A Case Against Tube Black with Randy Hayashi

Many artists don't use tube black on their palettes.

And the reason is often as simple as that’s what they learned in art school. That’s why you won’t find black on Randy Hayashi’s (Ep.68) palette.

But that doesn't mean the artist doesn’t use dark colors.

Darks are an important part of the artist’s work. In place of his black, Hayashi makes a mixture of Phthalo and Burnt Umber.

Put it to Practice:

One reason you may want to consider swapping out your tube black is because tube black might not be your most interesting option for a dark.

The human eye can see the smallest of contrasts. If you use tube black in an area, it's completely uniform.

But if you mix your own, your eye will notice that there is color in that dark and depending on how you mixed it, that this dark mixture is just ever so slightly different from the dark mixture next to it. That variation can help make an area more interesting.

If this seems like an overwhelming idea, skip it for now. Trust your gut and it’s not worth adding more if it’s going to make the current things you’re jugging color wise, harder.

But if you feel ready to try mixing your own, it can be as simple as mixing it up before you begin painting. That way it’s just ready to go almost as if you squeezed it out of a tube.