A couple of painting questions (not what to use) tips and concerns

[Iaira]

Hi All!

I'm working on my first silicone tail and I'm nearing the end of the tunnel! I'm so excited!

I have a couple of painting questions and I'm hoping you lovelies will be able to give some insight.

I already know that I will be using mica pigments mixed in to the silicone to paint my tail. My color scheme is pearl white, purple and black (see picture.)

My plan is to pigment the base silicone with the pearl white then do the purple and black by hand.

Here are my questions and concerns:

1. (The biggest one) Will I be able to get the darker colors opaque enough over the white without losing the detailing of the scales. Basically I don't want to have to add so many layers that I end up smoothing out the scales.

2. The micas seem to thicken the silicone so I have been using naphtha to thin it back out to make it workable. I read a blip somewhere that this may affect the strength of the silicone, if that is the case, should I do one or two layers of the thinned, pigmented silicone then add another one of just plain non-colored silicone for strength and durability?

And a third question just out of curiosity:
Would it be possible to paint the design directly into the mold initially? Say if you wanted a blended watercolor type look?

https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xlf1/v/t1.0-9/fr/cp0/e15/q65/12805881_10153318055752793_2926785158099030748_n.j pg?efg=eyJpIjoidCJ9&oh=fe87ad4a2bda41f8a5ef2c15103e13b5&oe=5796ABB7

[Mermaid Lorelei]

1. The opaqueness of the end color depends mostly on how much colorant you mix in. The higher the colorant to silicone ratio, the stronger your color will be. The lower the colorant to silicone ratio, the more watered down the color will be. You can do multiple washes of colored silicone as well, but this can lead to detail loss as layers accumulate.

2. The naptha should completely evaporate out of the silicone by the end, so no, you shouldn't have an issue. The only reason I know of that it could cause a problem is if you are using a huge amount of thinner. Like a crap ton of thinner.

3. Yup! You can paint your mold with your design and then pour extra silicone behind it until you get the scale thickness you want.

[Mermaid Wesley]

TEST FIRST!
make a little scale swatch to test stuff out and you will feel muuuch better. trust me :)

[Iaira]

Lorelei: Thanks! I do seem to need a lot of naphtha so I'll have to be careful haha!

Wesley: Oh yeah, I've been testing like crazy, but I know that what works on a small scale may not transfer well to full scale. :)

[Mermaid Meko]

When I did my tail in these colors, we didnt use a sprayer, we just poured the color where we wanted it. We started with white, then poured the purple and overlapped it (blending with spatulas to get a watercolor effect on the white), and then did the black layers last. It looks pretty cool, I will try to find a photo for you :)