Can you get a smooth gloss finish using craft store paints? (and if so, how do you do it?)

[bh1701]

I airbrushed 2 kits recently using craft store paints and was pretty satisfied with the results. The wide variety of colors in these paints is amazing, and lets you come up with some colors that Tamiya spray cans (which I usually use) don't offer. Plus the price can't be beat!

The one thing I had trouble with was getting a really smooth, gloss coat on the models. I included some photos of each kit that shows the finish I did get.

From a distance, they look great;  but closer up, maybe not as much

The 1/25 scale T-Bird was done using DecoArt Americana Buttermilk, and the 1/32 scale Corvette used  Folk Art Metallic Turquoise Shimmer. Both were thinned using window cleaner. DecoArt was thinned with a ratio of 1 part paint to 1 part thinner. The Folk Art was a thicker paint and was thinned at 1 part paint and 2 parts thinner. Air pressure was around 25 psi. Both bodies were primed with Tamiya primer. 

I did do some extremely light sanding of the bodies using 8000 and 12000 sanding pads. I applied Tamiya Gloss Clear from an aerosol can after sanding.

I know that craft paints tend to be matte finishes which may result in some of "texture" on the bodies (although the metallic paint seemed to have a bit more gloss to start with.)

Any suggestions or tips would be welcomed.

Thanks,

Bart

 

 

Edited September 15, 2023 by bh1701
Correct typing

[Dave G.]

Yes you can get it to level out nice and smooth but not using what you are as thinner, and certainly not that alone. Oh it might work on a brand or two of craft paint. Additionally, I've found DecoArt to need a different blend of thinner than most of the rest of the craft paints. Some of those DecoArt paints are not friends with alcohol, you need to go another route with them.

Also it matters how you apply and flash off each coat. But indeed you can get a really nice base color coat to apply clear over. So your question is, Can You? My answer is yes I can.

 

[Chariots of Fire]

Michaels had some nice craft paints.  Small cans but decent cover.  It looks like you might be painting too far away from your subject to get the rough surface that you are showing.  Been having good results with some of the Tamiya colors in spray cans.

[bh1701]

19 minutes ago, Dave G. said:

Yes you can get it to level out nice and smooth but not using what you are as thinner, and certainly not that alone. Oh it might work on a brand or two of craft paint. Additionally, I've found DecoArt to need a different blend of thinner than most of the rest of the craft paints. Some of those DecoArt paints are not friends with alcohol, you need to go another route with them.

Also it matters how you apply and flash off each coat. But indeed you can get a really nice base color coat to apply clear over. So your question is, Can You? My answer is yes I can.

 

What thinners would you recommend?

Bart

[bh1701]

12 minutes ago, Chariots of Fire said:

Michaels had some nice craft paints.  Small cans but decent cover.  It looks like you might be painting too far away from your subject to get the rough surface that you are showing.  Been having good results with some of the Tamiya colors in spray cans.

I usually use Tamiya sprays and get very good results from them.

The craft paints offer many colors not available in Tamiya sprays.

How far away should I be when airbrushing craft paints?

Bart

 

[bh1701]

22 minutes ago, Dave G. said:

Also it matters how you apply and flash off each coat. 

 

What are your suggestions on how to apply and flash each coat?

Bart

[Skip]

Yes, you can, but you will need to step up to a good reducer and a flow improver along with priming and sanding the primer. 

The other thing is the cheap acrylic paints have some really wonky pigments in them. It's like they aren't ground uniformly or something, but they clump.  The better craft paints have a greater pigment ratio to acrylic medium which gives you better coverage.

Use a good acrylic airbrush reducer like Createx or equivalent to reduce the paint mixture to spray consistency, like milk. 

Experiment with the air pressure 15 - 20 PSI is a good starting point.

Wear an N95 face mask when painting with acrylic paint, it's not so much the acrylic medium, but the pigments (you really never know what was ground up for the paint pigment. 

As with just about any paint system, the basis of good bodywork goes a long way to getting a smooth finish.  After you get a decent finish you can clear coat with acrylic clear, acrylic lacquer automotive clear, or even 2K clear to get a real shine to the paint.

[Dave G.]

16 hours ago, bh1701 said:

What thinners would you recommend?

Bart

I just answered a similar posting in another forum, so this is a copy paste of my reply there. It will be in the general ball park:

I make 3 different blends of thinner, non are rocket science lol.. Also for Tamiya acrylic I use lacquer thinner.

The first blend works in many acrylics actually and quite well, including many craft paints and in the Model Master Acryl. Acryl also works with the last mix I will explain.

In 3oz batches.

60% distilled water

40% 91 Isopropyl

6-8 drops of Liquitex retarder ( depends on season and if it's ultra dry I've used 10. But this all kills tip dry to where basically it's a non issue).

Trace amount of dish soap ( it's not even a full drop).

Many paints will spray very nicely with this. They go down nice and flash off fairly quickly per coat.

The next is similar except I use the Liquitex flow aid in it. And the alcohol portion of the mix is a combo of Isopropyl and denatured alcohol. This tends to flow out more and I heat set each coat with a hair dryer. More ISO than denatured. This I use in place of Createx 4011 reducer and it works as well if not better than 4011. It works in most craft paints as well, especially if you first add Createx 4030 to the paint you will mix. 4030 should be used in Createx as well. 4030 is a poly intercoat,it makes acrylic paints poly/acrylic and they dry harder with more adhesion. I have many craft paints working as well as some model paints, not to mention medium or soft body artist acrylics.

Artist acrylics either get my first blend ( Artist Loft takes to this very well) or I have another for any paint that doesn't like alcohol. It's 50/50 water to Liquitex airbrush medium or you can use the US Art Supply Airbrush thinner, which is very much like the medium, in place of the medium. Still add retarder and flow aid. This method retains the most acrylic base in the paints. But if you go with more medium than water it starts to increase gloss.

I just keep 3 bottles mixed up all the time. One each. I still have some 4011 but rarely use it, since the thinner is cheap to make once you have the products and it works as well. In fact when it's gone I'll just refill that with the two blended alcohols thinner I make up

[Dave G.]

17 hours ago, bh1701 said:

What are your suggestions on how to apply and flash each coat?

Bart

As you know you need a really smooth primer coat, that's a must.

You first color coat is just a really fine mist coat over the primer. Very little paint flow from your airbrush, you just see a hint of color on the model yet wet. Flash that off dry, you can use straight air or a bit of heat from a hair dryer. The second coat will be medium, you will find it to take to that first layer well. Flash that off. Now you can put down a wet coat with more paint flow and flash that. See what you think, that might do it or you may need one more coat.

Each coat should level right off egg shell smooth once flashed ( dry). DecoArt is the most difficult to not have fuzzy or textured finish with, especially the Americana line. At least in my experience. You may need more flow aid with it, and I find it to balk at alcohol to which of coarse washer fluid has in it. Something no longer made that worked pretty well in DecoArt Americana besides what I've spoken of above, was Testors Aztek thinner, still adding a bit of flow aid and retarder. DecoArt is not my favorite paint to airbrush but they have some great colors, so I make it work. Really good for old car interiors and I build mostly old classic cars.

Flow aid and retarder make a huge difference as can the 4030. You're less locked into exact distances and speed of each pass. You can mist coat and it will still flow out. Best I can tell you !

[bh1701]

2 hours ago, Dave G. said:

As you know you need a really smooth primer coat, that's a must.

You first color coat is just a really fine mist coat over the primer. Very little paint flow from your airbrush, you just see a hint of color on the model yet wet. Flash that off dry, you can use straight air or a bit of heat from a hair dryer. The second coat will be medium, you will find it to take to that first layer well. Flash that off. Now you can put down a wet coat with more paint flow and flash that. See what you think, that might do it or you may need one more coat.

Each coat should level right off egg shell smooth once flashed ( dry). DecoArt is the most difficult to not have fuzzy or textured finish with, especially the Americana line. At least in my experience. You may need more flow aid with it, and I find it to balk at alcohol to which of coarse washer fluid has in it. Something no longer made that worked pretty well in DecoArt Americana besides what I've spoken of above, was Testors Aztek thinner, still adding a bit of flow aid and retarder. DecoArt is not my favorite paint to airbrush but they have some great colors, so I make it work. Really good for old car interiors and I build mostly old classic cars.

Flow aid and retarder make a huge difference as can the 4030. You're less locked into exact distances and speed of each pass. You can mist coat and it will still flow out. Best I can tell you !

Thanks for your advice, Dave! I'll follow your suggestions and will keep working at this.

Bart

[Dave G.]

By the way, the Liquitex retarder I mentioned is their Slow Dry Retarder Fluid, not their retarder medium. The medium is not for airbrushing.

[bh1701]

6 hours ago, Dave G. said:

By the way, the Liquitex retarder I mentioned is their Slow Dry Retarder Fluid, not their retarder medium. The medium is not for airbrushing.

Thanks - I bought some today, but it was the Medium. I will return it and look for a source for the Liquid Retarder!

Bart

[Dave G.]

46 minutes ago, bh1701 said:

Thanks - I bought some today, but it was the Medium. I will return it and look for a source for the Liquid Retarder!

Bart

Sorry about that, I wish I had mentioned it earlier. But Micheals stores used to carry both, it's a matter of being in stock or not. Dick Blick art supply has it or lists it too.

But ya know I've never tried the retarder medium for air brushing. Where I put the retarder in the thinner in small amounts, it might actually work. I have the medium for brush painting ( My wife and I do art work too), I'll mix up a batch to satisfy my own curiosity and try it, then pass that info on in the future. It's actually designed for brushing and pouring paints at up to 40% and not break down the paints medium. The Slow Dri liquid is up to 25% and is clear in color but it won't stretch the paint medium like the retarder medium will. None of that matters at a few drops in the thinner, enough to stop tip dry.