Painting Tips

[NightBat]

Does anyone have any tips on how to get the right mix everytime you paint? The greatest thing about the paint I use is how fast it dries but it's also the biggest pain in the a$$. I get all the upper body done and when I go to do the lower body my paint is dry on my mixing plate....any tips? Also I have been one to get so excited because a custom is coming along so well that I rush the paint app and forget to thin down my paints, I hear the consistency of milk, how many layers of paint is the recommended best? Hey how about another question since I seem to ask hundreds of them haha....Best technique for dry brushing?

[Hatchet]

Palette paper will keep your paints from drying. It's awesome stuff. I ususally go for 4 or 5 layers of paint if I'm brushing it on.

[NightBat]

Thanks! I guess I need more patience haha

[Hatchet]

Trust me, the first couple customs I made ... well, lets just say that I didn't even bother taking pictures of them. I don't have an airbrush so if it's possible I try to use spray primer and spray paint (Tamiya is great stuff). Otherwise I just try to do as many layers as I can without getting impatient.

[starwarsgeek]

Depending on what kind of paint you are using, you can buy an additive that will keep the paint "fresh" for longer periods of time. Of course, that also means that you'll have to wait longer before doing more coats.

Maybe you would be better off just putting smaller amounts of paint on your mixing plate at a time, this way it won't dry up before you can use it all. If you're mixing a custom color, try buying some empty paint pots, so that you can mix up a large batch of paint, and then take small quantities of it and put them on your plate.

Consistency? All depends. I usually put a few drops of clear windex or flow improver into my paints. But then again, it depends on what kind of paints you're using. I generally use either Reaper Master Series (which I thin with a little windex or whatever) or I'll use Badger Freak Flex... which I don't thin any, since it's intended for airbrush use, it's really thin already.

As for how many coats? Depends on how good the coverage is and that depends on what kind of paint you use and how thin you make it. The thinner the paint, the more coats it will take.

[NightBat]

Good ideas! Thank you!

[frenzyrumble]

Another possibility is the lighting you have nearby. I use a desk lamp (the big extending type) and have noticed, if i use a regular bulb, the heat and light dry my paints really fast. I've since then switched to bulbs that are just as bright, but don't emit any heat. keeps the paints wet longer.