The best way to finish a casting is to paint it in the desired color. While plaster and other materials can be easily painted on, doing the same on latex, silicone, urethane and polyurethane resin casts is quite a challenge in itself. This is because regular oil or acrylic paints cannot do a good job as they fail to adhere to the material. Even when used for painting, the exterior will tend to chip, crack or peel off very soon.
The answer lies in special formulations like silicone paint. In fact, Cirius has designed a complete range of latex pigments, silicone paints and dyes and urethane resin dyes in a variety of colors and shades. The secret here is that as the paint gets chemically incorporated into the surface of the cast, it will not get damaged or disintegrate even when the casting is flexed!
Let us take a look at the varied options:
- There are options of both paints and dyes for silicone rubber casts. The paint can be applied extrinsically on a silicone cast. Alternatively, the dye can be mixed in the silicone rubber base before mixing with the catalyst to deliver a uniform intrinsic color. The dye can also be mixed with the medium to form a paint for applying on any silicone surface. (Keep in mind that the internal pigmenting should be used only with tin-based silicones as it tends to interfere with the setting of platinum catalyzedsilicone.)
- The Cirius Latex Pigment system is the answer for coloring liquid latex or painting on latex surfaces. A few drops of the pigment can be added to liquid latex for intrinsic dyeing. The pigment can also be mixed with the liquid latex itself to form a paint for use on cured latex rubber surfaces.
- Cirius Urethane Dyes allow the coloring of urethanes and resins. These are highly concentrated dyes; using a few drops will go a long way. The best coloring effect is achieved on clear resins; opaque resins call for the use of additional colorant to get the desired effect.
All Cirius formulations offer an array of benefits like easy mixing and high color concentration without any odor or toxicity. The colors are compatible and can be blended together to create new shades. The paint/dye does not affect the pot life, demold time or even the final properties of the cured cast.
EnvironMolds stocks all Cirius pigments and paints for use on latex, silicone and resins, including Cirius Silicone Paints 2-Oz.Even the famous 'Quinn Blush' used by renown doll rebirthing artist Terry Quinn to add skin blush to her silicone dolls is available on https://www.artmolds.com/.It’s not just about painting or mixing in the material; the paint can even be thinned a little more before airbrushing on the cast.