Opinion on"craft" acrylics

[Ctmodeler]

Anyone try the cheap craft acrylics from Walmart or Michael's on their models ? They're very cheap which makes me wanna try them, but don't want to compromise quality. Used to the little testors bottles of enamels 

[Dave G.]

Pretty much all I use on interiors, floors etc. Even bodies quite a bit but clear coat required and primer too. There is a heck of a bunch of base colors to choose from and blend from there. AppleBarrel and FolkArt paints are fine. Make up the right thinner, thin the paint right and it's not tricky to spray at all even against popular belief.

So thats my take.

[Snake45]

I've had better luck with FolkArt than the cheaper Apple Barrel. Have only used it on small stuff and details, not yet on a whole car body, though I'm thinking of trying it soon. 

My Walmart is pretty much out of FolkArt. Dunno if it's discontinued or if like some other things, the virus crisis is interfering with supply. Hobby Lobby still has it though. 

[StevenGuthmiller]

I use the Ceramcoat stuff as well, but just about exclusively for washes for things like grilles and panel lines.

The stuff is not very durable, so I don't use it for much else.

 

 

 

 

Steve

[Deathgoblin]

I use them all the time for various things.  They're great for interiors and detail painting. 

[CabDriver]

Just used some of the cheapest of the cheap Michael’s ones yesterday for some interior pieces - worked great!

[Ctmodeler]

35 minutes ago, CabDriver said:

Just used some of the cheapest of the cheap Michael’s ones yesterday for some interior pieces - worked great!

And you airbrush them right ,? Looks good 

[CabDriver]

Yes sir!  I thinned this stuff with a drop of Windex (just because it was the thinner that was closest to hand right that second ?).  Didn’t need much though, just a drop.  
 

The second pic shows the seat after I gave it a light buff with some Novus cleaner to give a little more sheen, but for a matt finish I could’ve just left it alone ??

Edited June 22, 2020 by CabDriver

[Nacho Z]

There are some very helpful videos on YouTube that show you how to mix thinners and cleaners for these paints. Yes, some may be oversimplified and yes, some may be overcomplicated. But when you see a common theme or ingredient throughout all of them, pay attention. I made a mix from a combination of several videos. These videos had to show a final product and most did. Using what I learned right out of the gate I was airbrushing the interior on my model of a 79 T/A. I had no issues and was pleased with the final result. 

Good luck with your project!

[Dave G.]

I mix my own thinner for craft paints and some other acrylics as well, it works in most acrylics and craft paints spray the best I've seen with it. DecoArt tends to reject it though, so I do something different for that brand. It's  60/40 distilled water to 91 IPA then 6-8 drops of Liquitex retarder added to every 3oz of that blend. I've tried other internet solutions for thinner but this beat them all in my almost two years of experimenting with various acrylics. I've also done 70/30 water to alcohol, this can squeak by with some alcohol sensitive acrylics like Vallejo Model Air.

Craft Smart takes the least thinner.

Apple Barrel next.

FolkArt the most thinner.

Martha Steward acrylics thin with this thinner.

A brand named Color Tek which is high pigment paints thins with it eventually, the paint is thick though.

Model Master acryl sprays better with this than with their own Aztek thinner fwiw.

Tamiya flats spray with it but gloss hazes, goes on fine but dries with a haze, better off with lacquer thinner with Tamiya acrylic gloss.

The problem now with covid around though is finding 91 ipa. I'm going to experiment eventually with denatured alcohol but I already suspect it will spray like windshield washer solvent, which works but not as well as ipa imo. You can also use the 70ipa if you find that, just adjust the water ratio accordingly. Reverse the roll lol, 60 alcohol to 40 water.

Finally, while I tweak this to my liking, I have to give the basic idea /credit to Bobby Waldron professional model builder.

 

Edited June 22, 2020 by Dave G.

[hedotwo]

I've used Folk Art (metallics, satin, and flat) a number of times for bodies.  It's just another option for me to use and I don't use them exclusively.  As a rule, I find they lay flat and you need to be patient and build up a number of coats.  I use Creatix 4012 as my thinner, but have used plain old blue washer fluid also, with no real negatives.  You do have to make sure you mix really well and I also strain through my homemade sieve before shooting too.  The psi is 20-25.  I have a nice little compact hair dryer that I use on the low setting between the thin coats and once I feel I've covered to where I want to be I then put it in the dehydrator for maybe 12 hours.  Sanding is the big negative to craft acrylics, in my opinion.  Thankfully, the paint lays flat and I've found that using a cotton cloth you can lightly buff the paint to get the surface even smoother.  You also have to be careful of finger prints as they'll leave marks.  Then comes the clear which is needed for sure to protect the delicate paint.  I use Dupli-Color clear and build up a nice shine that will then accept polishing and light wet sanding if needed.  I've found the Dupli-Color clear only needs a good polishing, not wet sanding.

I'm not into contest quality builds but this type of painting has given me good results with easy cleanup and, as an added benefit it's great to use indoors if needed.  

[Snake45]

1 hour ago, hedotwo said:

I've used Folk Art (metallics, satin, and flat) a number of times for bodies.  It's just another option for me to use and I don't use them exclusively.  As a rule, I find they lay flat and you need to be patient and build up a number of coats.  I use Creatix 4012 as my thinner, but have used plain old blue washer fluid also, with no real negatives.  You do have to make sure you mix really well and I also strain through my homemade sieve before shooting too.  The psi is 20-25.  I have a nice little compact hair dryer that I use on the low setting between the thin coats and once I feel I've covered to where I want to be I then put it in the dehydrator for maybe 12 hours.  Sanding is the big negative to craft acrylics, in my opinion.  Thankfully, the paint lays flat and I've found that using a cotton cloth you can lightly buff the paint to get the surface even smoother.  You also have to be careful of finger prints as they'll leave marks.  Then comes the clear which is needed for sure to protect the delicate paint.  I use Dupli-Color clear and build up a nice shine that will then accept polishing and light wet sanding if needed.  I've found the Dupli-Color clear only needs a good polishing, not wet sanding.

I'm not into contest quality builds but this type of painting has given me good results with easy cleanup and, as an added benefit it's great to use indoors if needed.  

Great info, thanks! 

Will the acrylic so clearcoated stand up to masking with tape, or will it pull off? 

[Dave G.]

no text

Edited June 22, 2020 by Dave G.

[Dave G.]

5 minutes ago, Dave G. said:

I've had no trouble with the paint I mentioned in my other post flaking easy or finger prints etc using my thinner mix I mentioned above. It's just painted, it goes on nice, looks pretty much good. I buff it up with 000 steel wool if there are any fuzzies then clear coat with lacquer or with Tamiya X22 clear or even their clear colors. Tape is not an issue, shoot the acrylic over primer.

If the paint is delicate and or flaking I'd lose that thinner, it's the wrong stuff!!

When I force dry, 40 minutes is plenty, 12 hours it should be fully dried just air drying.

I too shoot it around 23 psi.

 

Edited June 22, 2020 by Dave G.

[hedotwo]

2 hours ago, Snake45 said:

Great info, thanks! 

Will the acrylic so clearcoated stand up to masking with tape, or will it pull off? 

I've masked a few times with acrylic and found you need to be gentle with the burnishing of the edges but spraying such light coats over the tape edges really doesn't require you to press it down that hard to keep it from bleeding through like you might have to with rattle cans where the paint comes out heavier.

[Jantrix]

I thin them down with water and use them as a wash when weathering. Very effective for the surface rust type of finish.

[Bugatti Fan]

I have used craft acrylics for interiors, detailing and mixing up washes. Provided that the surface being painted is primed with either flat white or grey primer they go on pretty well. We also have some inexpensive store brand craft acrylics over here in the UK and generally the quality is ok. One must remember that the target market is artists for these paints, not model makers. It is true to say that you only get what you pay for, so if you are looking at art acrylics then Winsor & Newton, Reeves, Liquitex and Rowney are the  top end products. It is all down to the pigments used and the own store brands are not quite so refined. But hey! The store brands are inexpensive paints and well worth experimenting with, and are good for painting figures to go with the vehicles.

Edited June 22, 2020 by Bugatti Fan

[bisc63]

6 hours ago, Jantrix said:

I thin them down with water and use them as a wash when weathering. Very effective for the surface rust type of finish

A very nice example of the versatility of acrylics in the right hands. Perfectly realistic.

[TarheelRick]

I use these paints quite often, takes a bit of trial and error but they work very well and the color palette is unbelievable, they are even offering metallic paints now.  This El Camino interior and the Willys modified were both done with cheap acrylics.

 

[Jon Haigwood]

I have a bunch that I inherited but haven't tried them yet. One thing that I read was that on some in order to thin them down enough for airbrush you will lose a lot of the pigment in the paint.

[Roadrunnertwice]

I use craft paints all the time! I have several shares of black I use to create subtle variations in interiors, suspension pieces, etc. I thin the Iron Oxide color (from Ceramcoat, I think) and use it as a wash over Testors Steel to create a realistic, slightly-used effect on exhaust systems. I stick with Testors and Tamiya for metallic colors, and I use a variety of solvent-basted paints for body colors, but I use acrylics for most everything else.

[CabDriver]

8 hours ago, Jantrix said:

I thin them down with water and use them as a wash when weathering. Very effective for the surface rust type of finish.

Really impressive!  Have you ever posted a step by step or in-progress shots of this type of weathering?  I’d love to see more, if you have!

1 hour ago, TarheelRick said:

I use these paints quite often, takes a bit of trial and error but they work very well and the color palette is unbelievable, they are even offering metallic paints now. 

 

I picked up some metallic, metalflake-look and color changing ones from Michael’s a little while back to mess with.  There’s a bunch of really cool ones that I’d like to try if I can get them to lay down nicely!

Edited June 23, 2020 by CabDriver

[Jantrix]

18 hours ago, CabDriver said:

Really impressive!  Have you ever posted a step by step or in-progress shots of this type of weathering?  I’d love to see more, if you have!

This is my WIP for the Chevy. There really isn't a huge mystery technique. Layer your body color paints in thin coats. I stagger my primers. Grey in one area, red oxide in another. Then two body colors, one over the other. When dry, wet sand gently in the areas that will weather the most either by salt, sun or water. This is the important step. The sanded surface is rough enough to catch the wash and create the surface rust appearance. I just thin down some burnt umber with water, create a wash, and brush it on, using more in the areas that will rust more. If theres too much, I wick it off with a paper towel. If your not happy with it, a toothbrush and water will take most of it off, and try again. Enjoy.

 

Edited June 23, 2020 by Jantrix

[CabDriver]

4 hours ago, Jantrix said:

This is my WIP for the Chevy. There really isn't a huge mystery technique. Layer your body color paints in thin coats. I stagger my primers. Grey in one area, red oxide in another. Then two body colors, one over the other When dry, wet sand gently in the areas that will weather the most either by salt, sun or water. This is the important step. The sanded surface is rough enough to catch the wash and create the surface rust appearance. I just thin down some burnt umber with water, create a wash, and brush it on, using more in the areas that will rust more. If theres too much, I wick it off with a paper towel. If your not happy with it, a toothbrush and water will take most of it off, and try again. Enjoy.

 

That’s really helpful - thank you for sharing!  Really impressive technique!! 

[Kmidd65]

Agree with all the other comments, use these all the time.  One of the biggest issues is how the color will look once it is dried!  What you see in the bottle will dry a bit darker.  I also clear coat all my craft paints with Rustoleum 2x clear, Testors Lacquers, or varnish if hand brushing.  The results with a clear coat will also differ from the color in the bottle or dried!  Whenever I have the airbrush out, I have spoons primed that I then test colors and clear coat for later project ideas.  I agree, large plethora of colors and mixing abilities with the craft paints.  I also add Future/Pledge to my thinned acrylics before air brushing.  Seems to help with durability and tip drying issues (airbrush).  All the spoons in the attached image are craft paints, most cleared with the 2x.  Definitely give it a try!