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2017/11/04 22:41:24
Subject: Clear paint over metallic paint, best brand for doing this by hand rather than airbrush?
I don't have an airbrush and the guides I've found for using clear paints over metallics all seem to be airbrushed focused.
My question is, since I am doing this by hand, what line of paints would you recommend? (I've heard some smell, some goop up even, if not using airbrush).
FW has something, there's Tamiya, Vallejo and probably a bunch of other lines I don't know about. Anyone do the clear color over metallics trick by hand and wants to share? Thanks!
2017/11/05 01:19:56
Subject: Clear paint over metallic paint, best brand for doing this by hand rather than airbrush?
If you can find them, the old GW inks worked very well over metallics. Alternately, any other ink where the pigment is dissolved in the acrylic medium instead of being a particulate held in suspension should work just as well.
Not sure how well they'd work in a airbrush, though. I've always just painted it on with a normal brush as a glaze.
CHAOS! PANIC! DISORDER!
My job here is done.
2017/11/05 01:25:27
Subject: Clear paint over metallic paint, best brand for doing this by hand rather than airbrush?
Usually the clears over metallics that Forgeworld uses in their really deep lustrous effects are the Tamiya clears. And while they’re a lot easier to apply a smooth coat with through an airbrush, you can achieve the same effect with a brush. It will just take multiple very thin coats. This stuff comes out of the pot very thick, but thinning it to a 2% milk consistency will keep it nice and consistent.
Not thinning it will definitely result in goopy uneven coats, though for areas where a bunch of thin coats aren’t feasible, you can put down one really thick unwatered coat and it will self-level. This has a high margin for error though so best to practice on another model so you don’t turn your expensive stuff into a Jackson Pollack painting.
2017/11/05 07:02:20
Subject: Clear paint over metallic paint, best brand for doing this by hand rather than airbrush?
Badablack wrote: Usually the clears over metallics that Forgeworld uses in their really deep lustrous effects are the Tamiya clears.
That's true of older FW models, more recent ones they'll use their own brand of clears. I have not used FW clears but I've heard good things.
How well clears go on largely depends on how large of a surface you are trying to cover. Small armour plates are easier than big ones, just work through plate by plate.
I used unthinned Tamiya clear red and clear yellow on my BB orcs and I think it came out great, but they only consist of small panels which are post-weathered to look like paint has rubbed off on the edges, I haven't tried painting a land raider or something like that.
You could also try enamel clears. Again I don't have a lot of experience, but in general when you're trying to achieve a very smooth coat enamels are much better than acrylics. I think Humbrol makes several enamel clears which I've seen people use to tint canopies. I notice in this video he says not to worry about uneven coats because the paint will self level itself, but not having tried it myself I cannot corroborate that.
FWIW though, his method for painting the frame itself IMO isn't a good way, lol.
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2017/11/05 07:08:59
2017/11/05 14:28:29
Subject: Clear paint over metallic paint, best brand for doing this by hand rather than airbrush?
Ustrello wrote: How big of a surface are we talking and is it flat, curved etc.
Space marine infantry but also bigger stuff like dreadnoughts
Don't brush the Tamiya clears over that sort of area, brushing works for small bits like the inset panels on CSM, but trying to brush it on anything more than about 1cm square is asking for trouble (I tried, I have a nice rhino airbrushed and a less nice one brushed by hand that after five coats still looks rubbish and needs a lot of weathering to hide it).
Inks would probably be better in a few thin coats so it doesn't pool, grab a cheap or old model to practice on, or even better a bit of clear plastic (old blister?) prime it and practice on that, if you can get a flat surface look flat you're ok.
May be better trying to tint the basic metallic colour
2017/11/05 15:21:54
Subject: Clear paint over metallic paint, best brand for doing this by hand rather than airbrush?
Ustrello wrote: How big of a surface are we talking and is it flat, curved etc.
Space marine infantry but also bigger stuff like dreadnoughts
Don't brush the Tamiya clears over that sort of area, brushing works for small bits like the inset panels on CSM, but trying to brush it on anything more than about 1cm square is asking for trouble (I tried, I have a nice rhino airbrushed and a less nice one brushed by hand that after five coats still looks rubbish and needs a lot of weathering to hide it).
Inks would probably be better in a few thin coats so it doesn't pool, grab a cheap or old model to practice on, or even better a bit of clear plastic (old blister?) prime it and practice on that, if you can get a flat surface look flat you're ok.
May be better trying to tint the basic metallic colour
Ah, ok, the inks sound like a much safer bet then.
I wonder, could I get away with mixing ink into a metallic paint and apply it all at once? Have you done this?
2017/11/05 15:40:24
Subject: Clear paint over metallic paint, best brand for doing this by hand rather than airbrush?
I don't see why inks would be a whole lot better. The problem with large surfaces is that it's hard to get an even coat and because the paints dry so fast you can't manipulate them.... inks are going to have the exact same problem as clears in that regard.
I use inks on some of my models and large surfaces are always a problem with any sort of transparent paint.
You could give the enamels a go because enamels overcome one of the problems with acrylics inks/clears/whatever because they don't dry as quick and self level better. But I can't say whether or not it'd work as desired.
If you're using Tamiya clears you could also try adding retarder to them, haven't tried it myself but may give you a bit more time to try and get an even coat.
Automatically Appended Next Post:
Stavkat wrote: I wonder, could I get away with mixing ink into a metallic paint and apply it all at once? Have you done this?
If you're going for a metallic-mixed-with-paint look (like a car's metallic paint) just buy a coloured metallic.
Gunze make some, Tamiya make some, Warpaints make some, there's probably others these days as well. My Necrons were done with metallic blue from Gunze, the purple metallic bits were done with Guzne metallic blue mixed with Gunze metallic purple.