacks. They are all different, and I love painting with them plus a single accent color like alizarin crimson. Smooth blacks make gorgeous textures with a bit of granulating medium, as well. Blacks are mysterious and no two formulations are the same--some of them are purpley, some greenish, some dark blue, some brownish. I don't think any black is actually...black except maybe Stuart Semple's Blink, which I have never tried. Having said that, I have to say that it never occurred to use black for shadows, as shadows aren't black. And I was taught to mix the complement to shade a color in fifth grade art class after Rusty Wallingford ate the black crayons.

I used Mars Black for mixing my own Indigo that is more interesting looking or dark muted greens with some granulation.

This was very well done. Educational and respectful, not your typical anti-black watercolor bashing video.

I'm one of those artists who couldn't live without Mars black, in any medium 😅 Naturally, not as a "shadow" color. But since before I started painting I was drawing in ink for years, I could never let go of black, and it's a prominent feature in many of my works, as a sort of "anchor" to chromatic colors. But recently I discovered a new watercolor black (Rembrandt Spinel gray PBk26) which is non-granulating and even darker than Mars black, perfect for a clean uniform black - to the extent it's possible in watercolor. If I want that pitch black, I've found that gouache works much better.

I use black India ink with watercolor when I’m trying to create a stark color contrast. I just purchased neutral hue which is a color from DANIEL SMITH intended to create the shading properties of colors without adding black. I haven’t tried it yet and look forward to seeing the outcome. I must say I love using India ink in my watercolor paintings.

This is so well explained! I'm a beginner and have noticed what you're talking about. So I've been avoiding black. But there are some artists who use black so very well and it's what they're known for. Ex: Nicolas Lopez (brilliant work) And I also appreciate the video in which you explain finding your own style which will help you stand out from the crowd. You're a great teacher, Margot!!

Using black, unless it is a beautiful granulating black, is best left to the pros. Or so I think. Using black on your hair, even when done by the best, results in the shoe polish look. And that I know!

Perfect timing...I've been trying to make watercolor olives and have struggled with getting them dark enough without using black... really enjoy your videos.

i always use black in my portraits Whether in background or hair but i never mix it with another color to make shadows

Super fun. I really love the granulation of Mars black (tree bark, ground, etc.) but I also loved your painting #2. Thanks for the super video. Very beautiful and fun!

I like to use chromatic blacks that I mix or the compliment of the colour to darken it. My black mixtures are PB29+PR101 (the classic 😄), PR176+PG7, and PB15+PR149. You can easily get off-blacks by varying the ratios.

Brilliant! Thank you!

Although I have several different blacks, your video explains the benefits of mixing your own blacks and neutrals very well.

I appreciate this viewpoint so much! You can definitely tell the difference of dull vs. lively in your two paintings. Alvarro Castagnet uses Daniel Smith's Lunar Black to achieve moody and textured darks because it turns any color into a dark granulating one, but he's purposely going for a muted look as you had stated in the end of your video. I love having the varying options when deciding what look I want a painting to have. Thanks so much! 🙏☺️

The best black I find is made with Daniel smith bloodstone gen. and indanthrone blue by m-graham, bright and beautiful black

Although I agree in theory with restricting black, I have made a 13-color palette that includes Schmincke s Graphite Grey. It makes some wild mixes, because the grains of pigment are much heavier than any normal watercolor pigment. Consequently, these mixes granulate like crazy. Also, I like to use pencil for making my initial drawings. Using a graphite color really incorporates the pencil into the drawing. Again, this is a very small palette and I tend to use this for paintings where I have used pencil.

Very interesting perspective Margot. I rarely use black, but I do have PBk11 to make granulating colors to play around and have fun with. However, I disagree with your opinion on your painting using black… I prefer it! You reminded me of a school trip I went on decades ago to an art gallery. The art historian was describing a painting the class and I were looking at. The historian said the use of browns and ochres created warmth in the painting. She then asked for my opinion and I said the opposite and that the browns and ochres gave me the impression of cold and damp weather! 😆

As a beginner am grateful for this YT video. First used acrylic’s & works well in mixes. In water color and “chemically” black is the absence of color while white is combo of all but black! So do use black but (water it down) & if want warm “add more red”, cool more blue & even yellow. If use straight from tube does look flat. Ty..

Yeah, PBk11 is a pigment I would like to try.

I rarely use black paint in my work, preferring to mix my dark hues out of complementaries or, more often, using Payne's Grey/Sodalite Genuine/Lunar Blue. I do own mars/lunar black PBk11, but only to mix with other colors in order to create granulating shadows! I am obsessed with granulation. 🤣

Great idea to do a comparison. I do use black minimally for animals.

I just found you this week and I love your videos. I started playing with watercolor a couple years ago, but have found it very frustrating. This video, and one I watched yesterday on using the same colors throughout your painting, "A Watercolor HACK that will change your Life" are game changers. I think this will get me much closer to the kinds of colors I love to work with. Thank you. I'm off to play!

Black paint is a must-have for me, not for shadows so much as to add an atmospheric effect, moodiness or texture to a painting. That said, I can see where you’re coming from and I agree with not using black on its own, unless you want that effect.

As a beginner, I have no illuminating comment to add, only to say that you are your own worst enemy as both of your paintings are absolutely beautiful!!

I never used black but I came across an artist (Niaz Hannan watercolors) that uses almost only black and he does wonderful watercolors, so then I decided to buy graphite for watercolors by Faber-castell ti try them and being graphite they are black it's like a cross between watercolors and charcoal really interesting.

But indigo and sepia are often made with black pigments! Also Payne's grey.

Love your videos

My favorite "Black" is Perylene Green (PBk31) anyway LOL

Gah, the images you chose to illustrate your point, so good. I especially loved the crystal glass with moving light refractions. So good. Indigo and Sepia, noted.

I use paynes gray sometimes but usually I add it to some other color like green or blue or red. I try not to use it straight from the tube. Pure black I never use. And I try to keep my shadows lively and not pure black.

Dear Margot I very rarely use black and I very much appreciate the tips to use dark colors for shadow and will be trying your black mix with a most hated indigo I bought years ago! I love your artistic license with dark colored jewel tones black swan dancer! Gorgeous! However. I can sometimes be a bit of a purist and given the choice would select the painting with the black clad dancer. I do wish that the tutu was the ONLY black in the painting. Indigo mixed swans and deep dark shadows. Paynes grays for other dark areas.…. I think the black tutu may have popped nicely, dramatically, without the additional black dulling the painting down. You did a really nice job adding black highlights a few times to undull the tutu. I would love to see that option! Oh do paint a quick follow up option 🙏🏼🤗

I don't own any black paint, except for the paint I used for painting an old bookshelf. When I see a watercolor painting that uses black paint, I immediately feel a bit sorry for the artist. Blacks made by mixing other colors are alive and interesting compared to black paint, which is just dull and dead looking.

When I use black I always add a color to it so it has the essence of one of the other colors in my palette.

It's funny that you picked Odile as example, because her original costume wasn't black either, just dark.

I use black for negative painting

"Don't use black" is my number 1 despised art "rule".

My mother was a very good working artist, and said never to use black. Toss it out. It’s not a color. And white is only ok, as long as it’s not used with a transparent color. She was very right even though she used oil and acrylics and I use watercolor. So I use Paynes Gray which in my watercolor set is a very deep purple/indigo. But I’ve had some that’s also had a more green/indigo tone. White I only use for animal whiskers, strands of hair if I mix it with a light tone of color, or the light caught in an eye. If there is a light or a sun in a landscape, leave the bright area blank, paint around it. It’ll give it a beautiful glow.

❤😊👏💐

Indigo Blue is part blue and part black. Sepia? Part red oxide and part black. So, umm, you're still using black.

Это похоже на магию - пачка балерины справа действительно воспринимается как черная

I don’t use black I make my own