Just Matte 2 pack of Empty Spray Bottles

Description

Just Matte is a pure synthetic spherical silica / silicon dioxide powder.

What is Silicon Dioxide / Silica? Most people know it as desiccant found in packaging to absorb moisture. This high absorbency property is what makes it great in this application. Also Silica gives up that “moisture” while retaining its original form to do it all again. This is great when using liquids like NOVOCS / Mineral Spirits / Acetone / etc. because they evaporate easily leaving the silica behind bound to your Platinum Silicone giving you a smooth matte finish.

Silica is also half the weight of water, so it readily “floats” at the surface of your curing silicone.

Why buy Just Matte? Yes, there are 100’s of versions of silica powder out there, however each has a particular use in mind and when anything is designed for specific purpose it usually performs better than the versions that are “somewhat like it”. Case in point, we tried many silica powders, nylons, and powders I can’t pronounce much less spell, but this version of silica “Just Matte” has all the right properties for the purpose of matting Silicone.

It is near translucent (even though it comes in a white powder form) so it will have little effect on your color palette when using it to matte out your curing silicone painting.

It is manufactured at a particle size to work VERY well with silicone rubber particularly Platinum Silicone.

It is sized so well that it will even matte cured silicone and stay put without just wiping / washing off.

The matte powder produces a very silky-smooth finish that slides over other surfaces with much less drag, closer to human skin.

Using the Matte Powder

As an Artist:

There are many techniques used to matte … everything from powdering your molds before casting in them,  to “sifting” power over a final clear coat finish layer. Each of these techniques have their pluses and minuses and each artist will choose what works best for their personal painting style. No matter your style, the BEST techniques involve matting while the silicone is still in its curing stage. I personally prefer dusting the wet silicone with a Powder Spray Bottle while it is still fresh / wet / not to the tacky skinning over state. Since I prefer this method it is important that the matte is very light and does not dissolve and has minimal affect on the colors already applied. Others prefer to use a “brush” (usually a makeup Blush or Kabuki brush) to dust on the matte as the silicone reaches just the right amount of cure so that it is “tacky” (most or all of the thinner used has evaporated off) but not skinned over yet. Others will let the silicone begin to get a bit of a skin and hope to affect that skin in the same brush dusting technique stated above, however this technique is honestly a bit late to get the matte powder you are dusting to affect the surface well if at all, and often “rubs off” easily.

The Collector:

There are nice properties of Just Matte that the collector of dolls can really appreciate!  The Just Matte powder can also be used by the end user / on the set. The nice thing about the matte powder is that it will and does also matte cured silicone (to nowhere the quality or long-lasting effect that can be achieved when doing it during the curing phase). Gently rubbing the powder into the cured silicone will be enough to matte out a shiny spot. It Mattes well enough that a matte effect will remain after rinsing the silicone. The powder is VERY absorbent … this means that even on a doll that is poured in a lower quality silicone that has not been sealed well with a paint layer and may be giving off oils … that the powder will readily absorb those oils. The powder also offers a VERY good dry slip factor … so dressing the doll will be easier on the doll / silicone.