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With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, Napa

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Oh, ah - and while I think - if you want a really, as in REALLY, deep green try Prussian or Pthalo Blue with Burnt Sienna - yes, BURNT Sienna: works in all media.  You do need a blue with a green bias - if you used Ultramarine, you'd get a black; if Cobalt or Cerulean (depending on who makes them) you probably wouldn't get a green, but you'd certainly get a great range of greys.

Alan Bickley

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And for a flash of a spring green strip of field catching the light, best in the distance and kept to just one place as a focal point, try lemon yellow with a slight touch of viridian… oils or watercolour.

Edited
by Alan Bickley

With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, Napa

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This could get a bit nit-picky, as if we're trawling through the entire palette: but I notice you're saying Viridian there, rather than, say, Pthalo Green.  I applaud this, since I think genuine Viridian is a much better colour than Pthalo Green (and also more expensive, but you get what you pay for): I remember the late Syd Edward pouring damnation and derision on both of them - and can sort of see why.  E.g. Pthalo Green is, on its own, peculiarly unnatural, and has a tendency to creep into everything.  Viridian is also not a natural-looking green on its own, but is far less invasive, a softer colour, and a superb mixer - for great darks, and also great lights; and greys.   There are times when these new-fangled colours (Pthalo has been with us for quite a while, of course!) lack the subtlety of some rather older ones; I say this since I'm using a bit of viridian at the moment - just broken off for a rest; well, you need a rest at my age......  (Cue for Sylvia Evans to chime in and accuse me of being but a babe in arms.)

Alan Bickley

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They’re both dangerous colours in the wrong or inexperienced hand for sure! They are to be used in moderation as you know but can add a bit of ‘zing’ to a painting, I’m talking about the phthalo green here in particular. Both, as you’ve hinted at Robert are unnatural colours in our landscape, but that suits me fine - I’m rarely after copying what’s in front of me just because it happens to be there!
IMG_3630

Paul (Dixie) Dean

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Robert to answer your question , I have used Ivory black and Lamp black I do prefer the lamp black of the two tubed paints . I have enjoyed this discussion and will make a note of the  suggested mixes and experiment with then . I will feed back as the which I prefer for ships hulls etc.

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by Paul (Dixie) Dean

IMG_7097

Helen Martell

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Interesting topic. I don't use tube blacks, they gather dust in my paint tube pile. I used to use a really dark blue, which I can't remember the brand or name of, but it came in a cheapo set someone gave me and it was exactly what I wanted... until... I overheard someone chatting to their friend looking at one of my paintings say, 'o that's the lady who likes to use a lot of blue'... ! That, and the tube ran out. Now I tend to use (acrylic) a W&N perylene green, or a Liquitex hookers green deep, mixed with W&N dioxanine purple, for really dark, And purples with burnt sienna for not so dark. I'm also discovering layering thin mixes of colours with matt medium has nice effects too - depending on which colour is layered over which other colour.
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, Napa

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More interesting ways to make black - with your perylene green (blue and yellow) and dioxazine purple (blue and crimson) you've got all the primaries, plus a touch of extra subtlety.  I only have perylene green in watercolour at the moment,  and Hooker's in ........ dives into the paint box to check........... Chromacolour acrylic; oh, and an old W & N tube which is now hard as rock, unfortunately.   Charles Evans says that Hooker's is the only green he carries, because he can mix it with any number of other colours to get anything ranging from deep darks to bright lights: so he uses it as I tend to use Viridian.   The painting I'm working on now will contain a fair number of different greens (I hope - hope I can get the variety, that is) but no tube black: Renoir would not be impressed.....
IMG_3630

Paul (Dixie) Dean

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What did Renoir know about it Robert , I’m sure you could give him a run for his money . 
Moi 17

Linda Wilson

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I’m not a heavy black user, except with ink and also I use black coloured pencil for the pupils in pastel portraits. (Black pastel can make a big mess and wander into places that it should not be.). However, I can imagine that black could set off bright colours like jewels in the right context.  I have not found the context yet in painting.  Though I have been known to wear a little black dress with a bright accent of some kind.
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