Beware the properties of color as the Ides of March! Except for the never ending challenge concerning the subject one chooses to paint, the next really difficult problem one can encounter is how to gray or alter a color value without destroying the basic color involved. Without the proper preparation or adequate decision making process, an unwanted "muddy" color will too often be the ultimate paint altering outcome. And who needs that! When one attempts mixing gray with a given color, be it high or low key, establishing the appropriate shade of gray is an imperative need-to-know process, be it a three, five, or nine gray value mixture. And the secret, contained in this book, is not employing the conventional blacks, nor involving the three complements to create an improper gray. The "Neutral Near-Blacks" are the answer. It's new. It's different. It will change the way you paint!