Black 3.0 vs Army Painter Matt Black: Is the "Blackest Black" Any Good for Miniatures?

In this video, I compare Black 3.0 against Army Painter Matt Black for painting miniatures. Blk 3.0 by Stuart Semple, also known as one of the "blackest black" paints you can buy has been of high interest to miniatures painters and scale modelers for a long time.

1. Matt Black (Army Painter) - https://amzn.to/4beHXyx
2. Blk 3.0 (Stuart Semple) - https://www.culturehustleusa.com/coll...

In this head-to-head comparison, I share my insights on how well these black paints perform when applied with a regular paint brush to two pewter miniatures from Privateer Press (Menoth Wrack models). I evaluate how smoothly and evenly they coat the primed miniatures, as well as their effectiveness as base coats for layering other colors.

Note that Musou Black, a clear competitor to Black 3.0 is available, too: https://amzn.to/3XdeEs0

By popular demand, I also test the ease of applying advanced blending techniques over these two black paints as base coats. Given that Black 3.0 has a rougher texture or surface finish, which contributes to its "super black" appearance, I expected it to be more challenging to paint over. However, to my surprise, Black 3.0 worked excellently as a base layer for various techniques.

Using the primed miniatures, I begin with my standard base coating approach using a regular paint brush. Both black paints were used undiluted, straight from the bottle. To maintain paint flow, I kept my bristles dampened with water, so the only extra moisture came from the brush itself.

While Black 3.0 is a much thicker, more viscous medium compared to Army Painter Matt Black, it worked fine. Despite its "scratchy" feel due to larger pigments, this did not affect my ability to use the paint. Although Black 3.0 may appear as a dark gray under certain lighting conditions, it has a much lower contrast finish than Army Painter black paint (or any paint I've tested before).

Painting over both black paints was enjoyable. I did face more of a challenge blending paint using wet blending or loaded brush blending over the Black 3.0 base. However, with a bit more patience, I was able to perform the same techniques as easily as over the Army Painter black base.

Metallic paints often present challenges for smooth, even coverage. However, I encountered no issues using steel or gold metallics over either black paint brand.

The final results were similar. Upon closer inspection, Black 3.0 does create a truly dark shadow effect.

Both black paints were durable, showing no signs of chipping, rubbing off, or flaking. In general, I couldn't find a clear limitation. While others have noted potential toxicity issues with Black 3.0's pigment if sprayed or rubbed off, a good protective sealer like Testors Dullcote should lock in the paint and prevent any issues. I always recommend varnishing miniatures for best results and longevity, especially for tabletop gaming models that will be handled regularly.

Key Points:

1. Both Black 3.0 and Army Painter Matt Black coat miniatures smoothly and evenly, serving well as base coats for layering colors.
2. Advanced blending techniques are achievable with both paints, although Black 3.0 requires slightly more patience due to its texture.
3. Both paints are durable, showing no signs of chipping or flaking, and work well with metallics and various painting techniques.

Have fun! I hope you enjoy this video.

➡️🔥Here are some of the other supplies I used in the video:
Vallejo Surface Primer: https://amzn.to/4bJZGOk
Testors Dullcote Varnish: https://amzn.to/3wwYuPp
Inexpensive Hair Dryer: https://amzn.to/3U5lufq
Glazed porcelain dry palette: https://amzn.to/44ZzL2Q

✍️🖋️Other useful tutorials and videos:
How to Paint Realistic Black on Miniatures: https://tangibleday.com/how-to-paint-...
8 Must-Know Paint Blending Techniques: https://tangibleday.com/8-must-know-p...
How to Prime Miniature with a Brush (Video):    • How to Prime Miniatures with a Brush  
How to Airbrush Prime Miniatures (Video):    • How to Airbrush Prime Miniatures (Sim...  
Popular black paints compared:    • Painting Black? My Favorite 6 Black P...  

📸 💡 Accessories for Filming/Photography:
Redgrass R9 Desk Lamp: https://www.redgrasscreative.com/?ref=40
Neatfi XL Task Lamp: https://amzn.to/3Q4LAxM
Lume Cube Mobile Creator Kit 2.0: https://shrsl.com/48ilb
Sony A7R3: https://amzn.to/3Rhc1Ra Sony Zeiss 35mm lens: https://amzn.to/3NrggbK
Rode NTG microphone: https://amzn.to/3taSzhf
Hobby desk lighting guide and review: https://tangibleday.com/best-lights-f...

Affiliate disclosure: I am a participant in the affiliate programs for Amazon Services LLC Associates and other vendors. These program are designed to provide a means for me to earn revenue by linking to the above affiliated sites.