BLACK & WHITE PASSION COLORS

Two whites and two blacks are no luxury

The group holds Pure White, Off White, Pure Black, Smoke Black, Medium Grey and Light Grey. The difference between a pure and a broken white is exactly what divides a model that looks like a toy from one that comes across as credible: a perfectly clean white practically does not occur in nature. The same goes for black; the smoke variant is softer and stands daylight better.

Underpainting and building the light

The gray range serves to have the light on a model settled before the color comes up. Spraying a lighter tone from above and a darker one into the hollows creates a base over which a thin covering layer is then applied; the result has a depth that simple shading achieves only with difficulty. The range also suits lightening or subduing any other shade.

Practical handling

White needs more layers than the other paints and haste does not pay with it. Black, by contrast, easily fills fine relief, so thin it more than would seem necessary. Use both extreme values sparingly; transitions look better through gray.

An overview of the shades

• Pure White and Off White as a pure and a broken white
• Pure Black and Smoke Black as a saturated and a softer black
• Medium Grey and Light Grey for the transitional positions
• the shade Pure Black is also held by the set with skin and shadow tones

The range also suits subduing saturated colors without a foreign color cast being carried into them.