Black

Black pigment and what can be done with it

A pigment is a finely ground colored powder with no binder. Unlike paint it does not create a continuous film but settles in the irregularities of the surface exactly the way real dirt does. That is precisely why it suits soot, burnt smoke and greasy deposits, that is phenomena that are hard to imitate with a brush and paint.

Typical use

A black shade is the most versatile of the whole palette. It suggests the smoke streaks behind the exhausts of vehicles and aircraft, darkens the muzzles of barrels and the flash hiders, brings out the shadows in landing gear bays and gives depth to an engine compartment. Mixed with lighter dust tones it can give a whole scale of dirtied grays.

How it is applied

The simplest way is a dry brush: the powder is picked up on a soft brush and rubbed into the surface. The excess is blown or wiped off. The more durable approach involves fixing, where the pigment is wetted with mineral spirits or with a dedicated fixative and stays in place once that has evaporated. Fixed pigment goes darker, so it is advisable to apply a little less than looks right when dry.

Where it sits in the range

The shade is part of a coherent pigment range from the manufacturer, in which it stands beside rusts, dusts and earth tones. They all mix with one another, so you can work with gradual transitions instead of abrupt changes.

What the powder is not

It does not replace a wash or a filter. A wash brings out engraved lines, a filter evens out the overall tone of a surface, whereas here a material layer of dirt is added onto the surface. The best result comes when all three steps are used one after the other, and in exactly that order.