I was so blown away with a swipe painting I saw in one of the facebook groups that I had to give it a try. The black paint against the bright colors was just the sort of high contrast look I really like, but could I make it work?
I tried out my regular lamp black craft paint and I was also very lucky to find a mars black although it was rather pricey. I mixed all the paints, layered them on some plastic page protectors and carried out side by side comparison swipes using the two black paints.
Would either of them work? Would the mars black be essential or could I get a good swipe with the regular lamp black? Check out my video below for the experiment and see the results at the end.
Conclusion – yes, you can get this to work with certain colors against a regular black if they are light enough in weight and will float up to the top. However the mars black is a heavier weight paint and will be more likely to give a better result. It’s heavier than the colors in the same way as the titanium white is heavier, so it allows the bright colors to pop up through.
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After being told in high school that she was so bad at art that she should switch to another subject, Deby didn’t paint again for 35 years. Then a stroke released a new wave of creativity and she began exploring with dot painting, abstract and eventually acrylic pouring, and at last the joy of working with color returned. You don’t need ‘talent’ to be an acrylic pouring artist – just enthusiasm, some basic instruction, and a willingness to try, fail and try again. Paint along with her and learn from her many mistakes, and you’ll soon make great art together.