Slate black
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Description
A grayish-black pigment made from pulverized slate. Slate black was an early natural black pigment used in watercolor paints. The hard stones are difficult to pulverize making a gritting powder. It is permanent but has little hiding power. Slate black is still occasionally used in inexpensive industrial paints.
Synonyms and Related Terms
shale black; noir d'ardoise (Fr.); mineral black
Resources and Citations
- G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 611
- Ralph Mayer, A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques, Harper and Row Publishers, New York, 1969 (also 1945 printing)