DescriptionMcCracken Black is a versatile black; it can produce a range of neutral grays that is ideal for creating a realistic look to metal objects and a remarkable depth in a dark background that is inspired by the Dutch painters of the 16th and 17th century. Master Artist Laurin McCracken worked with DANIEL SMITH Chemists to develop a black that neutral, not blue or blue. . One to which he It has a degree of transparency as he often paints with a very dark background over an underpainting. McCracken Black is a complex black with slight granularity so the smooth surfaces of metal, like polished silver, in a still life can appear as realistic as well.