Guest post about experiences with Musou Black. Written by Susanna Määttä, 24.03.2024.
I recently stepped into a new, dark dimension of painting when I got my hands on Musou Black, a paint known for being blacker than night. The interior shop Dekoja.net approached me and offered me the paint to try. After pondering the nature of black for a while, and how the human mind associates it, I found the inspiration for my series “Blurred Boundaries”, which explores mental health and how people experience their own boundaries.
The many advantages of the paint
Musou Black has been a really positive surprise. I had always thought that paint is paint and that there are no big differences between them, but Musou Black stood out with many useful properties. Being water-soluble, it blended seamlessly into my range of acrylic paints and made them more matt when I used it for mixing colours and creating shades of grey. Musou Black is also known for drying quickly, which sped up the drying of my other acrylics too – a really pleasant surprise given my working technique. I used a palette knife and a spatula with generous amounts of paint, and this kind of work normally means leaving the piece to dry for several hours between layers so that the colours do not mix. I also noticed that once the matt black paint had dried, it gave the other colours an excellent base to grip, improving adhesion compared with bare canvas. As expected, it did not show through the coloured layers either; instead, its blackness emphasised the pure white and the few other shades I used. I believe the paint would work brilliantly as a ground in works that emphasise colour, and that is what I plan to try it for next.
A velvety finish
Musou had hardly any smell and was more fluid than other acrylics, yet it held its surface shape when applied in thick layers. My painting “Piece of Sanity” went through a true matt-black metamorphosis with Musou Black. The smooth black surfaces rose velvety and inviting from among the rough knife strokes, and once the work had dried I noticed that people who saw the painting could not resist touching the paint surface. The black created such a striking and deceptive illusion of velvet fabric that it is hard to believe. In the hands of a skilled and imaginative painter, this effect can work wonders.
“The smooth black surfaces rose velvety and inviting from among the rough knife strokes”
An acquaintance blacker than black
When I poured the paint straight from the bottle to create drips, it flowed easily onto the canvas and formed a perfect surface, smooth as a mirror. The sleeve of my jumper also got to experience the depth of Musou Black when it accidentally dipped into the paint, and black took on a whole new meaning: Musou Black looked several shades blacker than my black jumper itself. Luckily, the paint came off by soaking, even after it had dried. I would not dare promise the same on white fabric, but no residue was left on the black. Next, I plan to continue experimenting and combine Musou Black with my air-dry clay sculptures to see how this black wonder translates into three dimensions.
And as for alcohol inks…
Musou Black does not mix very successfully with alcohol – it bursts out when blown. Then again, this kind of mark can suit certain types of work.
Note: I do not know how Musou Black reacts chemically with alcohol, so if anyone gets excited about this combination, I would recommend either wearing a respirator (which is recommended with alcohol inks anyway) or at least working in a well-ventilated space.
A 10+ experience
I really liked the paint and will keep it in my colour range and keep testing it with different techniques. In Finland you can buy the paint from the dekoja.net interior shop. You can see the painting Piece of Sanity from the Blurred Boundaries collection, and its details, on my website. Have a look at my other paintings too.
Musou Black – a short wiki on the black paint
Musou Black is a water-soluble acrylic paint known for absorbing an exceptional amount of light. It absorbs up to 99.4% of visible light, which is significantly more than ordinary black acrylic paints. The exact figure depends on the application method: in the manufacturer’s measurement, an airbrush reaches 99.4% and a brush 98.8%. This property lets Musou Black create deep black surfaces with low reflectance and a very matt finish. The best result comes from spraying thin coats.
Musou Black is made of synthetic resin (acrylic), pigment, an anti-mould agent and water. It is therefore water-based and can be used on plastic models, various scale models and craft projects. Some materials may need priming or a base coat before the paint is applied.
In terms of safety, the surface layer of the paint is sensitive to rubbing and touch, so it can chip or flake easily. Painted objects may also shrink and crack. Dust can form while the paint is being used, so protective equipment such as safety glasses and a face mask is recommended.
Musou Black paint is not designed to absorb infrared radiation. The manufacturer’s measurement curve from 250 to 2500 nm confirms this: the reflectance of the paint rises steeply from about 800 nanometres onwards. If your application involves LiDAR, a ToF camera or another near-infrared source, the right material is IR Flock Sheet.
The safety information does not mention Musou Black containing toxic substances, but as with all paints, it is important to take precautions and use suitable protective equipment when painting. You can find more about the safety data on the product page.