SHADES OF BLACK—MARS BLACK AND IVORY BLACK.. Tom Phillips in the TLS (December 1, 2017) noted that most people know that there are a profusion of whites. He then said: “There is also more than one black. My own paint table includes tubes of Lamp Black and Mars Black as well as Ivory Black, Rembrandt’s favourite….” Historically, Ivory Black was made from charred ivory.
Here are some comments from working artists on the wetcanvas website comparing Mars Black and Ivory Black:
* “Mars Black is a warm black and Ivory Black is a cooler black.”
*”If you tint out Mars Black you’ll get a warm gray while Ivory will produce a somewhat cooler warm gray but it will also depend on what white you use to tint with.”
*Ivory Black… used to be made from charred ivory but is now just a marketing name …. its colour varies a little but it can have a slightly brownish undercolour and will produce tints that are more neutral as a result.