Matte medium advice

[Caenem]

When I thin my paints with water, occasionally it dries like crud. It can look like I layered my brush with gobs of paint despite my thinning it out. Has anyone worked with Matte medium? Will it solve the thin-as-hell-stil-looking-like-gobs-of-paint problem? My main worry is that it looks like the medium is tinted white. I don\'t want to make a red into a pink because I wanted a smooth texture.

 

[airhead]

liqutex retarder

Don\'t boter with the matt medium. It has matting agents (read white) in it. Use a retarder to thin your paints:

Future
Liquitex
etc.

Get the matt with your sealer.

 

[Corvus]

Also if you are putting on multiple layers of thinned paint, be sure the previous layer has completely dried, otherwise the underlying layer can be damages, creating a chunky look.

 

[mouse]

too late ...

airhead and Corvus had said it all...sigh...can\'t increase my postings....

Anyways, Caenem, maybe you\'re loading your brush with too much paint. Remember that brushes tend to suck up more watered down paint. Always check the amount on a piece of paper or something before applying to your mini. That can prevent the \"blobness\".

Another reason, without a image to see, that is possible is the paint is too thin.

Otherwise, try applying more layers and don\'t be anxious, like what corvus said, allow time for your previous layer to dry completely.

Er...airhead, retarder thins paint? (hmm...maybe it does, after adding more medium to the paint pigment will mean paint thining) I thought it slows drying?

 

[Caenem]

It\'s not the amount of paint I have on it. I always make sure and hit the brush on the palette a few times or brush against a piece of paper towel before it\'s applied to the mini. I\'m a bit anal when it comes to the amount of paint on my brush. The cruddy look isn\'t always present, just in random spots every once and a while. It might be that I\'m not letting it dry completely, but with the tiny amount of paint on my brush it\'s a bit hard to believe.

Hrmm, ok 2 more questions:
What\'s the name of the floor wax stuff?
What good is matte medium? Is it basically matte spray but in paint form?

 

[mouse]

then...

it\'s either like what Corvus said, the previous layer isn\'t dry completely and you applied the next OR

the paint you\'re using isn\'t right OR

the mixture (do you mix paint when it happens?) isn\'t smooth enough.

Sorry, I can only speculate.

 

[Caenem]

It actually might be tiny bits of paper towel lint/dust that are adhering to my brush because of the paint. Dunno why I didn\'t think about that till now. I use alot of gw paints, which I can\'t STAND adding water to everyonce and a while. I\'m slowly moving my tackle box over to be completely filled with Vallejo paints. I bought those on a whim and ended up loving them.

 

[finn17]

Try airbrush medium...

I always use airbrush medium. Basically it is designed to thin acrylic paints to a point where they can be used through an airbrush without altering their colour quality. I always use this with a tiny amount of wetting agent (washing up liquid basically) this stops clumping by eliminating surface tension.

I know airbrush medium is dearer than floor polish but it is specifically designed to do the job and doesn\'t leave a gloss finish. If you are a \'brush licker\' you will also appreciate its neutral taste. Future tastes bleuugh!!:bouncy:

 

[airhead]

retarder

Originally posted by mouse
...Er...airhead, retarder thins paint? (hmm...maybe it does, after adding more medium to the paint pigment will mean paint thining) I thought it slows drying?

I have been using the \"Slow Dry Blending Fluid\" to both thin & retard the dry time.

http://www.liquitex.com/products/fluidmedslodriblending.cfm

But I like the idea of airbrush medium. Then I can get double duty from it. (Airhead is an airbrusher from way back and has more $ tied up in createx airbrush paints than mini paints.)

 

[Corvus]

Originally posted by Caenem
It actually might be tiny bits of paper towel lint/dust that are adhering to my brush because of the paint.

I always use rags to wipe my brushes and clean them, paper tissues are used to clean up my desk and mixing palette . Paper tissues are definitely too soft... a brush wiped on it two or three times will break up the tissue. So my advice is to use rags.

 

[Caenem]

Hehe. It already looks like a bomb goes off when I paint. I hijack the living room table. Paints, palettes, water cups, figs, green stuff, all over the table. My roomies are gonna bug when the paint rags come out.

 

[finn17]

Airbrush\'s rule....

Originally posted by airhead
But I like the idea of airbrush medium. Then I can get double duty from it. (Airhead is an airbrusher from way back and has more $ tied up in createx airbrush paints than mini paints.)

I use it all the time and I think it is perfect, you can thin as much as you like but still retain the basic \'balance\' of the medium. As I said, it\'s dearer than floor polish but hey! Might as well use the right tool for the job!
ps Have just invested my savings in a Paasche turbo, but haven\'t bee able to use it as my compressor is in storage:flame:

 

[airhead]

Turbo = cool

Originally posted by finn17
...ps Have just invested my savings in a Paasche turbo, but haven\'t bee able to use it as my compressor is in storage

Still waiting an an AB-L to come up cheap on ebay. (the joys of being left-handed). I have 2 compressors. One a little diaphragm that I keep in my airbrush cart when painting faces (real human faces, not minis). The other is an industrial that sits in my garage. Ran a hose into the spare bedroom that I use to paint at.

 

[finn17]

It\'s a weird machine...

I have been able to briefly try it out using a couple of air-cans I had lying around. It\'s awonderful machine but really weird at first because the spray is offset by an inch or so. I think I\'m gonna need alot of practice:bouncy:

 

[t_haye2]

I personally like to use matte medium, although only with glazes, not with covering coats.