085 Coal Black - Satin

Heller 085 Coal Black – Satin (coal black, satin)

A modeling paint from the French manufacturer Heller from its acrylic line. It is an acrylic thinnable with water — neither an enamel nor a lacquer. The paint can be applied with a brush and an airbrush, it dries fast and wet residues and tools can be rinsed with clean water. The pot holds 12 ml. It is not a kit but an accessory for painting models.

What a satin sheen means

A satin (semi-gloss, silky) surface lies between flat and gloss — it does not reflect light like a gloss clear coat, but neither does it swallow it entirely like a full flat. That has two practical consequences. First, a satin surface is a good base under decals: on a rough flat finish air stays under the decal film and the edges then silver unpleasantly, whereas on smoother satin the decal seats far better. Second, it reads more realistically anywhere a material should have a slight sheen — leather, rubber, worn metal or well maintained vehicles simply are not chalk flat.

Use

• Black areas where you do not want a full flat: tires and rubber parts, leather seats and straps, figure equipment, instrument panels.
• A base coat under decals in places where a flat finish would silver the decal.
• Contrasting details and painting smaller parts with a brush; for an airbrush thin the paint as needed with water or acrylic thinner.
• Always mix it thoroughly before use — the pigment settles at the bottom and unmixed paint changes both coverage and sheen.

A practical note on black

A pure black swallows detail. On a model it reads flat, eats the engraving and the shape and photographs badly. Experienced modelers therefore reach rather for a very dark gray or a black broken with a little of another color for shadows. Use coal black as a color, not as a universal shadow.

Who it is for

For modelers who want a black in a usable semi-gloss level of sheen and who work with water-thinnable acrylics — from builders of aircraft and vehicles to figure painters.

Store the paint warm, above freezing, and with the lid well closed. Ventilate while airbrushing and use airway protection. It is not a kit — models, glue and thinner are not included.