Thank you.Very very nice, amazed at the color variety you are achieving in urushi. I have a very hard time with color -- mine almost always end up dark brown or a much darkened version of the color of the starting urushi, even with slow curing in furo at relatively low humidity (64%). You must share your secret please
I use humidity packs (for cigars) to keep humidity at set level in furo, so I think my humidity is dialed in fairly well although could go lower (I have been using 64% humidity packs; and my temp (at least over the winter) has been 21 or less. I suspect my urushi is not the best quality, and it is getting old because it has been hard to get supply from Japan during the pandemic. I have had slightly better luck using pre-mixed colored U from Mejiro, but still darkens more than I would like, and I can't even imagine getting a pastel like you showed with your blue and green! I shall keep on trying and experimenting, thanks for the tips. I enjoy your YT channel BTW.Thank you.
Ohh colours... everyone struggles with in urushi. There are several factors influencing final colour:
- curing - and nit just humidity but also temperature. Generaly low humidity (60-64%) and moderate temp (21-23deg C)
- connected - quality of your hygrometer ) most cheap are of by random number ranging plus/minus 7% - so you think 64, reality us 70%. Good one (-+2%) set you back est 100$
- quality of pigment
- quality and type of urushi (i use aka-roiro, for critacal work only pure japanese)
- age if urushi (not mixed can be stored for long time, but mixed with pigment mych shorter)
- quality of mixing. Really mix it well. Also using roller.
- fitering
- thickness of layers
- planing ahead - requires testing - you mix colour slightly different then the one you want to get. - i attach my paste blue and green - shold make sense.
Just have all these points spot in and even white is almost white )
Michal