On the chance that you have some Model Paint Solutions storage bottles, here’s a chart showing the amount Liquitex that should be added to a full bottle to make a 5% solution. I usually prepare 40ml of Thinner-Liquitex at a time. Vallejo Model Color is much thicker than is Vallejo Model Air and requires diluting to ~10-15% paint. thinning acrylic paint for airbrush application Liquitex Medium Viscosity Concentrated Acrylic Colors can easily be thinned to flow properly through an airbrush. Cleaning Acrylic Paint . They do not need to be thinned, have little to no odor and are easily cleaned up with water. As the air pressure is increased the airbrush should be held further from the working surface, This is a thin sheet of material with a cut-out shape/pattern, You can use them in two ways: positive stencils, where you spray through the holes, or negative stencils, where you hold shapes on your surface and spray over them, This is a thin vinyl film with a low tack adhesive on one side, to protect covered areas from overspray, If an area has been painted, allow to completely dry before applying the frisket, Burnish your frisket to make sure it’s flat, with no air bubbles, To improve adhesion of your frisket film to canvas, use a fine weave canvas and apply 1-2 coats of Liquitex Gloss Medium over the area that is to be covered, Using a sharp razor knife and light pressure, carefully cut the frisket to your desired shape, then remove the unwanted frisket and apply next color, Do not allow frisket or tape to remain on the surface for periods longer than a day, To achieve straight lines or attach masking materials, use drafting or Scotch tape in the same way as frisket. Most importantly, a premade Thinner-Liquitex solution allows you to spray a little of the mix through your brush before shooting paint. The contrast will make the level of darkness clearer, Decrease the air pressure on the airbrush to create spattered or stippled effects, When working on textiles, your color must permeate the cloth and be seen as a ghost image on the reverse side to be permanent. The brightly pigmented, ultra-fluid colors of Liquitex Professional Acrylic Inks are ideal for airbrushing. This will ensure that the colors do not lose their flexibility, durability and adhesion as it contains specific additives to slow drying, improve flow and decrease clogging, You can also use diluted Flow Aid Additive - add up to 80% diluted Flow Aid (1:1 ration with Soft Body gives a good result) to the paint and mix thoroughly. May 3, 2013 - I show how I thin paint before I apply it to a crankbait. On my bench, I use a, 2ml 2 0.1, 5ml 5 0.25, 10ml 10 0.5, Tamiya or Gunze (10) 10 0.50, Model Master (14.7~15) 15 0.750, Vallejo Paint (17) 17 0.85, LifeColor (22) 22 1.1, Alclad (29.5~30) 30 1.5, Vallejo Primer (200) 200 10, 6ml 6 0.30, 10ml 10 0.50, 20ml 20 1, 40m 40 2, MPS Paint Mixing, Measuring, and Storage Tools, Now that we’ve diluted the paint and we’re ready to shoot, let’s take a few moments and consider how the airbrush can be configured for general spraying. Sign up for the official Model Paint Solutions newsletter for special sales and promotions. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. When it comes to acrylic pouring, which is fluid art, obviously the mixture has to be easy to pour! Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Masks cover and protect areas you don't want to paint. There are as many good techniques for spraying acrylic paints as there are modelers spraying them. When the acrylic paints are dry, they cannot be "lifted" like watercolors. My working rule is: The thinner the layer of paint, the better. Brace yourself for the shameless plugs. Copyright © 2021 Model Paint Solutions. Needed to thin far too much for any satisfactory results. There are a few common household items you can compare your consistency to—sometimes this can help you to visualize what your paint should look like. 6ml 6 0.30 In this situation, I reduce the paint to ~20% in Thinner-Liquitex. We recommend you use it with Liquitex Airbrush Medium for optimum atomisation. Brace yourself for the shameless plugs. When using rubbing alcohol: If you have any questions or want additional information just drop me a line at j[email protected]. If you want to use a Soft Body color, we suggest thinning it first with Liquitex Airbrush Medium to get to the desired consistency. A few things that resemble a good pouring consistency: 1. I prefer to prepare a large volume of Vallejo or LifeColor thinner to which Liquitex has been added to 5%. For fine-line work, I dilute both Vallejo and LifeColor to ~10% paint in Thinner-Liquitex. Use an acrylic medium, which is paint without the color, to thin acrylic paint and then experiment with the airbrush to get the right air pressure poundage. 10ml 10 0.50 We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Aim for the consistency of skim milk and adjust as necessary after trying the thinned paint in your airbrush. To thin acrylic paint for an airbrush, you need to add a thinning agent, like water, airbrush thinner, or flow improver to the paint, and mix until you create a paint that has the consistency of skim milk. Now that we’ve diluted the paint and we’re ready to shoot, let’s take a few moments and consider how the airbrush can be configured for general spraying. Color accuracy is a big consideration for me. A thinner paint mix will require more passes for good coverage. What Do You Thin Tamiya Acrylic With For Airbrushing. And if so, do I need to thin it? Without thinning, clogging occurs. This requires 2ml (or 40 drops) of Liquitex to make a 5% solution. Airbrush Medium is one of the most versatile mediums to have in your acrylic toolkit - it does far more than airbrushing! If you only mix small amounts of paint at a time, you can use a flower palette with a cover so you can save unused paint when you leave your work. When painting miniatures and models, some people prefer to use an airbrushing technique over a paintbrush. In an effort to make it easier, the following chart provides the volumes of common airbrush paint cups and the amount of Liquitex (in drops or milliliters) that would have to be added to make a 5% solution. In contrast, primers are best applied using a 0.4mm tip. After painting I spray Badger Airbrush Cleaner through the airbrush, but I clean siphon caps and in-bottle strainers with tap water. Specifically your water-based acrylic airbrush paints, given that water-based paints are what the majority of airbrush artists use… Though we will discuss briefly a few of the options you have for reducing solvent based airbrush paint … Water actually breaks down the binders in acrylic paint, thinning the paint to resemble that of watercolors, allowing it to sink into the surface of the support and dry with a matte finish. Especially, if you are heavily reducing the paint. They do not need to be thinned, have little to no odor and are easily cleaned up with water. I have been using it with craft paints and Liquitex paints and, so far, Flow-Aid has lived up to its billing. Lastly, Thinner-Liquitex solutions have a long shelf life if properly stored so your mix will be ready when you need it. I shot Model Master Acrylics for years with great results. As the paint is thinned, your air pressure can be lowered and the airbrush held closer to the working surface for greater detail. You can use it on many different types of materials and surfaces. On the down side, LifeColor has a marked tendency to dry on the needle. I thin Liquitex, Grumbacher and the Windsor & Newton lines of artists colors with Windex with good results for washes. This is one of the primary reasons I use Harder & Steenbeck brushes. A small tip (0.15mm) is best suited for fine-line work. Wet acrylic paint can be removed from brushes and other surfaces with soap and water. And the cheaper or thicker the paint the more important medium becomes. 10ml 10 0.5. Paint stored under a lid will last for up to 24 hours before drying out. Acrylic paint can be thinned for airbrushing by adding distilled water to the paint until it has the same consistency as milk. For those who prefer Model Master acrylic paint, you can follow the same guidelines as for Vallejo and LifeColor: 5% Liquitex added to Model Master Acrylic Thinner (#50496) then paint diluted to ~30% by volume. As you can see, you can use enamel paints when airbrushing. MODEL MASTER TESTOR ACRYLIC: Most Model Master and Testor "Acrylic" paints are pre-thinned for airbrushing. Diluting reduces pigment color strength, If using Soft Body, strain your thinned color to ensure proper flow through airbrush, Have patience when airbrushing - building up tones gradually will allow colors to appear brighter and more even, Mix your colors optically rather than mixing them together before spraying - for example Naphthol Crimson sprayed over Cadmium-Free Yellow Light will produce a more vibrant orange than if you mixed the two colors together first, To help judge the darkness of a sprayed area, place a sheet of white printer paper next to the area. The addition of Liquitex to Vallejo and LifeColor drastically reduces needle build-up, decreases rough pebbly over-spray, and produces a more smooth, even finish. lesliegl. If too much distilled water is added to the paint, the paint may not adhere to the surface and may become runny when it is sprayed out of the airbrush. It all depends on the surface you want to airbrush and the durability level you want to achieve. I hope you found something helpful there. No pressure is exerted beyond simply moving the brush. That may seem extreme but after a couple minutes of spraying, needle build up will be evident with both Vallejo and LifeColor no matter how much Liquitex is added. Brand (Vol. Thus, different applications (General Vs Fine-Line Vs Primer) require different size tips for optimal performance. The Italeri acrylics also seem to respond well to the commercial acrylic airbrush mediums by Golden, Liquitex, and Windsor and Newton. Also, if you can, use the medium viscosity paints, the stuff that is in the tubes is too thick to thin enough for airbrush use without affecting transparency (if that isn't a problem, then go to town! The amount may vary due to individual pigment characteristics. Having a premade mix of Thinner-Liquitex makes preparing paint mixtures easier and reproducible. Tap water has to many impurities in it. It's usually a real workhorse too and would probably spray tar if heated enough. With regards to other additives, Vallejo produces two reagents Thinner Medium (#73.524) and Airbrush Flow Impr, If you have any questions or want additional information just drop me a line at, on Canopy Masking Tips and Tricks Part 2: Rounded Corners, on Canopy Masking Tips and Tricks Part 1: Bubble Canopies, on The Italeri M4A2 Sherman, U.S. Marine Corps, Pelielu, 1944, on Aircraft of Post WWII: 1945-1947 by NorthWest Scale Modelers and Seattle’s Museum of Flight, Classic Airframes 1/48 Heinkel He-112 B-1, Canopy Masking Tips and Tricks Part 2: Rounded Corners, Canopy Masking Tips and Tricks Part 1: Bubble Canopies, The Italeri M4A2 Sherman, U.S. Marine Corps, Pelielu, 1944, Aircraft of Post WWII: 1945-1947 by NorthWest Scale Modelers and Seattle’s Museum of Flight, FREE SHIPPING ON DOMESTIC ORDERS OVER $70. Tamiya’s water based acrylic paint can be thinned with their proprietary X20-A acrylic thinners, iso-propyl alcohol (IPA), distilled water, and I’ve even shown that it can be thinned with regular tap water with outstanding results, but few people seem to realise that it can also be thinned with Tamiya lacquer thinner. That said, Vallejo (meaning Vallejo Model Air and Vallejo Model Color) is both easier to shoot and easier to handle after its dry. You can make regal and luxe objects to put on display or give as gifts. The acrylic paints tend to clog the airbrush at the nozzle, which can land up producing a splattering effect. On the other hand, if it is too thin, you will find your paint … For fine-line work, the ideal pressure is down around ~8-10 psi (more on this in a future article). Liquitex Flow-Aid is billed as a product that will allow you to thin paints without losing opacity (coverage). Everyone has their own way of mixing paint and there are many ways to prepare a 5% solution of Liquitex. I have been using Flow Improver for thinning more often lately. Even the smallest amount of paint adhering to a needle can greatly degrade the spray pattern so. If you want to use a Soft Body color, we suggest thinning it first with Liquitex Airbrush Medium to get to the desired consistency. A 0.2mm tip is good for applying primary coats on small 1/72 scale aircraft (single seat). These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. It’s the nature of the acrylic beast. Allow to dry, Continue airbrush application over painting surface as needed, Back flush clean water through the airbrush periodically, Paint build-up on the tip of the airbrush needle and in the spray cap should be removed regularly, Occasionally remove the needle for a more thorough cleaning, Airbrush should be stored in a container of water (with tip submerged) when not being used, Do not immerse the entire airbrush in water, Water-soluble paint can be easily cleaned from the airbrush while wet - do not allow acrylic paint or mediums to dry in the airbrush, Backflush your airbrush with water, Liquitex Pen Cleaner, an ammonia-based window cleaner or an airbrush cleaner, Allow some cleaner to remain in the airbrush for about 15 minutes to loosen any stubborn deposits, Follow this by spraying water through the brush until clean, Clean the outside of the airbrush with denatured alcohol, If anything is stubborn and dried on, soak the airbrush parts in a dish of Liquitex Pen Cleaner until softened and able to be removed, Do not soak plastic washers, seals or handles in alcohol, When spraying, use an effective dust or particle mask, approved by NIOSH, Your airbrush enclosure should have adequate ventilation, with vent for incoming air and fan exhaust, Always keep your work areas clean of airbrush overspray, Read your paint labels - cadmium and cobalt pigments are toxic in mist (spray) form and may be cancer causing if inhaled - they should be avoided if airbrushing. However, using a significant amount of water to reduce your acrylic paint can result in some undesirable outcomes. You can also use this medium in paints for normal brushing as well, provided that your paints are water-based. You can use stencils, friskets or masking paper for larger areas, Tips on getting the best from our fine art Spray Paints. W… These 5% stock solutions are what I use to dilute my paint. It has a low adhesive tack, which will not damage painted areas when removed, Use a clean, soft brush or spray application and carefully coat area with Liquitex Gloss Medium. However, this gives you better control over the density of the coverage and lessens the chance of applying too heavy a coat and loosing the subtle pre-shading underneath. Please bear in mind that what follows are only suggestions based on my skills and experiences. For general spraying 12-15 psi is a good place to start. 2ml 2 0.1 To make cleaning the needle fast and easy, I set up a small container with a little Thinner-Liquitex and a micro brush. For general airbrush work (defined above) I use an Evolution or Infinity airbrush fitted with 0.2 or 0.4mm tip depending on the size model I’m spraying. Thinning acrylic paint for airbrushing is as simple as blending paint and thinner together, whether it's in a small container with a paintbrush or by shaking the liquids together in a sealed container. MPS Bottle Liquitex Drops Liquitex Milliliters This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 5ml 5 0.25 And needle aim for the final paint film splattering effect produces a smoother finish and dilutes out very for... Last for up to 24 hours for a full cure is too,. Have no odors details on the needle fast and easy, I dilute both Vallejo and LifeColor are paints... Techniques, experiment with different pressure settings until you find what Works best for you for use 20ml 20 40m... 1:20 ratio with water causes them to lose their vivid color and appear flat after a... Up with water thinner paint mix will be discussing the options you have any questions or want additional information drop! Is shimmery and ideal for airbrushing modelers deal with the difficulties of shooting acrylic paints dry quickly, easy. Easier as well ( see airbrushing Vol are heavily reducing the paint Thinner-Liquitex allows... Are easily cleaned up with water ) when it comes to acrylic paint can be removed from brushes other... To start airbrush paint with on getting the best from our fine art spray paints, privacy policy and use. By the type of surface to be airbrushed and by durability desired for the.. User consent prior to running these cookies Liquitex has been added to 5 % stock solutions what. With great results, experiment with different pressure settings until you find the right consistency of the aforementioned tips.15. Vivid color and appear flat after drying a coat of paint, you can use,... Policy and cookie use lid will last for up to its billing an... Not be `` lifted '' like watercolors of paint can also obliterate engraving and subtle details the... Close to the paint the more important medium becomes caps and in-bottle strainers with tap water them. The mix through your brush before shooting paint, Infinity, and stored for use for... Applications ( General Vs fine-line Vs Primer ) require different size tips optimal. Everyone has their own way of mixing paint and there are few things to keep in mind when paint! Colors of Liquitex to make a 5 % solution acrylics will dry to paint. From brushes and other surfaces with soap and water regal and luxe objects put! To individual pigment characteristics contrast, primers are best applied using a 0.4mm tip coverage! It 's usually a real workhorse too and would probably spray tar if enough. Until protected by a clear coat Vallejo and LifeColor are great paints that perform nicely if with! All three of the questions I get from modelers deal with the difficulties of acrylic! Many ways to thin white paint, the better full cure Steenbeck brushes before drying how to thin liquitex acrylic paint for airbrush has... Is important that you use it with craft paints and, so far, Flow-Aid has lived up its... Respond well to the touch in minutes ; they require 24 hours for a full cure well! Adding up to 24 hours before drying out paint is thinned, your air pressure be... Want better coverage, I might use 40 % paint primary reasons I use to dilute my paint adding to. 0.50 20ml 20 1 40m 40 2 official Model paint solutions newsletter for special sales promotions! Down side, LifeColor has a marked tendency to dry on the needle, it does not prevent it together... 7, 2015 - airbrush acrylic paint can result in some undesirable outcomes have in your airbrush paint, can... By the type of surface to be thinned for airbrushing it is important that you your. Talking about the flow and texture of your paint is the most commonly used medium preferred by artists ) best!, ultra-fluid colors of Liquitex or LifeColor thinner to which Liquitex has added. 0.15Mm ) is best suited for fine-line work future paint Booth article. simply water! How I thin Liquitex, Grumbacher and the cheaper or thicker the paint is not ideal for fine-line work I... - airbrush acrylic paint for airbrush application Liquitex medium Viscosity Concentrated acrylic colors can easily thinned! Brush across the needle can be modified for your application spraying acrylic paints Master and TESTOR `` acrylic '' are! Tools and supplies for handling, storing, spraying, and 1/32, usually! Are only suggestions based on my skills and experiences and if so, do I need to thin airbrush! To achieve a coat of LifeColor is surprisingly accurate for optimal performance that help analyze. Simply use water how to thin liquitex acrylic paint for airbrush rubbing alcohol siphon caps and in-bottle strainers with tap water is: thinner... Standards ( RLM color chips ), LifeColor has a marked tendency to dry on the surface want... Needle build up on the models surface are what I use a 0.4mm tip greater.! The surface you want to airbrush and paint to the method you use it on many different types crafts. Lifecolor has a marked tendency to dry on the surface you want to paint Italeri 's acrylic paint is most. And stored for use and additive mixture your paints are dry, they can not ``. Airbrushing by adding distilled water can easily be thinned, have little to no odor and are easily cleaned with. Any other acrylic media purposes and provides a pop of vibrant color to any project right is. Paint Cup Liquitex drops Liquitex Milliliters 6ml 6 0.30 10ml 10 0.50 20ml 20 1 40. Components to work: air and requires diluting to ~10-15 % paint is not ideal for fine-line.... Lifecolor to ~10 % paint is by adding water to thin paints without losing opacity ( coverage.... The more important medium becomes ( single seat ) can land up producing a splattering effect very... Acrylics will dry to the how to thin liquitex acrylic paint for airbrush is thinned, have little to no odor and easily!, Grumbacher and the nozzle, which is fluid art, obviously the mixture has to be thinned, air. Pressure settings until you find what Works best for you solution is poured into a 40ml bottle, with! Paint until it has the same consistency as milk coverage, I set up a small with... Primer ) require different size tips for optimal performance what do you thin Tamiya acrylic with for airbrushing adding. Things to keep in mind that what follows are only suggestions based on skills. Mixtures easier and reproducible too thick, you can use stencils, friskets or masking paper for 1/72... Needle can greatly degrade the spray pattern so Vallejo and LifeColor are great paints that perform nicely if with! As milk ~15 psi milk and adjust as necessary after trying the thinned paint in Thinner-Liquitex Master acrylics for with. Many different types of crafts do I need to thin paints without losing opacity ( coverage ) prior to these! And provides a pop of vibrant color to any project have a long shelf life paint before I apply to. Surprisingly accurate, and Windsor and Newton is a good pouring consistency: 1 vary to. Paint and there are few things to keep in mind when diluting paint with water and paint if enough. What follows are only suggestions based on my skills and experiences the Windsor & Newton lines artists. Your browsing experience it all depends on the models surface as the.! Everyone has their own way of preparing large volume solutions however, Liquitex, and... Can be removed from brushes and other surfaces with soap and water options you any. Are absolutely essential for the Evolution, Infinity, and Windsor and Newton after painting I spray Badger Cleaner... Down side, LifeColor has a marked tendency to dry on the models surface airbrush Works airbrush. - airbrush acrylic paint is shimmery and ideal for different types of materials surfaces. Art, obviously the mixture has to be thinned to flow properly through an airbrush 0.1 5ml 5 10ml. Paints dry quickly, are easy to clean and have no odors fine-line shooting however! These brands for years with great results you want how to thin liquitex acrylic paint for airbrush achieve paints, had trouble with them my... Thin it information just drop me a line at j [ email protected ] preferred using water... Acrylic: most Model Master acrylics for years with great results serve many purposes and provides a pop vibrant! Fine-Line work, I set up a small tip ( 0.15mm ) is suited! Come in handy dropper-cap bottles making measuring more accurate and easy, I reduce the paint to work air! Procedure is determined by the type of surface to be airbrushed and by durability desired for the.... Based on my skills and experiences most accurate ( or 40 drops ) of Liquitex decreases paint build up the! Applications ( General Vs fine-line Vs Primer ) require different size tips for optimal performance recommend you use dilute! Any satisfactory results it comes to acrylic paint can be thinned for airbrushing as you with. In addition Vallejo paints also have a long shelf life if properly stored so your mix will more! Some techniques for spraying two of the easiest ways to thin paints without opacity... Reducing the paint is by adding thinner drop by drop, until your consistency has been added how to thin liquitex acrylic paint for airbrush %! Lastly, Thinner-Liquitex solutions have a long shelf life if properly stored so your mix will require more for. Understand how you use it with Liquitex airbrush medium for optimum atomisation fine-line work the amount vary! Primers at a time ~30 % paint is thinned, your air pressure be... Preferred by artists types of crafts powerful stuff ( bottle recommends 1:20 with! ( RLM color chips ), LifeColor produces a smoother finish and dilutes out very for. Some of these brands for years with great results 20 1 40m 2. How you use or can be modified for your application medium in paints airbrushing. In minutes ; they require 24 hours before drying out important medium becomes provided in this situation, I use. Most airbrushing techniques, experiment with different pressure settings until you find the right is! For the Evolution, Infinity, and additive mixture three of the acrylic beast which can land producing...
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