Airbrushing artist tube acrylics?

[David Emery]

Has anyone tried thinning artist tube acrylics (Liquitex heavy body, in particular) to airbrush?  If so, details please?

An advantage of the new Liquitex water-based spraypaint is that it matches their artist acrylic colors.  I've spray primed a bunch of castings, etc, but now I need more control in a couple of places so I want to try the airbrush to match the spray effects.

I'm a fan of the Liquitex spray line (available exclusively at Michaels Craft Stores).  It covers quite well, doesn't stink as much as solvent paints, and has a good color range.

Thanks in advance

dave

[eTraxx]

David. I keep eyeballing the Liquitex water-based spraypaint every time I am in Michaels. Have you tried using them with the hairspray technique yet?

[David Emery]

David. I keep eyeballing the Liquitex water-based spraypaint every time I am in Michaels. Have you tried using them with the hairspray technique yet?

No, I've only used them for priming/single uniform coat applications.

dave

[marc_reusser]

I used to shoot them for color theory projects in Design School.....was thinned with water and liquitex matte medium. I found the medium necessary, because thinning with only water made the paints unstable (lack of opacity, lack of adhesion, beading, etc.)...IMO was likely due to the fact that the pigment particles in those paints are quite large, and when you thin with water only, you are also diluting the binding agent too much....the binding agent basically being the medium...so I added in the matte medium.

I did find that they clogged my airbrush quite easily (at the time a Paasche VLH).

You will likely not be able to do the hairspray technique with these paints, as they are sim (but coarser/more crude) in composition/type to the Vallejo model paints....the surface (don't know if its due to some kind of latex/acrylic content)....goes down as a more solid "rubbery" sheet....not rubbery in the sense that you feel or see it when applied...but insofar as the way it bonds to itself.......SO....when trying to use the HS technique here, you will find that the paint will come of in large slabs/pieces/swathes.....and loosen up in same...it will be difficult to control, and get only nice small chipping.

If you try it, I would be interested in your results/experience.

[narrowgauger]

tube acrylics can be airbrushed when suitably diluted, provided that water is not used to dilute the base paint.

I am not familiar with the brand you are using, however the normal branded artist acrylics can be diluted with Tamiya X20A (acrylic thinners)  However to enable the paint to be airbrushed you will need to go to a 70/30 ratio at least, which means that the airbrushed paint is in fact a translucent cover.  Also keep in mind that the best way to apply the mixture is a a misting coat to avoid runs etc.

Experiments with some paint brands indicate that acetone is in some instances compatible with the acrylic base.  I suggest you also try this medium as a possible thinner since it has the advantage of rapid drying.

the best way to mix the paint is to partially fill the airbrush paint cup with the X20A, fill a small paint brush with the acrylic colour and dip the brush into the cup mixing the pigment into the thinners.

hope this helps.  let us know how you get on
have fun & stay cool
Bernard
this technique is also very useful when using artist oil paints in the airbrush, except that in that instance the thinners are either MEK or acetone.

[chester]

I thin Liquitex, Grumbacher and the Windsor & Newton lines of artists colors with Windex with good results for washes. But in trying to spray these paints, had trouble with them in my Aztec airbrush. Needed to thin far too much for any satisfactory results. It's usually a real workhorse too and would probably spray tar if heated enough.