Micas

[penelopejane]

Hi,

I haven't bought mica yet but I am about to.

I would like to have a mica line in my soap but I would like a darker green than is available. Can I mix a black mica with a green mica to make a dark green pencil mica line or won't they mix? I want it to stick to the soap in the middle so I don't want to use it in oil as a paint.

Can I use mica for a thicker line or would I have to mix it into a batter to avoid the soap separating at that point?

 

[lsg]

I think that you can use mica for a thick line. You don't have to mix it first. I am not sure mixing green and black mica will give you dark green. Mica is like tiny individual flakes and they don't dissolve.

 

[penelopejane]

Bugger. That is not what I wanted to hear. [emoji24]

Thank you for the reply though!

 

[shunt2011]

I agree, I don't think they would blend to a different color. Green Oxide is dark green which might work.

 

[Obsidian]

I've mixed white mica with blue oxide to get a light blue mica. Maybe you could mix your bright green mica with some black oxide to get the color you want. It really doesn't take much oxide.

 

[paillo]

I've mixed micas with activated charcoal to darken colors a bit, and that's worked fine for me, though maybe theoretically it shouldn't.

 

[penelopejane]

I've mixed micas with activated charcoal to darken colors a bit, and that's worked fine for me, though maybe theoretically it shouldn't.

I think AC is supposed to bleed a bit which is why they suggest you use mica. AC is a good idea for me to try because I have some

 

[cmzaha]

A think layer of line is going to separate. I know many here will disagree but I have never had a soap with a dry pencil line hold together, at some point they have always split off. The best I have tried are ones with very fine pencil lines. This includes soaps I have received in swaps and soap I have purchased just to see if they hold together.
Did not answer your first question because I am not sure, you might mix a little black oxide into the dry mica but in my mind I cannot see it working with the two dry powders.

 

[hmlove1218]

I've never had AC bleed, but then again, I've never used it in a pencil line either. I can't get them to hold together so I finally gave up.

 

[kchaystack]

Getting a good pencil line that does not cause the pieces to separate along the line is a really difficult technique. It takes a lot of practice, so try and not get frustrated at first.

As for darkening the dry mica - it is an interesting idea. If it was mixed in oil or batter it would work no problem, all you can do is try with a half teaspoon or so and see.

If nothing else you can use it to color some soap!

 

[shunt2011]

I agree with Carolyn, get it too thick and it won't hold together. I've done a couple with good luck but they were thin lines. They held together long term.

 

[BlackDog]

Something to consider: every time I've made a mica line, it's come out darker than it looks in the jar or if the mica is mixed into the batter. I've actually done a mica line with a medium Mad Oils green mica (can't remember the name just now) that actually looks hunter green in the line.

 

[snappyllama]

I tried this while doing a gradient soap where I wanted to vary the mica line color to correspond to the batter color (starting with full blue mica and adding more and more white as I went along). It didn't really show a big change unless you compare the bottom line to the top one. I did keep the lines thin though to avoid a bar falling apart.

 

[cerelife]

WSP's Matte Woodland Green Oxide makes a nice dark green pencil line. The line comes out a much darker green than the powder looks in the jar.
I bought a bunch of salt shakers at the dollar store for my oxides/micas and they work like a dream to make pencil lines - plus it's easy to see the colors without having to sort through jars and bags to find the one I'm looking for!

 

[penelopejane]

WSP's Matte Woodland Green Oxide makes a nice dark green pencil line. The line comes out a much darker green than the powder looks in the jar.
I bought a bunch of salt shakers at the dollar store for my oxides/micas and they work like a dream to make pencil lines - plus it's easy to see the colors without having to sort through jars and bags to find the one I'm looking for!

I can only get BB seafoam green (yucky) or shamrock green and the shamrock bleeds and fades in CP. :cry: