Aztecs Art question?

Question

I've heard that Aztecs made black paint by grinding and blending black ANTS into a smooth paste.

Is this true?

Answer 1

I know they used tar/charcoal/soot to make black paint, but crushed ants makes no sense. Even though there large Army ants in the regions they lived in.

Answer 2

Sounds like a LOT of work to me. I would be more inclined to believe it would be beetles. It would take forever to gather up enough ants to make much of a difference.