Black is typically made by mixing the three primary colors-red, blue, and yellow-together in equal parts. This combination absorbs most light, resulting in a black color

. Alternatively, black can be created by mixing a primary color with its complementary secondary color, such as ultramarine blue with burnt sienna, or phthalo green with alizarin crimson. These combinations produce very dark blacks with different hues depending on the colors used

. The exact shade of black depends on the proportions and specific pigments mixed:

• More blue yields a cooler, bluish-black.
• More red creates a warmer, reddish-black.
• Adding yellow can give a brownish tint

In painting, using transparent pigments rather than opaque ones (which often contain white) helps achieve a richer, deeper black

. In summary, black paint is made by mixing:

• The three primary colors (red, blue, yellow) in equal parts, or
• A primary color with its complementary secondary color, using transparent pigments for the best results