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Picturesque Musou Black

Guest blog about experiences with Musou Black

Written by Susanna Määttä 24.03.2024

I recently entered a new dark dimension of painting after getting my hands on Musou Black paint, which is known to be blacker than night. Dekoja.net A home improvement store approached me and offered me some paint to try. After thinking about the nature of black and how it was associated with the human mind, I was inspired to create my series "Blurred Boundaries", which explores the themes of mental health and the human experience of one's own boundaries.

Detail of the painting. A thick layer of Musou Black gives the painting a velvety feel.
The velvety feel of Musou Black.

The many advantages of paint

Musou Black has been a really positive surprise. I always thought that paint is paint and there is no big difference between them, but Musou Black stood out with its many useful properties. Being water-soluble, it integrated seamlessly into my acrylic paint range, making them more matte when I used it to mix colors and create shades of gray. In addition, Musou Black is known to dry quickly, which made the drying of other acrylic paints faster – this was a really pleasant surprise for me, considering my working technique. I used a palette knife and spatula and generous amounts of paint, and in this type of work it is normally necessary to dry the work for several hours between layers to avoid mixing the colors. I also found that once the matte black paint had dried, it provided an excellent base for the other colors to adhere to, improving the adhesion of the paint unlike a plain canvas surface. It also didn't show through the colored layers as expected, but rather emphasized the pure white and the few shades I used with its blackness. I would think the paint would work great as a primer in works where color is emphasized, and I plan to try this paint next.

 
A hand holding a paint spatula and the spatula has gray paint on it.
Musou Black turns other paints into matte finishes.

Velvety finish

Musou had almost no smell and was more fluid than other acrylics, yet it retained its surface shape when applied thickly. My piece "Piece of Sanity" underwent a true black matte metamorphosis when treated with Musou Black. The smooth black surfaces emerged velvety and inviting from the rough knife strokes, and I noticed after the work dried that people seeing the painting couldn't resist touching the paint surface. The black gave such an impressive and false illusion of velvet fabric that it's hard to believe. In the hands of a skilled and imaginative painter, this effect can work wonders.

"The black, smooth surfaces emerged velvety and inviting from the rough knife strokes"
 
Rough finish and shades of gray, beige and black.
Detail of the corner of the painting.

An acquaintance darker than black

When I poured the paint straight from the bottle to get runny, it flowed easily onto the canvas, creating a perfect surface that is as smooth as a mirror. The sleeve of my sweater also got to experience the depth of Musou Black when it accidentally dipped in the paint and black took on a whole new meaning. The Musou Black shone more shades as an ink than my black sweater itself. Luckily, the paint came off with soaking even after it dried. I wouldn't dare make this promise against white, but there was no residue left on the black. In the future, I plan to continue my experiments and combine Musou Black with my clay-dried statues. to see how this black miracle transforms three-dimensional.

A picture of a flower using alcohol inks and Musou Black paint.
This is what alcohol inks and Musou Black look like together.

And what about alcohol inks...

Musou Black doesn't mix well with alcohol and will fizz when you blow it. Of course, this effect can be useful for certain types of work. Note; I don't know how Musou Black reacts chemically with alcohol, so if anyone is interested in this combo, I would recommend either using a respirator (which is also recommended with alcohol inks) or at least finding a well-ventilated space to work in.

Details of the acrylic painting Piece Of Sanity
Acrylic paints and Musou Black work together.
 

10+ experience

I really liked the paint and I plan to keep it in my color selection and test it with different techniques. In Finland, you can buy the paint from the selection of the interior design store dekoja.net . Check out the Blurred Boundaries collection's Piece Of Sanity and its details. from here. Check out my other paintings too .

Musou Black, black paint small wiki

Musou Black the blackest black in the world

Musou Black is a water-based acrylic paint known for its exceptional light absorption. It absorbs up to 99.4% of visible light, significantly more than common black acrylic paints, which absorb around 94-98%. Due to this property, Musou Black can create deep black surfaces with low reflectivity and a very matte finish. The paint can be applied either by brush or spray, and for best results, it is recommended to use a spraying in thin layers.

Musou Black is formulated with synthetic resin (acrylic), pigment, anti-mold agent and water. It is therefore water-based and can be used on plastic models, various models and craft projects. Certain materials may require priming or base treatment before applying the paint.

In terms of safety, the paint surface layer is sensitive to abrasion and contact, so it can chip or flake easily. Painted objects may also shrink and crack. Dust may be generated during use, so it is recommended to use protective equipment such as safety glasses and a face mask. Musou Black is not specifically designed to reduce infrared radiation reflection.

The safety data sheet does not mention that Musou Black contains toxic substances, but as with all paints, it is important to follow safety precautions and use appropriate protective equipment when painting. You can find more information about Musou Black's safety data sheets on dekoja.net's own page.

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