Introductory airbrushing

[Ian M]

Simple, you don't get a deep acrylic gloss. The way to go for any acrylic paint finish is varnish. Build up the thin layers of colour until you have a solid good colour,two to three coats normally will do depending on the paint and colour. White and yellow are the worst and for both of these use a very light grey or matt white primer. To get a rich red, use a yellow primer. I don't know why, I just bow to the experience of what I have seen......

Not 100% true that. Admittedly I have not tried for a high gloss finnish with it but Vallejo sell a glossy medium which you mix in with the paint, efectivly giving the possibility to have any colour they sell as a gloss!

It not only adds a gloss but also makes the paint translusent and thinner too. So a couple of coats or six of that, then a clear varnish over that and Robert is your sisters brother!!

I intend to do my next shiny thingie in these so a proff of the pudding senario comming up at some point in time.

Good point about not trying the old Tcut on the model. Seam to recall totally destroying my JPS lotus that way. It was shinier before i started on it !!!

Ian M

[Guest]

Not 100% true that

True but, I go with what I have seen or tried, never even thought of the idea you propose re mixing paint and a glossing medium, to be honest, never heard of it but that means nothing, I hope there are lots of things I have never heard of, makes coming on the forum everyday such a pleasure as you learn something new every day.

I do however like the idea that Zero paints have for their 'authentic' colours which does start of with a virtually matt paint finished with a gloss lacquer designed to be polished. But, I have not tried it, I have only used standard acrylics and varnish, and hold my hands up to the fact it may not be the best way to go.

I love threads like this where ideas mixed with peoples experience give everyone food for thought.

[Guest]

I'd never of thought of mixing paint and thinner in the cup - I always do it in a jar - will give that a try! Yes it's the Aqua range I'm using. 20/80 is not what I've been doing which may explain the blockage in the brush - it seems very thin when I think about it but you guys are the experts so I'll certainly give it a go.

[Guest]

Thanks again Finlander - gloss varnish it is and I'll certainly heed your warning about practicing first! Naturally modelling improves each time with the present model being the best - this Samba bus is my best work yet so.....

[stona]

The cheapest and easiest gloss finish available is good old Klear floor polish. There are plenty of threads about it here and you can just as easily brush it on as spray it. It gives a hard glossy finish and is acrylic. Many of we aircraft modellers use it as an intermediate step before applying decals and eventually dulling everything down with a matt or satin varnish.

Here is an in progress piccy of one of my models sporting a couple of coats of Klear. There's a bottle of the stuff in the background.

The chaps have given you a lot of sound advice so I'll just wish you the best of luck with it. Anymore questions, just fire away.

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

Fab model Steve - something to aspire to! Yes I have read about Klear in variou smodelling magazines - where do we get it from please? I've never seen in in Tesco although I have not been looking for it.

Thanks for the tips!

[AlanG]

Aidan... i got mine in Asdas. Can also be found on amazon etc etc

SC Johnson

It's been rebranded by the looks of it. So you might be able to find it under it's new look

[Guest]

Thanks I'll try Asda!

[Guest]

Thats cheating! You added a bit after I had replied!! LoLThe one I have is the first one (I'm affraid), I am assuming that you want to get hold of the one you mention here...

Ian M

I was mainly wondering how good it was and if it goes into any specific detail over and above the first one, have had it in the amazon want list for a while but keep hanging back in case its just much of the same, I guess I'l eventually fold and get it.

Steve, a quick note re the Klear, sadly the good ol stuff in the bottle you show is not readily available any longer, the rebranded stuff is in the white bottle but it's not quite the same, it's just as thin but milky white though it does still dry clear, i've heard from someone, (Graham?), that if alowed to pool it can dry with a milky glaze, i've got a 3/4 bottle of the old stuff left and bought a new one, have been meaning to try a canop dipped in it to see what happens and also to see if it still dissolves in itself, I know theres a very similar looking stuff in a blue bottle which covers like Klear but doesn't dissolve in itself which is a potential nuisance if you do get a run or pooling.

Re spraying Klear, be careful, it's very very thin and lays down wet and floods quickly.

[stona]

Stocks of the old Klear are getting thin on the ground. You are most likely to find some in a local hardware store though I found some recently in a town called Thame,near Oxford, in a Robert Dyas shop.

One of the denizens of Britmodeller tried the new stuff and gave it a thumbs up.

This product has been recommended to me as a good substitute by someone who should know.

Quick Shine® Floor Finish - Lakeland, the home of creative kitchenware

I haven't tried it myself.

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

Thanks for your suggestion - managed to find soem on Amazon - £10 - a lot? Looking foraward to trying it.

[stona]

It may seem a lot but compared to the price of model varnishes it's a bargain. A bottle will last a very long time. You don't have to spray Klear onto your model,I don't. I apply it with a 1/2" wide soft brush. I clean it with water.

Same rules as spraying, a little goes a long way so watch out for pooling,sometimes on the surface opposite or under the one you are coating.

It dries quickly but you need to leave it several hours before re-coating as it removes itself.

Leave it at least 12 hours before applying any weathering washes or similar.

I know there are plenty of threads (somewhere) but if you've got any queries there are many of us here who are regular users!

Good luck.

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

Thanks Steve - the thought of brushing makes me nervous as I have a fear of brush marks but I'll give it a go on a practice piece.

[AlanG]

No fear of brush marks with Klear. It's self settling

[Guest]

Hello again

I'ver taken much advice from you guys about painting etc and have just painted one half of one side of my Samba bus. I primed as suggested by Fenlander and then masked half of the work to accomodate the white paint (the other half will be painted red). It struck me though that before I mask the white paint so that I can paint the red with the airbrush, it might be wise to first varnish the white with a couple of coats of Klear (whic hsould arrive any day) so that the masking has less chance of damaging the painted surface. Do you guys foresee any problems with this please? Also, supposing I accidently spray or brush Klear over my primed surface - would I be able to spray acrylic paint over that without any problems?

Thanks all!

Aidan