SVC02 Black Matt for Soft PVC Figure

A black matte without reflections

Black does two jobs at once on a figure. As a full color it covers boots, belts, weapons and the dark parts of a costume; as a helper it is let into engraved lines and folds, where the shape only then gains depth. The matte finish is essential for that purpose: a gloss black shines both in a photograph and under room light and overpowers exactly the detail it was meant to bring out.

A flexible coat on a pliable casting

Soft vinyl can be squeezed between the fingers, and with every such squeeze the surface stretches. A finish that sets into a brittle film will crack in that place and flake off in scales; paints for this material are therefore built to stretch with it. That holds only for a reasonable thickness, though – even a flexible coat behaves like glass under a heavy application. The most at risk are edges, the bends of limbs and the places by which a figure is picked up.

Working with shadow

Into a groove the paint is let thinned so that it flows along the whole length by itself; the tip of the brush is placed at the start and capillary action does the rest. Any excess at the edges is picked up before it goes off, with a clean brush or a cotton swab. On large dark areas it pays to let the black be lightened a shade with gray or blue, otherwise the area loses its shape and merges into an outline. Under the metallic shades of the same line a matte black makes a good base, because a dark base deepens the metallic cast. In that case it is applied only where the metal is to lie, so that the resulting coat stays as thin as possible and the casting keeps its pliability.