Working with Artists' Acrylic Gels
Peng F. Mok
I have recently converted to Artists' acrylic gels that come in
squeeze tubes and when you try it you will find that the advantages
of these paints for painting plastic models are outstanding.
But one of the problems I encountered is that when it was necessary to
squeeze out a blob onto to palette to blend the paint it forms a skin
within ten minutes or so and the rest of the paint becomes too dry to
brush with by twenty minutes. So I used to wipe the paint off then
squeeze a fresh batch. Gel, which is thick and viscose, is great
for weathering armor or painting large areas with a stiff brush. It
is not suitable for application with a soft fine sable brush on
delicate jobs such as painting faces.
Today I visited a travelling Crafts Show in town and discovered the
solution from a sweet looking artist (nah, not available for a date)
whose craft was custom painting Christmas tree glass balls with the
usual seasonal motifs.
To keep her acrylics moist while she was making her sales she used a
"fresh breath" type atomizer to spray the paint blob with water.
This prevents "skinning". But more ingenious was the innovation where
on a shallow flat tray she laid two layers of moist paper towels on
top of which was a sheet of Kraft paper. Kraft paper is a waxy paper
that won't dissolve in water but allows enough moisture to soak
through to keep the acrylic gel from drying. She was also able to use
a spatula to blend just the right amount of water into the gel on
the Kraft paper palette so that the thinned gel will brush more
smoothly and can be used with a fine soft brush. My previous efforts
in this direction (thinning the gel) was spotty in more ways than one.
Kelvin Mok
Betty Cunningham
Peng F. Mok wrote:
> Kraft paper is a waxy paper
> that won't dissolve in water but allows enough moisture to soak
> through to keep the acrylic gel from drying.
kitchen wax paper also works.
There is also and additive called RETARDER which is an acrylic gel which
retards drying (clever name-huh). However if you use too much as an
additive to your paint the paint won't EVER dry and you have
pretty-colored sludge.
I've found it's best used if you mix acylics for airbrush, as this
allows you to work the paint a litle longer and makes cleaning the
airbrush a little easier.
it's available at most craft shops that sell tube acrylics
Mark Cable
In article <yc66qGAn...@farrell.demon.co.uk>, Trevor Farrell
<Tre...@farrell.demon.co.uk> wrote:
(Snip)
> I have been using these since rediscovering my hobby (mainly figures but
> a few bikes and cars) a few years ago. In the UK they are sold as
> Gouache. I prefer the rather flatter finish than oils. So now I use a
> combo of oils, acrylics, inks and enamels.
EEEK! Gouache IS NOT ACRYLIC!!! Chemically, it is very different than
acrylic. Acrylic is a polymer based medium that forms a plastic film when
dry. Gouache is an opaque watercolor that does not. I could be wrong, and
I have never tried to use gouache on a model, but I see a lot of problems
with this approach, like flaking and chipping and poor adhesion. Also,
they are more expensive than acrylics.
-Mark
Trevor Farrell
In article <561k33$n...@pulp.ucs.ualberta.ca>, "Peng F. Mok"
<pm...@ee.ualberta.ca> writes
>
>
>I have recently converted to Artists' acrylic gels that come in
>squeeze tubes and when you try it you will find that the advantages
>of these paints for painting plastic models are outstanding.
>
I have been using these since rediscovering my hobby (mainly figures but
a few bikes and cars) a few years ago. In the UK they are sold as
Gouache. I prefer the rather flatter finish than oils. So now I use a
combo of oils, acrylics, inks and enamels.
>But one of the problems I encountered is that when it was necessary to
>squeeze out a blob onto to palette to blend the paint it forms a skin
>within ten minutes or so and the rest of the paint becomes too dry to
>brush with by twenty minutes. So I used to wipe the paint off then
>squeeze a fresh batch. Gel, which is thick and viscose, is great
>for weathering armor or painting large areas with a stiff brush. It
>is not suitable for application with a soft fine sable brush on
>delicate jobs such as painting faces.
>
There are drying retarders available which solve the above problem. Thin
with clean water and you can paint anything with these paints. Faces are
certainly no problem and especially with the retarder to give a little
working time.
>Today I visited a travelling Crafts Show in town and discovered the
>solution from a sweet looking artist (nah, not available for a date)
>whose craft was custom painting Christmas tree glass balls with the
>usual seasonal motifs.
>
>To keep her acrylics moist while she was making her sales she used a
>"fresh breath" type atomizer to spray the paint blob with water.
>This prevents "skinning". But more ingenious was the innovation where
>on a shallow flat tray she laid two layers of moist paper towels on
>top of which was a sheet of Kraft paper. Kraft paper is a waxy paper
>that won't dissolve in water but allows enough moisture to soak
>through to keep the acrylic gel from drying. She was also able to use
>a spatula to blend just the right amount of water into the gel on
>the Kraft paper palette so that the thinned gel will brush more
>smoothly and can be used with a fine soft brush. My previous efforts
>in this direction (thinning the gel) was spotty in more ways than one.
>
Most interesting.
>Kelvin Mok
>
>
--
Trevor Farrell
Southwick
Wiltshire
Fred Brunet
Peng F. Mok wrote:
>
> I have recently converted to Artists' acrylic gels that come in
> squeeze tubes and when you try it you will find that the advantages
> of these paints for painting plastic models are outstanding.
>EDIT
>
> Kelvin Mok
For detail painting you may want to try artist's oil colors (i.e.
Windsor & Newton or Grumbacher) which take over a day to dry and never
get a skin on them. These are used by a lot of modelers for figure
painting, especially faces. I got some a few years ago to use as washes,
but recently started drybrushing with them and the results are
outstanding. I can't believe how much easier they are to work with than
enamels or acrylics.
Of course you can't paint the entire model with these, just the details.
The funny thing is that a small tube lasts several years. I have a tube
of raw umber over five years old that I used on at least 30 models and I
have only used about 15%. I think the reason is that I never waste any
because it takes so long to dry.
Binh Trong Tran
On Mon, 11 Nov 1996, Mark Cable wrote:
> In article <yc66qGAn...@farrell.demon.co.uk>, Trevor Farrell
> <Tre...@farrell.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>
> (Snip)
>
> > I have been using these since rediscovering my hobby (mainly figures but
> > a few bikes and cars) a few years ago. In the UK they are sold as
> > Gouache. I prefer the rather flatter finish than oils. So now I use a
> > combo of oils, acrylics, inks and enamels.
>
> EEEK! Gouache IS NOT ACRYLIC!!! Chemically, it is very different than
> acrylic. Acrylic is a polymer based medium that forms a plastic film when
> dry. Gouache is an opaque watercolor that does not. I could be wrong, and
> I have never tried to use gouache on a model, but I see a lot of problems
> with this approach, like flaking and chipping and poor adhesion. Also,
> they are more expensive than acrylics.
>
> -Mark
Yup, gouache definitely is not acrylic ! Gouache basically is watercolor
in which the pigment has precipitated chalk added to it before being bound
with gum arabic. It is opaque, water-soluble and recommended for
airbrushing artwork, not model kits. Beside, you will achieve a rough,
well, I mean "rough" finish for your model since there's chalk in it and
it chips easily.
Binh.
dbred...@mmm.com
> Binh Trong Tran <tr...@acs.ucalgary.ca> writes:
>
>
>
>
> Yup, gouache definitely is not acrylic ! Gouache basically is watercolor
> in which the pigment has precipitated chalk added to it before being bound
> with gum arabic. It is opaque, water-soluble and recommended for
> airbrushing artwork, not model kits. Beside, you will achieve a rough,
> well, I mean "rough" finish for your model since there's chalk in it and
> it chips easily.
>
> Binh.
>
>
Well, actually I was recently in an art supply store to buy gouache and was shown
a side by side display of watercolor gouache and also acrylic gouache. The watercolor
type is as you describe and the acrylic type behaves as acrylic in that once dry it does
not redisolve in water, etc.
>>>>
Peng F. Mok
Fred Brunet <fbr...@west.net> wrote:
>For detail painting you may want to try artist's oil colors (i.e.
>Windsor & Newton or Grumbacher) which take over a day to dry and never
>get a skin on them. These are used by a lot of modelers for figure
>painting, especially faces. I got some a few years ago to use as washes,
>but recently started drybrushing with them and the results are
>outstanding. I can't believe how much easier they are to work with than
>enamels or acrylics.
>Of course you can't paint the entire model with these, just the details.
>The funny thing is that a small tube lasts several years. I have a tube
>of raw umber over five years old that I used on at least 30 models and I
>have only used about 15%. I think the reason is that I never waste any
>because it takes so long to dry.
Thanks everyone for bringing my attention to acrylic retarders, great
newsgroup for discovering new techniques. I agree that tube paints
really last forever. I am barely halfway through my original tube(s)
of black (and white) which I use a lot of. I would have needed to go
through at least six bottles of black Tamiya acrylic to do these same
jobs. A tube costs only a little more than a single bottle of hobby
paint so its very cost effective and really a delight to use too.
Now what am I going to do with that toolbox full of hobby acrylics and
enamels?
Kelvin Mok
Peng F. Mok
Betty Cunningham <bet...@flyinggoat.com> wrote:
(snip)
>There is also and additive called RETARDER which is an acrylic gel which
>retards drying (clever name-huh). However if you use too much as an
>additive to your paint the paint won't EVER dry and you have
>pretty-colored sludge.
> I've found it's best used if you mix acylics for airbrush, as this
>allows you to work the paint a litle longer and makes cleaning the
>airbrush a little easier.
>it's available at most craft shops that sell tube acrylics
Hi Betty,
Almost missed the opportunity to ask you how to thin acrylic gels for
use in an airbrush.
What the craft lady did was to use a spatula to knead the gel as she
added water drop by drop until the gel was the constituency of
mayonaise - still thick but will drip off her spatula - and can be
picked up by a soft brush drawn to a point. I also realise now why I
didn't pick up on the use of retarders from her. Her crafts didn't
use any as they needed to dry fast after application so that her
customers could pick up them up almost immediately.
Earlier I had tried to thin acrylic further and there were two
problems.
1. If too much water is added the acrylic floats around like albumin
from a half boiled egg, no good for anything except perhaps a
watercolor type wash for drawings on paper.
2. So I added more acrylic to the above solution hoping to salvage
some use for it. Used a toy motor to blend it really well. A Dremel
tool is too fast and will froth the mixture. Doesn't quite work
either as the pigment carrier will be diluted to a point where it no
longer wets or binds to the plastic surface of the model. The applied
paint streaks the painted plastic surface like a sloppily washed
dirty dinner plate. In this condition the thinned paint feels
slightly heavier/thicker than bottled hobby paints and there is no way
I will risk putting that through my airbrush.
End of experiments thinning the stuff.
Would you be able to share with us your techniques for thinning
acrylic gels for use in an airbrush?
Thanks in advance.
Kelvin Mok
Brian Ganchua
Hi there, I was just wondering if you've used these paints to paint cars
in gloss? how did it work? It would save me a whole heck of a lot of
money instead of buying tamiya paints....and what do you thin them with?
just water? Thanks for the info!
Brian Ganchua
Peng F. Mok
Brian Ganchua <Bo...@enterprise.ca> wrote:
>Brian Ganchua
Hi, apologies for taking so long to get back to you. T'is the season
to be jolly if only I can find the time.
I do mainly armor and ships with some aircraft thrown in but no cars.
The paints I use dries to a satin finish which just matches newly
painted military craft. Meld it with earth colors, black and white
and one can simulate most wear and tear plus weathering effects.
Hobby acrylics are too matt and enamels too glossy (plastic like) for
my liking. And too costly too..
However go visit the hobby shop and ask for a data sheet on their line
of paints. My art shop stocks GOLDEN, LIQUITEX and one or two other
brands but I found GOLDEN very satisfactory and never tried the
others. Take a look at their manufacturer's display samples to see
what the dried product looks like. Each manufacturer also
manufactures a line of glossy acrylics but I have not used them so
maybe buy just one color (B or W) and see how it turns out. I used
black first and the satin black turned out to look just like natural
rubber on tires.
To enhance the properties of their main line of paints there are a
number of support products, for example GESSO to "size" surfaces that
would otherwise not take paint effectively. But for plastic modelling
I read the labels and the recommendations from postings on this
subject to buy ( GOLDEN )
1. GAC 100 which is the clear binder (no pigment) which can be used
to extend or dilute the paint as well as increasing flexibility and
film integrity.
2. Acrylic Retarder a clear liquid which slows down the drying time
of the paint. My experience with the paint is that it forms a skin
after 10 minutes and dries within 20 minutes. I used to wipe that off
and squeeze out a fresh batch. If you try to extend drying time
using water, the paint may bead up and streak
3. Acrylic Flow Release which increases the flow of water borne
paints to improve flow for brushing and for deeper staining effects.
I haven't used this yet as painting by brush has so far met all my
needs. But the salesman recommended this as the product to make
acrylic gels suitable for use in an airbrush.
Kelvin Mok