Coercing paint to leave the brush

[oolaa]

Hey guys!

I need some expert painting wisdom.

Sometimes I get this issue that my paint doesn't seem to want to leave my brush.

For example: this weekend I might primed a space marine with a rattle can, put down my black basecolor with an airbrush and then proceeded to edge highlight with satisfying results. When I was about to paint the shoulder pads I airbrushed yellow and then brush painted the raised edges of the shoulder pads with the same black airbrush paint I use to paint the armour. When I tried to edge highlight the shoulderpads, the paint really didn't want to leave the brush. I had to work hard and the result wasn't as nice as I wanted it to be.

How can this be? This problem shows up from time to time. I am pretty certain it has to do with the properties of the surface I'm painting rather that the consistency of the paint. I have attached a picture which explains my issues in more detail.

Hope someone can help!

 

[MAXXxxx]

I don't really understand.

- if it doesn't flow out of the brush, then it's because it's too thick and you need to thin it more.
- If the problem is, that it doesn't adhere to the previous layer and flows off, then it's probably too glossy. Either because of the paint itself (highly possible if you didn't shake the paint enough and instead of paint you painted with the binder/thinner that was on the top of the bottle) or because some additive you use in the paint (possible, example AB medium still on the surface) or you had so many layers that it made the surface smooth enough to act like gloss (unlikely based on how you described your process)
- maybe you had a paint that when thinner doesn't cover too well --> problems on the shoulder and later you used it thicker, that's why it worked there.

 

[Dragonsreach]

Got to agree with MAXXxxx about the insufficient agitation with some of the Vallejo range especially reds and ochres.
Those two colour groups really start to separate faster than any other I've used.
I've tended to shake the living crud of of the bottle, turn it upside down and shake it again for good measure.

 

[BloodFather of Kharnath]

I had a similar issue recently. I zenithal primed a mini (black from below, gray from above). On the gray side paint flowed very smoothly and covered well. In the black side paint did not flow well and covered horribly. Took me around 20 layers to get full coverage, and by this time it didn't cover as smoothly as I wanted it to.

I found that that the paint Inwas using, VGC Scrofulous Brown, was just too thin out of the bottle. It did not flow from the brush well, either it puddled out with air bubbles everywhere, or if I did my usual routine of wiping it on a paper towel or my thumb, it simply failed to come out of the brush onto the mini in sufficient quantities to cover well.

Adding VMC retarder helped a little. In your case you may want to clean the brush well with dish soap and water. Does it act that way with all colors or just some?

 

[oolaa]

Hey guys!

Thanks for your replies! I guess that the culprit may very well be that I didn't shake the bottle enough. The paint is definitly not too thick.

It acts this way primarily with reds and yellows! I have bought a cople of jars of Citadel paints in the nuances I want, I'll see if it acts the same or gets better.

Thanks again for your input!

 

[shakes]

It could also be that the tip of your brush is drying out before you get it to the miniature. If the very tip is dry the paint won't be able to flow off of the brush properly. Next time you have the problem run the brush over your thumb and see if the paint flows. If not I'd do one of three things: load your brush with more paint, use a bigger brush, or add some flow release agent (paint retarder) to extend your drying time.