You're talking about tiny differences in percentage light absorption, but it makes a very big difference in well lit conditions. Fighting over fractions of a percent and the quantum mechanics of how they absorb light makes the application method extremely important, and obviously that's airbrushing. Hopefully you can try that out too, great video.
I recently used black 3.0 on a painting I did on a wood panel. Love the finish when it dries - however - if you are planning to seal the painting (which you almost have to - I'll explain in a sec) the spray varnishes/finishes will almost ruin it's matte finish. It works better over the top of a sealed painting. Also, whatever you do - NEVER, and I mean never, let it drip, spit, trickle or fall onto an area where it will stand out. The stuff stains EVERYTHING. The instant it falls onto raw wood, canvas, etc., the material will be stained. I had three drips and had to end up using a dremel tool to 'carve' out the area where the paint fell = use it over something that has been sealed - it will help with clean up and cut down on staining issues. Thanks for the video - I can't wait to try the other paints.
@@MrsRen there are no fumes. It’s just paint. I have all these paints they don’t smell any worse either. In fact there’s actually information MSDS for musou black and no information for culture hustle paints (I’m sure they’re fine they just don’t have them)
@@MrsRen i have musou black and used for spraying as well as brush work ...what smell ? little to none and what i can smell is not a horendous smell as she portrays
@@tafrog5552 Both of you are ignoring the fact that people have different noses and sensitivity to smells. Just because you don't smell something doesn't mean others won't.
Now that I know the pros and cons. I'm going with black 3.0. My eldest son gave permission for me to paint murals in his room and I have been taking my brain for the ceiling until about a week or so ago. Doing a glow in the dark galaxy sky on the ceiling and I think black 3.0 would be perfect to make the glowing POP💥💥🌟✨✨💥. Can't wait to get started now thanks for the review.
No worries! Glad it’s helped! That’s a great idea for an ultra black. Are you going to use lesser blacks for star clouds and the ultra for the void? Or just all black 3.0?
Have you tried adding just a tad of water to the Black 4.0? It decreases the tackiness and improves coverage and leveling. Comparing 3.0 with 4.0 when their viscosities have been matched shows 4.0 to be less reflective in my test.
Interesting! I haven’t, I was going to do some research to work out how I could thin it enough to use in an airbrush. So you’re using just straight tap water not distilled?
@@StuffBySunshine Yes, straight tap water. Just as with regular acrylic paint, you can thin with up to about 35% water without destroying the ability of the paint to form a film with good integrity. To dilute the pigment or decrease the opacity further, it’s generally best to use a medium (matte or gloss). But because 4.0 is more matte than matte medium, the reflectivity would actually increase. So water is the ticket for improving the wettability of both the paper and the brush (dampen both, just as you would with watercolor) and for improving leveling (and hence blackness!). Distilled water would be fine, too.
I agree I have 2 and 3 and use water to make them both more workable and its fine. Also 2 works much like a regular acrylic and I saw a CH video suggesting priming with 2 - which takes well and then paint the 3 after. This might also apply to 4 but I watched the video before its release.
@@StuffBySunshine Isopropyl alcohol works well for this. It doesn't dilute the pigment and it dries faster. The only thing to watch out for is using too much alcohol if you are doing thick layers. It will dry so fast the paint can crack. I learned most of this from other graffiti artists who often thin acrylics for use in mops and markers. It also helps if they want drips in their tag. Wetting the paint lets it go on to the surface smoother and that really helps with matte colors.
This video was more interesting than I originally thought it would be. I think you also did a really good job on the last test. Must have been really hard to find a way to integrate those blacks into your “normal” works…
Geo! 😂 you may have seen in stream the three or four painting styles I tried before selling on this one. Everything else was just too blobby and dominant. I was actually considering doing a black and white portrait again but wanted to add some color. Really glad you liked it! I suspect this video will be the one I’ve put the most effort into but will get the lowest views 😂
I've been using Black 3.0 for a few years in home cinemas for touching up reflective items such as visible screws heads that just can't be physically hidden. It's superb and sensible money.
True! Although I’m hearing report that over time it looses a bit of its matte color. Ie fresh black 3.0 seems to be darker from the pot than older aged paint
Thankyou and no worries! I tried to make it as comprehensive as possible to a point I figured I was boring people ☺️. Thanks for watching paint dry with me!
Puzzles me, that i was instructed to use 3 coats and a hair dryer between every layer of black 3.0 🤔 Surely this make all of the paints better yet? Very profesionally made testing, the facemask really showed how dedicated you are 👌
That’s interesting! I usually use a hair dryer on water floor but it effects the way it drys quite substantially so I intentionally decided to not use one on the blacks for that reason. I didn’t or hadn’t read that black 3.0 suggested it, it could be that using the heat and the quick dry makes the particles stand vertical giving us more of a velvet finish? I’ll have to experiment and see. Thankyou, glad you enjoyed ☺️💜
Fantastic video, brilliant production quality. Informative as hell. I’m going to be painting a balrog miniature on my channel with the blackest paint I can. I’ll be sure to credit you in my research. 🤘
Thankyou! Glad you liked it. Oh nice! Are you going to use multiple blacks to get darker and darker shadows or just an ultra black for all the darks? I’ll have to have a hunt for the video when it comes out ☺️
It’d be interesting to see, I’m finding using ultra blacks work best when combined with normal blacks. The eye recognises the normal black as “black” and the ultra blacks as a deeper darker blacker black. It’s great for contrast. Good luck with your Balrog!
Thank u for this professional test! I am a scientist and u worked like one to find the most brutal colour which is blacker than the blackest black on the market....Metal🤘 So all hail to Musou 🙌
@@StuffBySunshine I appreciate it! This colours are very expensive and U are a professional artist. If I would test these I would ask myself....do I use the wrong surface, brush or technique....because on the paper of refractory index measures Black 4.0 should be the darkest. But the thing is how U measure. So what U did was a reality check. And this is easier said than done because U need to erase all of your own expectations. I really enjoyed it!
Wow, I have no need of your other videos (not my stuff) but damn girl, Your review of those paints is deep, well thought and great connected into single video that I watch from left to right. Great job! Consider exploring other topic like those paints as your review it top ! I will sub and see what future brings.
this was super informing. I've been researching what paint to cover a giant concrete thumb with and I originally was going to go with black 4.0. The musou performed way better I'm so glad i saw this before I went ahead with the project!
First I loved this video I actually subscribed quickly in to it Ty and very entertaining. Second. I have used black 3.0 and had very good results that last for years on canvas. One thing I suggest you try is thinning it down and do multiple thin coats with even a sponge brush to reduce brush marks. As these are able to be thinned extensively for airbrush they work were well thin. Every layer seems darker than before. I do have airbrushes now but oddly have not used the 3.0 ( I guess I will give that a try soon)
Thankyou! Glad you enjoyed ☺️. Yes I’ve heard that, and apparently the black 4.0 is a lot more usable when doing so. I wanted to keep the black things as consistent as possible with this test and just followed the instructions on the bottle . One of these days I’ll get an airbrush and compare them all again using a thin layers, I think they will all most likely be much darker ☺️💜
Fantastic video. Plus it's great to find more Aussie creative TH-camrs. Thank you for your hard work. I have Black 3.0 and had been doing some tests myself, like comparing various blacks I have, putting various matt varnishes over blacks to compare (which makes Black 3.0 look terrible) and trying crackle paint over the top of it (which just shrinks and peels itself right off). Great to find your channel and I do hope you continue to do more experimental stuff like this.
Thankyou! I think if you manage to find something you can coat on any of these specialty blacks and retain the light absorption that would be very really interesting. I haven’t heard of anything unfortunately. I’ve been slowly (slowly as work keeps getting in the way😂) making my way through everything I think that interesting so hopefully I’ll be able to get some more vids out soon ☺️💜
This was a really fantastic and thorough review of the paints and certainly saved me some money ;). I have used the Musuo Black several times (mainly to eliminate any stray reflections from light barriers in photography) and I have a bottle on my desk now. I have never noticed any real odor from the paint. But to be fair I also have some Black 3.0 (my comparison of the two pretty well matched yours) and I never noticed a coffee smell. I swear I do have a sense of smell.
Really? That’s so strange? I had a headache for days. Did your smell when you initially opened it? I’m wondering if it’s something that burns off after a while. Yes my black 3.0 is the same now, no smell. Apparently it ages tho and becomes less black as time goes on so I’m assuming the smell is an indicator of that
@@StuffBySunshine No my bottle never had any real odor and a year later it's still just as black. After watching your video I saw another of a guy who painted his SUV with Musuo Black. He never mentioned a smell or wore protective gear. I wonder if you got an off bottle?
Maybe, I’d been warned about it before I got it by other artists. I’m wondering if there is a difference between the Asian branded Musou and the English? Mine still smells like death in a jar so perhaps they have difference based upon where they are intended for?
@@StuffBySunshine Mine is the English branded bottle. Perhaps that's the difference? The video of the guy painting his car is called "The World’s Blackest Car." He goes through maybe a dozen or so bottles and doesn't mention odor.
Thankyou! That one did take a while 😂. It seems to be mostly artists who watch my stuff, so gotta make sure it’s comprehensive enough they can make there own minds up ☺️
In your tests, you even called out Musou being thinner than 4.0. I had issues with the Black 3.0 and Black 4.0 when I first used them, too. However, if you thin it down with water, it ends up being more like Musou and is easier to work with (hence why you think an airbrush might be better).
I think if I ever did a project with 4.0 I’d look to use an airbrush and then thin it as well for that. I’ve since used the Musou in my gold test video (it’ll be out one day) primarily just because it’s paint and go ie I don’t have to do anything special like the black 4.0. There’s a certain charm to just grabbing a paint and going😂
@@StuffBySunshine This is true. The type of acrylic painting I do generally requires me to mix my paints anyway, so it's not an extra step. I do agree, though, that the Musou did appear blacker in your video.
id say the way these paints were showcased was more thorough than most videos i find, the performance of each paint was quite interesting, especially when they were overexposed to the studio light. musou still reigns supreme as the "blackest black" the shade is so...black? idk, i just rly like it compared to blck 4.0. musou black looks the closest to form a "2d" effect. well done!
Yeah it does (musou gives the best result that is), I think I’ll get myself an airbrush because I just expected so much more from Black 4.0 and it want there. Future videos!
You did such an incredible job putting this video together! I love how you did the comparisons, and how much you describe everything about the process from how easily they went on to how they did being scraped off! I always just assumed that these paints were a viable alternative to vantablack, but apparently they are nowhere near it, unfortunately.
Thankyou! I’d love to get some vantablack to compare them to. I’m always curious how they film the vantablack as there are so many camera tricks to make black look blacker. Vanta black may in reality actually not be that black🤔.
I absolutely love this review so much. It's so in depth and has given me all the info I need! But as a side note girl I hope you fixed that squeaking going on in the video because it's like nails down a chalk board 😭
So glad you got something from it 💜. And apologies for the noise, I think your hearing two small gentleman called Percy and Cecil. Alas screaming for attention and chirping just to be little buggers is the lot of cockatiels🙃. I’m a few vids on from this one and they are still a big problem, I think I’m going to have to include them in the videos just to keep em happy tbh
I still have one of the first batches of Black 2.0 from Stuart Semple. I've heard 3.0 and 4.0 are blacker, but for the very rare occasions I paint something... why? Black 2.0 was already way blacker than any other black paint, black 3.0 is even blacker. I feel like the only selling point of Musou is bragging rights that it is blacker than Black 3.0. Musou makes you physically sick, and you can't use it in a studio without protective equipment, and it's not THAT much blacker than Semple's paints. Certainly not noticeably so unless you have samples directly next to each other, and I feel like that's really the only time Musou would really make a difference and wouldn't be worth exposure to the fumes. Musou is blacker, but Semple's paints are usable without killing yourself on fumes.
Have you found the black 2.0 has gotten less black as times gone on? I’ve heard the 3 and I’m assuming 4 ages and becomes a lighter color as time goes on.
Different people are sensitive to different smells. I've painted things with Musou black, and I didn't even notice a smell. I opened it up after watching this video, and yeah, there is a smell, but to me it's not offensive and I had to put my nose practically in the bottle to smell it. For me, a respirator is definitely not necessary. I do have one just like yours, but really only break it out for truly obnoxious products like polyester casting resin, most epoxy glues (especially the plastic repair types), and 3D resin printer resin.
Interestingly I used it yesterday to paint the eyes of a golden skull. It’s much much better than when I first opened it. I’m wondering if wherever they use as a thinner “burns off” over time. When I originally used it my friend who was here had headaches for ages so yeah it was bad, tho not so anymore 🤔
@@StuffBySunshine You may also have gotten unlucky, and had a bottle that got overheated in shipping. Musou Black's MSDS describes it as having only stable polymers with a "slight acrylic odor", but if you heat acrylic paint, the polymers can break down into acrylate monomers which have a nasty, acrid odor that are detectibly offensive even at less than 1 part per million.
Thank you very much for this very complete test. It confirms my test on the black 3.0 which is more a dark grey. Indeed I do artprints with sublimation and the black I get with sublimation is way blacker than the 3.0. However, sublimation printings are not as flat. I am a little bit obsessed with black color because I want my images to float in the air
No worries at all! Glad you enjoyed it. Have you done any tests to see how much blacker the sublimation ink is to acrylic paints? I’m assuming you’re using a machine so it would likely be putting down a very even coat. In think I’ll borrow an airbrush just for my own curiosity and see how back these paints are vs the brush method. Black that looks like holes in space is the ultimate goal!💜
Hi, well, sublimation is a printing technique that consists of sublimating an ink onto a specific plate (Chromaluxe) at high temperature. The result is extremely high contrast and deep blacks. However, the finish remains glossy or satin, and you don't get the flatness of the paints you've tested. I'll try to make a video that I'll invite you to watch.@@StuffBySunshine
I regret that I am only able to give one "thumbs up" on this masterpiece! It must have taken several days to produce. Thanks much for this valuable information!
No worries 💜☺️. Unfortunately no, not as far as I know. The surface of these paints is a matte finish and what that means is if you add a coating to that, it’ll reflect light thus remove some of its “blackness”. I’m sure if your happy for it not to be quite as light absorbent then any spray would do☺️
Funny! Just searched for information on how to make Musou Black more durable and found this video. When playing it, I realized I know this person! Great video, keep up the good work, Sunshine!
I am reluctant to try Musou, as I worry about the scent of it, but I may have to. I have been wanting to do a dramatic, highly contrasting art piece with a black background and heavily pigmented focal subject but have been reluctant to use my Black. Yes, it's not 2, 3, or 4. It's Semple's OG Black. It's nice but it dries quite 'chalky' looking and while it does absorb light, it's got an almost grey appearance to it when light hits it. I am a huge fan of Japanese-made art and stationary supplies however and if Musou is the most pitch-black (per say), I may have to invest in it eventually to try.
Sounds like an awesome project! Yeah in terms of the light absorption I definitely think musou would work well. If it helps, it doesn’t continue to smell once it’s dried!
Hello sunshine, 😇return to start of experiment. To harden the Musou black at the scratch, you must add MAT catalyst for polyester resin (this is the composition of the Musou black) I haven't tried 3.0; I have enough experimentation to do with Musou for the moment. On wood or paper, the backgrounds must be prepared with special resin primer paints tinted black or MAT black. A very expensive addition of products, but for what I am going to do with it it is worth the cost. Have a nice day. I live in France, so you will have to look online for catalyst mat in your country 🙃
Thankyou for that! I assumed there was some type of catalyst in the Musou based upon the smell but wasn't sure what to look. Searching for Polyester resin catalyst it comes straight up. I'll have to try some and see how it effects the paint 💜
Cheers for a brilliant review, you've earned yourself another sub! Despite your final summary, I will take my chances, live with the stench and order myself some Musou though. ;-)
Thankyou! Glad you enjoyed ☺️. I must admit while I love the 3.0 when I’m going for as black as possible i tend to more grab the musou myself. Its negatives aside it does do a good job!
Thanks so very much for this comparison!! Which, if any, would you recommend to incorporate into a wall mural over latex paint? Don't have the funds to do a test! Thanks!
No worries! Honestly I have no idea, they are all such unforgiving paint with what they are going down over. I would suspect black 3.0 is the strongest BUT that’s just a guess. Could you prime the latex paint first? If that was the case they should all work exactly like you see here
The website for Musou has reflectance graphs for their paint showing airbrushing it results in about a 40%~ reduction in reflected light. Given the only real reason to use these paints is to achieve the darkest result possible, it seems an odd choice to not go with or include airbrushing if you're trying to show and compare these paints. It may not be as accessible as brushing it on, but... it's not like it's inaccessible or too expensive or too uncommon for at home use.
Well to be fair I don’t own one, but also I wanted to do a test using a brush as that’s what a lot of traditional artists use to apply paint. Sure som people will play a piece with an airbrush but a lot more use these types of paints just for a splash of darkness thus the brush! I will do a v2 test video in the future with an airbrush tho, just to see how they respond ☺️
this was fantasticly informative...I already bought 150ml. of black4.0about 2 months ago. I wish I would of seen this video first. I would of not gotten it. the musou is by far the better black.... but you definitely turned me off to it with the odor problem. I had high expectations for this paint and planned on using it exactly how you did. all in all I don't think it's worth it. thank you very much for doing this and sorry you had to risk your health to do it.
So I’m going to do a follow up video for that soon. I’ve brought several versions of Musou over than last few months and some are really bad for the door and some Arnt weirdly. I’m also finding that if you let the Musou black paint age it smells less terrible. Not 100% certain if it becomes less black with the age tho🤷🏼♀️. We’ll test it (soonish) and find out☺️
@@StuffBySunshine At least if people come into your stream and see you wearing a mask, you jokingly tell them that your getting ready for an apocalypse 😂
That's been an issue I've had with expensive paints in the past, amazing effects but durability issues. i prefer to sacrifice light fastness for durability as my work is archived and not exposed to daylight. I know this is intended as a model paint, however i see the issue with durability is even more a factor, as to protect the paint you would have to apply a clear protective coating, which most likely effects the blackness. It seems to me to be a novelty for people with an expertise in modeling and crafting, with the disposable income. a lot of the issues you demonstrated are reasons I gave up acrylics for water colors. apart form my love for water colors as an expressive medium. If I did pick up acrylic paints again, I feel my experience would be, that I would purchased them as a novelty, hold onto to them because they were expensive, then after a couple of years, either try to gave them away to a serious crafts person, or sought means to properly dispose of them. with regular paints - if they scrape or peal, i can give then away to a student artist who would be happy to receive them. less money for better durability and almost as black, seems a better option.
I think I probably could have done a lightfast test with these as well as it took me so long to film (atleast a day between coats) but I didn’t actually think of that till the end. I’m not exactly sure what it’s primarily intended for, I really wanted to compare these paints but it wasn’t until I hit the art section filming a few weeks in, that I started looking at what people were doing with these paints. True there are some model painters but there’s a lot who seem to be just trying it and seeing what happens. To be fair the cheap acrylic really had few issues other than not being super dark. But I guess yeah acrylic does sit on top while watercolor embeds so there’s always the worry it’ll come off. I didn’t talk costs but at last look the black 3.0 is cheaper than the 4.0 and about the same as the Musou. It’s a bit more $$ than premium acrylic paint but in line with something that’s made in such small batches. If you get a chance in the future you should try it, its a fun experience ☺️💜
I think I heard from another artist that for the best performance Black 4.0 should be airbrushed. Because of the chalky nature the pigment sticks better and the particles actually "stand up" to absorb more light, if that makes sense.
Yes it does actually, if you look really close at the musou that’s what’s happening to make it more light absorbent. I think all of them would be much darker if we used an airbrush ☺️
Thank you for doing these comparison tests (other channels just evaluate one at a time) - Very very useful indeed!. Note: Black Musou is bloody expensive at the moment and Black 3.0 is more reasonable - people are buying the most recent cos they think it is the best. I'm off to buy 3.0 cos I'm cheap and it does not stick . All the best from the UK!
it appears I'm a little late to the party, but this was fantastic. I wanted to buy some black 4.0 for some mini painting. However what's the fun of a miniature if i can't let ppl pick it up to get a closer look, it's for fun not a museum piece! I'm gonna try to get my hands on Musou black. it looks the best IMO. thanks
Predominantly because it didn’t specify to do that. I wanted to try them all exactly as they came and it’s supposed to be a paint you can use without thinning. I think all three paints would have worked far better with thinning and airbrushing multiple thin layers but that’s not how many artists plan on using them, thus this test 💜
I have a question can you use any of these blackest black paints black 3.0-4.0 or musou on plastics and is there any way to protect that paint layer once it’s dry from rubbing off on your fingers or keep dirt sweat water etc basically anything that can damage the paint layer from destroying the paint layer like using lacquer or varnish or. Basically I’m asking is there any way to keep the paint layer of these blackest black paints from coming off once dry. Basically protecting it for a long time
Hi! Yes they will all work on plastics as long as you prime it. As to your second question, I really doubt it. Any layer over the top will add reflection thus they won’t appear as dark. I’ve tended to use them in places that have no interaction with elements, ie people don’t touch them ☺️
I’m not an artist, nor will I probably ever use these products; however, I stayed for the whole video! (I created a YT account just to leave this comment) Thank you!
very interesting - just want to mention some water based paints take a week to cure for optimum performance - also blackboard paint demands breaking in prior to use - the whole surface needs to chalked
Interesting! I didn’t know that re the blackboard paint. I would love love LOVE to say I didn’t leave these paints for a week due to me getting these videos out so regularly, but I’m so slow making these I think the actual tests sat for atleast 2 weeks before I filmed them 😂
Thank you I wanted to know which was the blackest but not enough to pay for the Culture Hustle paints. Also feel I should say, I haven't noticed a smell with my Musou maybe it changes from jar to jar.
Thankyou! I’m thinking about buying a heap of Musou black from as many distributors as I can and doing a smell comparison. So many people say it doesn’t small I’m so curious to see if it’s a thinner used in one specific version
I've been working with all three of them for a little while now. I personally use them interchangeably depending on the project. An you'll have a better time painting Black 3.0/4.0. by thinning it with some water, sure it will need more coats but you'll have more control. For spray painting black 3.0 an 4.0 (though thinned) and Musou Black for painting detail work. But admittedly I would use Musou Black more if it didn't just stink so so badly, the smell can allmost cling to things. Naw, my personal gripe is trying to find a matte sealant that won't screw with its effect. I haven't even been able to test out Culture Hustles own Matte Coat they made for it *because they seemingly rarely ever restock.*
Haha that was again a cool test! I find it very interesting that the Black 3.0 smells like coffee (one of the best aromas out there) vs the Musou Black with its weapons-grade stank. 😹 Also I think the “musou” here probably means “peerless”… so a peerless black, which it definitely has proven to be true here. And, definitely, the scientist in me wonders how those look like when airbrushed… I assume that, once you get down to these ultra blacks, surface texture (or rather, the lack thereof) should play a huge part in reaching the maximum light absorption levels. We’ll see, if you ever get down to trying them with the airbrush. That being said, the brush test honestly sounds like the most useful, as that’s really the most convenient form of application in art pieces! 😺
I think the coffee smell it was an intentional thing from the maker. I Didn’t mention it but I was really curious as to how the black 4.0 would smell. Slightly disappointed they didn’t bother either it😕. I think I’d have to do some experimenting with thinners to make both the 3.0 and definitely the 4.0 thinner before they would work with an airbrush. But yeah when I get an airbrush (eventually) I’ll do something. Maybe just a live stream as after 40 minutes of black people are likely sick of it 😂
@@bal4cars Yes it does, I Used Muso on next weeks video (goldest Gold) and its still there but much less of a problem. I think its whatever they use to thin the paint which burns off after usage
Had you considered a grey or matt black primer? Because this is the first channel I've seen try all of this with a white primer, and I feel it's showing off the 'enhancement' nature of the 3.0 and 4.0 paints more!
I did consider it, but as I wanted to start with how these paints reacted on paper I stuck with white through the whole test. There’s a lot we can do to get better results with these, but this test wasn’t about making them as good as they possibly could be. It’s more putting them through a real world situation (ie using them in art ☺️)
Well to be honest 4.0 and Musou would likely scratch pretty quickly. You can’t really coat them In anything either else they add a shine to them and don’t look as black. Maybe try the 3.0? It’s the strongest of the lot. Apparently Musou also has a material? You hold grab that and coat your case in it as well. May not last forever but would be a fun project ☺️
This is probably the most comprehensive color test I have ever seen and you are also very nice, I am totally impressed. Subscribe and like are a given. I have already worked with all three special colors and have learned three things. Firstly, you get much better results with an airbrush than with a brush. However, you have to mix the paint with around 3-5% distilled water. Secondly, all three colors, Musou, Black 3 & 4, are overrated by marketing and some TH-camrs. Personally, I think Musou Black is the best black but is only ideal for paper, cardboard and artist canvases. On 3D objects made of metal, plastic and also hardwood, Musou tends to rub off easily. I have also tried it with matt sealing varnish, then it holds perfectly but loses the deep black effect. Thirdly, all three colors are blacker than all other brands but they are still not worth the high price.
I was looking for a comparative review of the ultrablack pigments, not for artistic application but for telescope internals coating and I found it. My telescope tube has an internal "black" that looks like a washed gray compared to these pigments.
Glad it could help! I’d make sure no matter which one you use you let it fully gas out before you put your scope back together. That way there’s no chance it’ll damage your optics ☺️
Great test, I think the education combined with an attractive host was no accident. 😂 I got what I want d which was to see if the Mousou was as I thought, blacker than the black 4.0 and this video confirmed it. Cheers.
Apart from the noxious smell, I got the impression that the Musou black was designed to perform almost like a traditional Japanese calligraphy ink. If you've never seen how that ink is made, they craft it from pure black carbon soot. But judging from your tests, I'd be inclined to lean toward Black 3.0 for general purpose projects. And in case no one else mentions it, how did you manage to pick out a dress for this video which looks blacker on camera than any of the paints you were testing? I love that you dressed for the test, because the dress was the best.
Hmm interesting. Yes, I've seen the process of how they make those traditional black Japanese inks and its just mesmerizing. I'd love to get my hands on some one day! Haha I honestly didn't think my dress was going to be so black on camera! But lets say it was a happy accident?
What would be a better substrate to mix with musou? alcohol could be an alternate as it could hydrate more than distilled water could. Also would a primed and scuffed surface provide better adhesion while getting more outputs from the bottle?
Woh! I was not expecting you to be here when I clicked on the video. Awesome to find you in the wilds of TH-cam Sunshine! P.S. Clicked the video trying to find blacks for coating equipment. You're totally ontop of it I see. I'm re-furbishing some camera lenses and while I have them apart I was going to give the inside barrel a coat in one of these super black paints. Ironically, these blacks would look blacker if there were fewer internal reflections inside the camera lens barrel, which scatters light across the camera sensor.
Wait...I think there's an error. It says you have 2.76k Subscribers...not 2.76 Million. The production quality is too good to be that undersubscribed. Welp, let's add one really quick!
Thanks for the sub! 😂 the reason for that is of course that unfortunately there Arnt that many people on TH-cam who want to watch paint dry for 40 min 😋
Fantastic test. I was wondering what the difference between 3.0 and 4.0 was as I have a project using sculptures that will be lightly handled, so it needs to be fairly hard-wearing. Looking at this, from the difference in price, the application problems and durability, along with little noticeable difference in the blackness, I will be going with 3.0, (applied by airbrush). I had not heard of the Musou before, but I have read elsewhere it has a habit of flaking and falling off after a few weeks. Along with the vile smell, I think I will avoid that. Also worth noting, there is also a Black 2.0, which is considerably cheaper, so I might look at priming a few coats of that before top coating with Black 3.0
Thanks for that! It’s been a while since I’ve used the paints and so far nothing has fallen off Jeff (the skull) but the 4.0 and Musou still feel delicate so the flaking may be a thing. Good luck with your project ☺️💜!
It’s a velvet and I grade the shots of me differently to the shots of the paint. The paint I try and make as color accurate as possible but I try and make me look less tired so it’s graded😂
Would be good to see all used in an airbrush.. From all the other viral vids I’ve watched airbrush seems to rid the painterly lines and musou being thinner is best for that as well
True it does, although I decided to use a brush as your supposed to be able to (you can obviously) and I don’t own an airbrush. In time I may buy one and do something large scale , but this will have to do for now☺️
Ive been wanting to paint my paintball gun with one of these colors. I do not expect it to hold up long given the abuse it would take, but hoping to pick your brain. The gun already has a ceracote design paint job and has a mild texture and is matte. Would this need to be stripped first or could it be useful for paint bonding? What's your recommendation?
This is gonna look so cool! Hmm depends on whether the previous paint has different layers to it. Say if there’s like a really obviously strip or something down the middle as you’ll find that will be seen under the black. Could still look pretty cool like that though! Might also be worth giving it a bit of a sand? That way you’ve got more to bond with more of an even surface. To be fair though It would be even better if you airbrushed it I think, that way you won’t get the brush strokes I did. But It’s up to you! Good luck with the project my friend I hope it turns out awesome 😊
I'm starting to think that black 3.0 and 4.0 are just coffee grounds that are burned in an oxygen free environment (until only carbon remains) combined with as little binder as possible so that the binder doesn't shine through. I honestly want to try and make it now and save myself 99% of the cost.
Would love a comparison with nova color #109 Carbon Black ofc might not be blackest but how would it compare in every other respect to musou would be interesting especially for the money.
Interesting, I actually hadn’t heard of nova color carbon black. Looking at the site it doesn’t offer much in the way of light absorption data. It also states it has a slight sheen so it may not be that black. Certainly cheap enough tho! I’ll have to grab some and test it one of these days ☺️
You're talking about tiny differences in percentage light absorption, but it makes a very big difference in well lit conditions. Fighting over fractions of a percent and the quantum mechanics of how they absorb light makes the application method extremely important, and obviously that's airbrushing. Hopefully you can try that out too, great video.
I'd love to try airbrushing one day, particularly for tests like this! It seems like it would be much more consistent then the paint brush!
I can’t believe I watched paint dry for 40 minutes! 😂 Great video, was super interesting and now I want to paint everything ultra black!
To be fair every one of those paints is very fun to use!
6:00 6i 6:00 iiii9ii8o0o:00 😅 6:00 6:00 6:00 6:00 6:00 6:00 6:00 6:00 6:00 6:00 @@StuffBySunshine6:00 6:00 6:00 6:00 😅 6:00 6:00 6:00 6:00 6:00 oooo 6:00 6:00 6:00 6:00
I recently used black 3.0 on a painting I did on a wood panel. Love the finish when it dries - however - if you are planning to seal the painting (which you almost have to - I'll explain in a sec) the spray varnishes/finishes will almost ruin it's matte finish. It works better over the top of a sealed painting. Also, whatever you do - NEVER, and I mean never, let it drip, spit, trickle or fall onto an area where it will stand out. The stuff stains EVERYTHING. The instant it falls onto raw wood, canvas, etc., the material will be stained. I had three drips and had to end up using a dremel tool to 'carve' out the area where the paint fell = use it over something that has been sealed - it will help with clean up and cut down on staining issues. Thanks for the video - I can't wait to try the other paints.
Sound like I’m just lucky didnt spill any. This is unusual for me as I’m a messy painter 😂. Glad you enjoyed!
So, I should apply Mod Pudge as first layer, let it dry, then apply black paint over?
what an underrated channel! the production looked high budget so i thought this was a 100k ish channel :O
Feel free to invite your friends 😂. Thankyou for the compliment tho ☺️
musou looks like the clear winner here.
Musou smells like the clear winner here 😂
Except that I, for one, would not be willing to put up with the fumes she states come with using it. I don't care how black it is if I can't use it.
@@MrsRen there are no fumes. It’s just paint. I have all these paints they don’t smell any worse either. In fact there’s actually information MSDS for musou black and no information for culture hustle paints (I’m sure they’re fine they just don’t have them)
@@MrsRen i have musou black and used for spraying as well as brush work ...what smell ?
little to none and what i can smell is not a horendous smell as she portrays
@@tafrog5552 Both of you are ignoring the fact that people have different noses and sensitivity to smells. Just because you don't smell something doesn't mean others won't.
Now that I know the pros and cons. I'm going with black 3.0. My eldest son gave permission for me to paint murals in his room and I have been taking my brain for the ceiling until about a week or so ago. Doing a glow in the dark galaxy sky on the ceiling and I think black 3.0 would be perfect to make the glowing POP💥💥🌟✨✨💥. Can't wait to get started now thanks for the review.
No worries! Glad it’s helped! That’s a great idea for an ultra black. Are you going to use lesser blacks for star clouds and the ultra for the void? Or just all black 3.0?
Have you tried adding just a tad of water to the Black 4.0? It decreases the tackiness and improves coverage and leveling. Comparing 3.0 with 4.0 when their viscosities have been matched shows 4.0 to be less reflective in my test.
Interesting! I haven’t, I was going to do some research to work out how I could thin it enough to use in an airbrush. So you’re using just straight tap water not distilled?
@@StuffBySunshine Yes, straight tap water. Just as with regular acrylic paint, you can thin with up to about 35% water without destroying the ability of the paint to form a film with good integrity. To dilute the pigment or decrease the opacity further, it’s generally best to use a medium (matte or gloss). But because 4.0 is more matte than matte medium, the reflectivity would actually increase. So water is the ticket for improving the wettability of both the paper and the brush (dampen both, just as you would with watercolor) and for improving leveling (and hence blackness!).
Distilled water would be fine, too.
I agree I have 2 and 3 and use water to make them both more workable and its fine. Also 2 works much like a regular acrylic and I saw a CH video suggesting priming with 2 - which takes well and then paint the 3 after. This might also apply to 4 but I watched the video before its release.
@@StuffBySunshine Isopropyl alcohol works well for this. It doesn't dilute the pigment and it dries faster. The only thing to watch out for is using too much alcohol if you are doing thick layers. It will dry so fast the paint can crack. I learned most of this from other graffiti artists who often thin acrylics for use in mops and markers. It also helps if they want drips in their tag. Wetting the paint lets it go on to the surface smoother and that really helps with matte colors.
This video was more interesting than I originally thought it would be. I think you also did a really good job on the last test. Must have been really hard to find a way to integrate those blacks into your “normal” works…
Geo! 😂 you may have seen in stream the three or four painting styles I tried before selling on this one. Everything else was just too blobby and dominant.
I was actually considering doing a black and white portrait again but wanted to add some color.
Really glad you liked it! I suspect this video will be the one I’ve put the most effort into but will get the lowest views 😂
I've been using Black 3.0 for a few years in home cinemas for touching up reflective items such as visible screws heads that just can't be physically hidden. It's superb and sensible money.
True! Although I’m hearing report that over time it looses a bit of its matte color. Ie fresh black 3.0 seems to be darker from the pot than older aged paint
By far the best test/review I have seen on those product, thanks for the work 😃
Thankyou and no worries! I tried to make it as comprehensive as possible to a point I figured I was boring people ☺️. Thanks for watching paint dry with me!
Puzzles me, that i was instructed to use 3 coats and a hair dryer between every layer of black 3.0 🤔 Surely this make all of the paints better yet? Very profesionally made testing, the facemask really showed how dedicated you are 👌
That’s interesting! I usually use a hair dryer on water floor but it effects the way it drys quite substantially so I intentionally decided to not use one on the blacks for that reason. I didn’t or hadn’t read that black 3.0 suggested it, it could be that using the heat and the quick dry makes the particles stand vertical giving us more of a velvet finish? I’ll have to experiment and see.
Thankyou, glad you enjoyed ☺️💜
@@StuffBySunshine I was informed THICKERERerer And SSLLLLOOOOooooWWwwEEsstt Drying It.. Great JOB!!
I have never watched an Art / Paint review video in my life but I managed to watch all 38 minutes, great video! 😊
38 minutes of watching paint dry😂! Glad you enjoyed your first art review video ☺️💜
Fantastic video, brilliant production quality. Informative as hell. I’m going to be painting a balrog miniature on my channel with the blackest paint I can. I’ll be sure to credit you in my research. 🤘
Thankyou! Glad you liked it.
Oh nice! Are you going to use multiple blacks to get darker and darker shadows or just an ultra black for all the darks? I’ll have to have a hunt for the video when it comes out ☺️
@@StuffBySunshine I think I’ll be airbrushing just the one black so he’s pure shadows as he is in the books description. 🙂
It’d be interesting to see, I’m finding using ultra blacks work best when combined with normal blacks. The eye recognises the normal black as “black” and the ultra blacks as a deeper darker blacker black. It’s great for contrast. Good luck with your Balrog!
@@StuffBySunshine Interesting, I shall have to experiment!
When looking at all of them from above in regular room conditions,it's definetly the Musou black that looks the darkest.
The light on each of these definitely makes a huge difference to how black they are! 😊
This is a really fascinating subject, and you did a great job presenting it. Glad you're back, and thanks for taking the time to put these together!
Thankyou! I honestly didn’t expect to do so much (or so long) for this video but they are just such interesting paints.💜🎨!
Thank u for this professional test! I am a scientist and u worked like one to find the most brutal colour which is blacker than the blackest black on the market....Metal🤘 So all hail to Musou 🙌
Glad you enjoyed! This did take a ton of time so I’m glad people are enjoying it 💜☺️
@@StuffBySunshine I appreciate it! This colours are very expensive and U are a professional artist. If I would test these I would ask myself....do I use the wrong surface, brush or technique....because on the paper of refractory index measures Black 4.0 should be the darkest. But the thing is how U measure. So what U did was a reality check. And this is easier said than done because U need to erase all of your own expectations. I really enjoyed it!
Aaaand the winner is... Your outfit!
😂💜
Excellent display of performance and testing of these paints, very helpful in making a purchasing decision, thanks Sunshine!
Thankyou! Glad it helped you ☺️💜
Thank you so much. This is the best comparative test I have seen for these paints in practical applications.
No worries glad you’ve enjoyed and hope it’s helped you ☺️💜
Wow, I have no need of your other videos (not my stuff) but damn girl, Your review of those paints is deep, well thought and great connected into single video that I watch from left to right. Great job! Consider exploring other topic like those paints as your review it top ! I will sub and see what future brings.
Thankyou very much! Glad you enjoyed ☺️
this was super informing. I've been researching what paint to cover a giant concrete thumb with and I originally was going to go with black 4.0. The musou performed way better I'm so glad i saw this before I went ahead with the project!
Glad it helped ☺️. Good luck on your thumb!💜
First I loved this video I actually subscribed quickly in to it Ty and very entertaining.
Second. I have used black 3.0 and had very good results that last for years on canvas. One thing I suggest you try is thinning it down and do multiple thin coats with even a sponge brush to reduce brush marks.
As these are able to be thinned extensively for airbrush they work were well thin. Every layer seems darker than before.
I do have airbrushes now but oddly have not used the 3.0 ( I guess I will give that a try soon)
Thankyou! Glad you enjoyed ☺️.
Yes I’ve heard that, and apparently the black 4.0 is a lot more usable when doing so. I wanted to keep the black things as consistent as possible with this test and just followed the instructions on the bottle .
One of these days I’ll get an airbrush and compare them all again using a thin layers, I think they will all most likely be much darker ☺️💜
Fantastic video. Plus it's great to find more Aussie creative TH-camrs. Thank you for your hard work. I have Black 3.0 and had been doing some tests myself, like comparing various blacks I have, putting various matt varnishes over blacks to compare (which makes Black 3.0 look terrible) and trying crackle paint over the top of it (which just shrinks and peels itself right off). Great to find your channel and I do hope you continue to do more experimental stuff like this.
Thankyou! I think if you manage to find something you can coat on any of these specialty blacks and retain the light absorption that would be very really interesting. I haven’t heard of anything unfortunately.
I’ve been slowly (slowly as work keeps getting in the way😂) making my way through everything I think that interesting so hopefully I’ll be able to get some more vids out soon ☺️💜
This was a really fantastic and thorough review of the paints and certainly saved me some money ;). I have used the Musuo Black several times (mainly to eliminate any stray reflections from light barriers in photography) and I have a bottle on my desk now. I have never noticed any real odor from the paint. But to be fair I also have some Black 3.0 (my comparison of the two pretty well matched yours) and I never noticed a coffee smell. I swear I do have a sense of smell.
Really? That’s so strange? I had a headache for days. Did your smell when you initially opened it? I’m wondering if it’s something that burns off after a while.
Yes my black 3.0 is the same now, no smell. Apparently it ages tho and becomes less black as time goes on so I’m assuming the smell is an indicator of that
@@StuffBySunshine No my bottle never had any real odor and a year later it's still just as black.
After watching your video I saw another of a guy who painted his SUV with Musuo Black. He never mentioned a smell or wore protective gear.
I wonder if you got an off bottle?
Maybe, I’d been warned about it before I got it by other artists. I’m wondering if there is a difference between the Asian branded Musou and the English? Mine still smells like death in a jar so perhaps they have difference based upon where they are intended for?
@@StuffBySunshine Mine is the English branded bottle. Perhaps that's the difference? The video of the guy painting his car is called "The World’s Blackest Car." He goes through maybe a dozen or so bottles and doesn't mention odor.
Wow, thank you so much for that comprehensive test you put a ton work into that! Definitely liked and subscribed!!
Thankyou! That one did take a while 😂. It seems to be mostly artists who watch my stuff, so gotta make sure it’s comprehensive enough they can make there own minds up ☺️
In your tests, you even called out Musou being thinner than 4.0. I had issues with the Black 3.0 and Black 4.0 when I first used them, too. However, if you thin it down with water, it ends up being more like Musou and is easier to work with (hence why you think an airbrush might be better).
I think if I ever did a project with 4.0 I’d look to use an airbrush and then thin it as well for that. I’ve since used the Musou in my gold test video (it’ll be out one day) primarily just because it’s paint and go ie I don’t have to do anything special like the black 4.0. There’s a certain charm to just grabbing a paint and going😂
@@StuffBySunshine This is true. The type of acrylic painting I do generally requires me to mix my paints anyway, so it's not an extra step. I do agree, though, that the Musou did appear blacker in your video.
A fantastic review, super-thorough and really gives us a good idea of what the paints are like to use. Thanks!
No worries at all, glad it helped ☺️
Not a painter but I love the testing set-up and feel you did a great job showcasing the differences. Great work!
Thank you very much! Glad you enjoyed ☺️💜
id say the way these paints were showcased was more thorough than most videos i find, the performance of each paint was quite interesting, especially when they were overexposed to the studio light. musou still reigns supreme as the "blackest black" the shade is so...black? idk, i just rly like it compared to blck 4.0. musou black looks the closest to form a "2d" effect. well done!
Yeah it does (musou gives the best result that is), I think I’ll get myself an airbrush because I just expected so much more from Black 4.0 and it want there. Future videos!
video quality is that of a million subscriber channel. well done. you deserve more subscribers.
Thankyou! Haha i do my best :)
You did such an incredible job putting this video together! I love how you did the comparisons, and how much you describe everything about the process from how easily they went on to how they did being scraped off! I always just assumed that these paints were a viable alternative to vantablack, but apparently they are nowhere near it, unfortunately.
Thankyou! I’d love to get some vantablack to compare them to. I’m always curious how they film the vantablack as there are so many camera tricks to make black look blacker. Vanta black may in reality actually not be that black🤔.
Thanks for taking the time to make this video! Really appreciated.
My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed ☺️💜
This video is exceptionally well done! I feel very well informed about all these paints! Great job!
Thankyou! I’m glad you weren’t frightened off by the length 😂
I absolutely love this review so much. It's so in depth and has given me all the info I need! But as a side note girl I hope you fixed that squeaking going on in the video because it's like nails down a chalk board 😭
So glad you got something from it 💜.
And apologies for the noise, I think your hearing two small gentleman called Percy and Cecil. Alas screaming for attention and chirping just to be little buggers is the lot of cockatiels🙃. I’m a few vids on from this one and they are still a big problem, I think I’m going to have to include them in the videos just to keep em happy tbh
I still have one of the first batches of Black 2.0 from Stuart Semple. I've heard 3.0 and 4.0 are blacker, but for the very rare occasions I paint something... why? Black 2.0 was already way blacker than any other black paint, black 3.0 is even blacker. I feel like the only selling point of Musou is bragging rights that it is blacker than Black 3.0. Musou makes you physically sick, and you can't use it in a studio without protective equipment, and it's not THAT much blacker than Semple's paints. Certainly not noticeably so unless you have samples directly next to each other, and I feel like that's really the only time Musou would really make a difference and wouldn't be worth exposure to the fumes. Musou is blacker, but Semple's paints are usable without killing yourself on fumes.
Have you found the black 2.0 has gotten less black as times gone on? I’ve heard the 3 and I’m assuming 4 ages and becomes a lighter color as time goes on.
Different people are sensitive to different smells. I've painted things with Musou black, and I didn't even notice a smell. I opened it up after watching this video, and yeah, there is a smell, but to me it's not offensive and I had to put my nose practically in the bottle to smell it. For me, a respirator is definitely not necessary. I do have one just like yours, but really only break it out for truly obnoxious products like polyester casting resin, most epoxy glues (especially the plastic repair types), and 3D resin printer resin.
Interestingly I used it yesterday to paint the eyes of a golden skull. It’s much much better than when I first opened it. I’m wondering if wherever they use as a thinner “burns off” over time. When I originally used it my friend who was here had headaches for ages so yeah it was bad, tho not so anymore 🤔
@@StuffBySunshine You may also have gotten unlucky, and had a bottle that got overheated in shipping. Musou Black's MSDS describes it as having only stable polymers with a "slight acrylic odor", but if you heat acrylic paint, the polymers can break down into acrylate monomers which have a nasty, acrid odor that are detectibly offensive even at less than 1 part per million.
Once you go Musou Black, you can never go back! Thanks, good review
This is pretty fantastic. Breaking the video up was very helpful.
Glad you liked it!☺️💜
Thank you very much for this very complete test.
It confirms my test on the black 3.0 which is more a dark grey.
Indeed I do artprints with sublimation and the black I get with sublimation is way blacker than the 3.0.
However, sublimation printings are not as flat.
I am a little bit obsessed with black color because I want my images to float in the air
No worries at all! Glad you enjoyed it.
Have you done any tests to see how much blacker the sublimation ink is to acrylic paints?
I’m assuming you’re using a machine so it would likely be putting down a very even coat.
In think I’ll borrow an airbrush just for my own curiosity and see how back these paints are vs the brush method. Black that looks like holes in space is the ultimate goal!💜
Hi, well, sublimation is a printing technique that consists of sublimating an ink onto a specific plate (Chromaluxe) at high temperature. The result is extremely high contrast and deep blacks.
However, the finish remains glossy or satin, and you don't get the flatness of the paints you've tested.
I'll try to make a video that I'll invite you to watch.@@StuffBySunshine
Nice testing! I wonder what they put in that Musou
Great video and great production. +1 sub!
Thankyou glad you enjoyed!
I regret that I am only able to give one "thumbs up" on this masterpiece! It must have taken several days to produce. Thanks much for this valuable information!
Glad you enjoyed it! Haha I’m so slow in making these things it may have taken slightly longer😂
Thank you for this Video☺️👍🏻
Is there a varnish/finish/firnis for musou black to protect the surface?
No worries 💜☺️. Unfortunately no, not as far as I know. The surface of these paints is a matte finish and what that means is if you add a coating to that, it’ll reflect light thus remove some of its “blackness”. I’m sure if your happy for it not to be quite as light absorbent then any spray would do☺️
Awesome tests! Thank you! This is not what I expected.
Glad it helped!
I’m making my very first sculpture and I needed the blackest paint thank you so much for this video it helped soooooo much
Glad I could help!
What sort of primer did you use, acrylic or enamel? It seemed very shiny. Also, be careful with mdf, it's full of formaldehyde and arsenic
Matte acrylic, though as it comes out of a can it’s a bit shiny due to the light unfortunately. Will do ☺️
Sunshine this was eye opening. You did an excellent job and get an airbrush…seriously…it will open interesting doors.
Thankyou! Haha a few people have mentioned I need an airbrush, I’ll put it on the future Wishlist ☺️
Funny! Just searched for information on how to make Musou Black more durable and found this video. When playing it, I realized I know this person! Great video, keep up the good work, Sunshine!
I am reluctant to try Musou, as I worry about the scent of it, but I may have to. I have been wanting to do a dramatic, highly contrasting art piece with a black background and heavily pigmented focal subject but have been reluctant to use my Black. Yes, it's not 2, 3, or 4. It's Semple's OG Black. It's nice but it dries quite 'chalky' looking and while it does absorb light, it's got an almost grey appearance to it when light hits it. I am a huge fan of Japanese-made art and stationary supplies however and if Musou is the most pitch-black (per say), I may have to invest in it eventually to try.
Sounds like an awesome project!
Yeah in terms of the light absorption I definitely think musou would work well. If it helps, it doesn’t continue to smell once it’s dried!
The best comparison. Now try it in all kinds of fabric. I would love to see it.
Apparently Musou actually has black fabric available, so I may do that one day 😂
Hello sunshine, 😇return to start of experiment. To harden the Musou black at the scratch, you must add MAT catalyst for polyester resin (this is the composition of the Musou black)
I haven't tried 3.0; I have enough experimentation to do with Musou for the moment.
On wood or paper, the backgrounds must be prepared with special resin primer paints tinted black or MAT black.
A very expensive addition of products, but for what I am going to do with it it is worth the cost. Have a nice day. I live in France, so you will have to look online for catalyst mat in your country 🙃
Thankyou for that! I assumed there was some type of catalyst in the Musou based upon the smell but wasn't sure what to look. Searching for Polyester resin catalyst it comes straight up. I'll have to try some and see how it effects the paint 💜
Cheers for a brilliant review, you've earned yourself another sub!
Despite your final summary, I will take my chances, live with the stench and order myself some Musou though. ;-)
Thankyou! Glad you enjoyed ☺️.
I must admit while I love the 3.0 when I’m going for as black as possible i tend to more grab the musou myself. Its negatives aside it does do a good job!
I would have added some isopropyl alcohol to the 4.0. I think it would lay down better, flatter, and darker if you did.
Thanks so very much for this comparison!! Which, if any, would you recommend to incorporate into a wall mural over latex paint? Don't have the funds to do a test! Thanks!
No worries! Honestly I have no idea, they are all such unforgiving paint with what they are going down over. I would suspect black 3.0 is the strongest BUT that’s just a guess. Could you prime the latex paint first? If that was the case they should all work exactly like you see here
The website for Musou has reflectance graphs for their paint showing airbrushing it results in about a 40%~ reduction in reflected light.
Given the only real reason to use these paints is to achieve the darkest result possible, it seems an odd choice to not go with or include airbrushing if you're trying to show and compare these paints. It may not be as accessible as brushing it on, but... it's not like it's inaccessible or too expensive or too uncommon for at home use.
Well to be fair I don’t own one, but also I wanted to do a test using a brush as that’s what a lot of traditional artists use to apply paint. Sure som people will play a piece with an airbrush but a lot more use these types of paints just for a splash of darkness thus the brush!
I will do a v2 test video in the future with an airbrush tho, just to see how they respond ☺️
this was fantasticly informative...I already bought 150ml. of black4.0about 2 months ago. I wish I would of seen this video first. I would of not gotten it. the musou is by far the better black.... but you definitely turned me off to it with the odor problem. I had high expectations for this paint and planned on using it exactly how you did. all in all I don't think it's worth it. thank you very much for doing this and sorry you had to risk your health to do it.
So I’m going to do a follow up video for that soon. I’ve brought several versions of Musou over than last few months and some are really bad for the door and some Arnt weirdly. I’m also finding that if you let the Musou black paint age it smells less terrible. Not 100% certain if it becomes less black with the age tho🤷🏼♀️. We’ll test it (soonish) and find out☺️
I didn’t know that the Darkest Blacks paints existed 😮 Also Cecil stay way from the Acrylic paint 😂
I’m not 100% sure how we’re going to test them on stream 😂 may have to do a full stream in my face mask !
@@StuffBySunshine At least if people come into your stream and see you wearing a mask, you jokingly tell them that your getting ready for an apocalypse 😂
Could be a whole vibe! Apocalypse chic!
@@StuffBySunshine I can totally see that 😂
That's been an issue I've had with expensive paints in the past, amazing effects but durability issues. i prefer to sacrifice light fastness for durability as my work is archived and not exposed to daylight.
I know this is intended as a model paint, however i see the issue with durability is even more a factor, as to protect the paint you would have to apply a clear protective coating, which most likely effects the blackness.
It seems to me to be a novelty for people with an expertise in modeling and crafting, with the disposable income.
a lot of the issues you demonstrated are reasons I gave up acrylics for water colors. apart form my love for water colors as an expressive medium.
If I did pick up acrylic paints again, I feel my experience would be, that I would purchased them as a novelty, hold onto to them because they were expensive, then after a couple of years, either try to gave them away to a serious crafts person, or sought means to properly dispose of them.
with regular paints - if they scrape or peal, i can give then away to a student artist who would be happy to receive them.
less money for better durability and almost as black, seems a better option.
I think I probably could have done a lightfast test with these as well as it took me so long to film (atleast a day between coats) but I didn’t actually think of that till the end.
I’m not exactly sure what it’s primarily intended for, I really wanted to compare these paints but it wasn’t until I hit the art section filming a few weeks in, that I started looking at what people were doing with these paints. True there are some model painters but there’s a lot who seem to be just trying it and seeing what happens.
To be fair the cheap acrylic really had few issues other than not being super dark. But I guess yeah acrylic does sit on top while watercolor embeds so there’s always the worry it’ll come off.
I didn’t talk costs but at last look the black 3.0 is cheaper than the 4.0 and about the same as the Musou. It’s a bit more $$ than premium acrylic paint but in line with something that’s made in such small batches.
If you get a chance in the future you should try it, its a fun experience ☺️💜
@@StuffBySunshine not my jam.
Gunna buy you some for your birthday 💜😝. Haha all good mate I’m not gunna be a paint pusher☺️
I think I heard from another artist that for the best performance Black 4.0 should be airbrushed. Because of the chalky nature the pigment sticks better and the particles actually "stand up" to absorb more light, if that makes sense.
Yes it does actually, if you look really close at the musou that’s what’s happening to make it more light absorbent. I think all of them would be much darker if we used an airbrush ☺️
Thank you for doing these comparison tests (other channels just evaluate one at a time) - Very very useful indeed!. Note: Black Musou is bloody expensive at the moment and Black 3.0 is more reasonable - people are buying the most recent cos they think it is the best. I'm off to buy 3.0 cos I'm cheap and it does not stick . All the best from the UK!
Haha I think that’s a great idea, I think the 3.0 turned out to be my preference too 😊
it appears I'm a little late to the party, but this was fantastic. I wanted to buy some black 4.0 for some mini painting. However what's the fun of a miniature if i can't let ppl pick it up to get a closer look, it's for fun not a museum piece! I'm gonna try to get my hands on Musou black. it looks the best IMO. thanks
No worries at all and never too late! Glad it’s helped make your decision ☺️💜
Hi, I'm from Brazil, I was looking for some reviews to buy and your video was awesome Tks!
Glad it was helpful!
Amazingly thorough testing! Thank you!
Thank you!☺️
Why didn't you thin out the black 4.0? I really feel like you didn't give the black 4.0 what it needs to really shine. Airbrushing and thinning it out
Predominantly because it didn’t specify to do that. I wanted to try them all exactly as they came and it’s supposed to be a paint you can use without thinning. I think all three paints would have worked far better with thinning and airbrushing multiple thin layers but that’s not how many artists plan on using them, thus this test 💜
I have a question can you use any of these blackest black paints black 3.0-4.0 or musou on plastics and is there any way to protect that paint layer once it’s dry from rubbing off on your fingers or keep dirt sweat water etc basically anything that can damage the paint layer from destroying the paint layer like using lacquer or varnish or. Basically I’m asking is there any way to keep the paint layer of these blackest black paints from coming off once dry. Basically protecting it for a long time
Hi! Yes they will all work on plastics as long as you prime it. As to your second question, I really doubt it. Any layer over the top will add reflection thus they won’t appear as dark.
I’ve tended to use them in places that have no interaction with elements, ie people don’t touch them ☺️
I’m not an artist, nor will I probably ever use these products; however, I stayed for the whole video! (I created a YT account just to leave this comment) Thank you!
Well that made me smile! I’m glad you enjoyed it 😊
I agree. The Misou immediately stands out as blacker.
25:30 Cos I'm such a child, I couldn't help but giggle! 🙄😂
very interesting - just want to mention some water based paints take a week to cure for optimum performance - also blackboard paint demands breaking in prior to use - the whole surface needs to chalked
Interesting! I didn’t know that re the blackboard paint. I would love love LOVE to say I didn’t leave these paints for a week due to me getting these videos out so regularly, but I’m so slow making these I think the actual tests sat for atleast 2 weeks before I filmed them 😂
could i potentially use this to dye fabrics? faux fur, cortton, ect
i want to have the blackest black cloak around
that is at least what my solution is until a more proper fabric is manufactured
I don’t think so, the way it drys it’d likely just powder away. I do think Musou has a range of material tho, which may be exactly what you want ☺️
Thank you I wanted to know which was the blackest but not enough to pay for the Culture Hustle paints. Also feel I should say, I haven't noticed a smell with my Musou maybe it changes from jar to jar.
Thankyou! I’m thinking about buying a heap of Musou black from as many distributors as I can and doing a smell comparison. So many people say it doesn’t small I’m so curious to see if it’s a thinner used in one specific version
I've been working with all three of them for a little while now. I personally use them interchangeably depending on the project. An you'll have a better time painting Black 3.0/4.0. by thinning it with some water, sure it will need more coats but you'll have more control. For spray painting black 3.0 an 4.0 (though thinned) and Musou Black for painting detail work. But admittedly I would use Musou Black more if it didn't just stink so so badly, the smell can allmost cling to things.
Naw, my personal gripe is trying to find a matte sealant that won't screw with its effect.
I haven't even been able to test out Culture Hustles own Matte Coat they made for it *because they seemingly rarely ever restock.*
Haha that was again a cool test!
I find it very interesting that the Black 3.0 smells like coffee (one of the best aromas out there) vs the Musou Black with its weapons-grade stank. 😹
Also I think the “musou” here probably means “peerless”… so a peerless black, which it definitely has proven to be true here.
And, definitely, the scientist in me wonders how those look like when airbrushed… I assume that, once you get down to these ultra blacks, surface texture (or rather, the lack thereof) should play a huge part in reaching the maximum light absorption levels. We’ll see, if you ever get down to trying them with the airbrush.
That being said, the brush test honestly sounds like the most useful, as that’s really the most convenient form of application in art pieces! 😺
I think the coffee smell it was an intentional thing from the maker. I Didn’t mention it but I was really curious as to how the black 4.0 would smell. Slightly disappointed they didn’t bother either it😕.
I think I’d have to do some experimenting with thinners to make both the 3.0 and definitely the 4.0 thinner before they would work with an airbrush. But yeah when I get an airbrush (eventually) I’ll do something. Maybe just a live stream as after 40 minutes of black people are likely sick of it 😂
Black 2.0 smelled lovely, like black cherry. 3.0 was a let down.
What! Daaaamn I’m sorry I missed that one
Does the musou smell go away?
@@bal4cars Yes it does, I Used Muso on next weeks video (goldest Gold) and its still there but much less of a problem. I think its whatever they use to thin the paint which burns off after usage
The "4" on the Black 4.0 box looks like a middle finger to Anish Kapoor. I do not believe that is just my imagination
I think it’s supposed to be paint dripping but yeah it could be that 😂
Had you considered a grey or matt black primer? Because this is the first channel I've seen try all of this with a white primer, and I feel it's showing off the 'enhancement' nature of the 3.0 and 4.0 paints more!
I did consider it, but as I wanted to start with how these paints reacted on paper I stuck with white through the whole test. There’s a lot we can do to get better results with these, but this test wasn’t about making them as good as they possibly could be. It’s more putting them through a real world situation (ie using them in art ☺️)
why has this channel not like 300.000 subs?
I can appreciate the effort of picking a black dress
😂 thankyou! Had to be an ultimate black dress as well ☺️
I want to paint my phone case in this color for daily use. Any advice you could give? 😊
Well to be honest 4.0 and Musou would likely scratch pretty quickly. You can’t really coat them In anything either else they add a shine to them and don’t look as black. Maybe try the 3.0? It’s the strongest of the lot.
Apparently Musou also has a material? You hold grab that and coat your case in it as well. May not last forever but would be a fun project ☺️
@@StuffBySunshine Thank you for the advice 😀
Sold me on Musou.
Great review, thank you!
This is probably the most comprehensive color test I have ever seen and you are also very nice, I am totally impressed. Subscribe and like are a given. I have already worked with all three special colors and have learned three things. Firstly, you get much better results with an airbrush than with a brush. However, you have to mix the paint with around 3-5% distilled water. Secondly, all three colors, Musou, Black 3 & 4, are overrated by marketing and some TH-camrs. Personally, I think Musou Black is the best black but is only ideal for paper, cardboard and artist canvases. On 3D objects made of metal, plastic and also hardwood, Musou tends to rub off easily. I have also tried it with matt sealing varnish, then it holds perfectly but loses the deep black effect. Thirdly, all three colors are blacker than all other brands but they are still not worth the high price.
Well, I may have just gotten myself an airbrush (finally). I’m definitely gonna have to try them with that and see what the difference is! 😂
I was looking for a comparative review of the ultrablack pigments, not for artistic application but for telescope internals coating and I found it. My telescope tube has an internal "black" that looks like a washed gray compared to these pigments.
Glad it could help! I’d make sure no matter which one you use you let it fully gas out before you put your scope back together. That way there’s no chance it’ll damage your optics ☺️
Great test, I think the education combined with an attractive host was no accident. 😂 I got what I want d which was to see if the Mousou was as I thought, blacker than the black 4.0 and this video confirmed it. Cheers.
Haha thank you :P Glad it helped clarify things for you!
Apart from the noxious smell, I got the impression that the Musou black was designed to perform almost like a traditional Japanese calligraphy ink. If you've never seen how that ink is made, they craft it from pure black carbon soot. But judging from your tests, I'd be inclined to lean toward Black 3.0 for general purpose projects.
And in case no one else mentions it, how did you manage to pick out a dress for this video which looks blacker on camera than any of the paints you were testing? I love that you dressed for the test, because the dress was the best.
Hmm interesting. Yes, I've seen the process of how they make those traditional black Japanese inks and its just mesmerizing. I'd love to get my hands on some one day!
Haha I honestly didn't think my dress was going to be so black on camera! But lets say it was a happy accident?
What would be a better substrate to mix with musou? alcohol could be an alternate as it could hydrate more than distilled water could. Also would a primed and scuffed surface provide better adhesion while getting more outputs from the bottle?
Woh! I was not expecting you to be here when I clicked on the video. Awesome to find you in the wilds of TH-cam Sunshine!
P.S. Clicked the video trying to find blacks for coating equipment. You're totally ontop of it I see.
I'm re-furbishing some camera lenses and while I have them apart I was going to give the inside barrel a coat in one of these super black paints. Ironically, these blacks would look blacker if there were fewer internal reflections inside the camera lens barrel, which scatters light across the camera sensor.
Oh this would be so interesting to see what happens with the blacks! I hope it works really well for you 😊
How well do you think musou would work on fabric?
Wait...I think there's an error. It says you have 2.76k Subscribers...not 2.76 Million. The production quality is too good to be that undersubscribed. Welp, let's add one really quick!
Thanks for the sub! 😂 the reason for that is of course that unfortunately there Arnt that many people on TH-cam who want to watch paint dry for 40 min 😋
Fantastic test. I was wondering what the difference between 3.0 and 4.0 was as I have a project using sculptures that will be lightly handled, so it needs to be fairly hard-wearing.
Looking at this, from the difference in price, the application problems and durability, along with little noticeable difference in the blackness, I will be going with 3.0, (applied by airbrush).
I had not heard of the Musou before, but I have read elsewhere it has a habit of flaking and falling off after a few weeks. Along with the vile smell, I think I will avoid that.
Also worth noting, there is also a Black 2.0, which is considerably cheaper, so I might look at priming a few coats of that before top coating with Black 3.0
Thanks for that! It’s been a while since I’ve used the paints and so far nothing has fallen off Jeff (the skull) but the 4.0 and Musou still feel delicate so the flaking may be a thing.
Good luck with your project ☺️💜!
You are getting a scammy fire hazard heater ad coming up in this video.
Ugh I’m not monetized so it’s youtube running all these adds for TH-cam. Sorry I have no control over that
Interesting that at 12:50, your dress appears on camera darker than any of the paints you've applied to the paper.
It’s a velvet and I grade the shots of me differently to the shots of the paint. The paint I try and make as color accurate as possible but I try and make me look less tired so it’s graded😂
Would be good to see all used in an airbrush.. From all the other viral vids I’ve watched airbrush seems to rid the painterly lines and musou being thinner is best for that as well
True it does, although I decided to use a brush as your supposed to be able to (you can obviously) and I don’t own an airbrush. In time I may buy one and do something large scale , but this will have to do for now☺️
Ive been wanting to paint my paintball gun with one of these colors. I do not expect it to hold up long given the abuse it would take, but hoping to pick your brain. The gun already has a ceracote design paint job and has a mild texture and is matte. Would this need to be stripped first or could it be useful for paint bonding? What's your recommendation?
This is gonna look so cool!
Hmm depends on whether the previous paint has different layers to it. Say if there’s like a really obviously strip or something down the middle as you’ll find that will be seen under the black. Could still look pretty cool like that though!
Might also be worth giving it a bit of a sand? That way you’ve got more to bond with more of an even surface. To be fair though It would be even better if you airbrushed it I think, that way you won’t get the brush strokes I did. But It’s up to you!
Good luck with the project my friend I hope it turns out awesome 😊
Were you able to seal Jeff in any way so that the paint did not flake or crumb off? If so, do you have any pictures or tips?
No I haven’t tried yet. I any in the future but really haven’t had any thought as to what I’d use to do so
What camera and lens are you using to film yourself? I know it’s weird but I am into cameras :( sorry if I’m bothering you!
Nah that’s cool, fx9 w sigma art 50mm f1.4 on front. A7siii with a Sony 24-105 f4 on top☺️
@@StuffBySunshine fx9 so expensive why did you get it
I have access to it through some film friends so I may as well use it ☺️
@@StuffBySunshine and you do use the mic built in the camera?
@@StuffBySunshine also that’s really cool w friends I love aussies
I might use musou for panel lining on model kits I build. Hopefully, it looks good.
That sounds like it would look amazing!
Very informative!
I'm starting to think that black 3.0 and 4.0 are just coffee grounds that are burned in an oxygen free environment (until only carbon remains) combined with as little binder as possible so that the binder doesn't shine through. I honestly want to try and make it now and save myself 99% of the cost.
Haha well maybe! Let me know how you go if you do, now that would be an interesting test! 😂
Awesome video and accent.
Thank you! 😃 I grew it myself! The accent not the video😂
Would love a comparison with nova color #109 Carbon Black ofc might not be blackest but how would it compare in every other respect to musou would be interesting especially for the money.
Interesting, I actually hadn’t heard of nova color carbon black. Looking at the site it doesn’t offer much in the way of light absorption data. It also states it has a slight sheen so it may not be that black. Certainly cheap enough tho! I’ll have to grab some and test it one of these days ☺️