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Hey guys im looking for some advice im painting karl franz on deathclaw but im having real problems removing the masking i used for the tiger stripes, i have used a really low tack sticky back plastic but whenever i try and remove them it pulls the black base coat off with it.
is this because i haven't let the base coat dry enough before trying to remove and if so how long should i leave it?

How long did you let the base coat dry before applying the masking?

It is best to let it dry for a couple of hours or even over night if you can. Also, is the model primed at all?

hmm maybe thats where i went wrong then left it about 30 mins before applying the mask
yeah its primed the primer isnt moving just the black base.
might have to leave it over night then try and remove them tomorrow, heres to hoping i dont have to strip him down again.
this will be the 3rd time ive tried painting him and ive never been happy with the results

Try using Tamiya masking tape or even better a liquid masking frisket.

Using the proper tools will go a long way to improving what you are attempting to do.

The Liquid masking frisket would allow you to paint over the sections you want to mask. The stuff usually dries clear, but most brands will allow you to mix an ink with it to color for easier visibility and thus removal.

I have Humbrol's Maskol it is a latex liquid mask, my plan was to paint the hind quarters of deathclaw with it while i airbrushed the wings.
I tried using it before for the tiger stripes but i couldn't get them looking quite how i wanted with it

 soitra wrote:
I have Humbrol's Maskol it is a latex liquid mask, my plan was to paint the hind quarters of deathclaw with it while i airbrushed the wings.
I tried using it before for the tiger stripes but i couldn't get them looking quite how i wanted with it

You're on the right track with using what you have, the liquid mask is not really suited for something like tiger stripes. I'm not exactly sure what you are using, but it sounds like frisket film, which works just fine for what you are doing. Tamiya masking tape is pretty good as well, I use it for a majority of my masking.

Back to the primer. Was the primer a solid coat, or did it have some texture or transparency to it?

Primer is meant to provide a surface for the paint to bite into, if the primer coat was too thick, or smooth that base coat of paint has nothing to stick to and the result is easily rubbed off or pulled off paint.

I'd wait a day before masking to ensure the underlying paint has dried and if you want to be safe, I'd also lay down a gloss varnish before masking.

If you're using masking fluid, I find the best thing is to paste it on thick. It's the opposite of traditional painting wisdom where you normally want multiple thin coats, with the masking fluid you want a really thick coat. This will make it easier to remove as it'll hold to itself better than the model. When it comes time to remove the masking, use something to carefully lift the edge of the (now dry and rubbery) masking fluid then I just use my finger to roll it off the model.

The primer was artists gesso mixed with some grey paint and airbrush thinner. I think it's just not dried enough when I applied the mask, I'll try again tomorrow and see how it goes

One thing that I have done when masking is giving the model a quick thin layer of varnish to bond and protect the already painted surface. Since I started doing this I have had no problems with paintrelease.

Ok after leaving it overnight I have removed the mask there are some minor bits that need touching up, but overall the mask has come off cleanly.

Did you do the gloss varnish as well? That makes a big difference.

No I didn't I'm going to varnish it before I put the latex on the hindquarters, then hot it all with a matte coat when it's finished

Looking great so far.

Mask removed fine and I managed to get a fai bit done on the model today