Customising Hints, Tips and FAQs

[paleoferroequine]

   He's right, I use Magic Sculpt also. Here's a Diabloceratops conversion I did .

[Kayakasaurus]

   He's right, I use Magic Sculpt also. Here's a Diabloceratops conversion I did .

Wow that is beautiful! Have you painted it? I love seeing the work of 2 artists combined. I really like the overlapping scales on the back! I'm going to have to try that. Have you posted this elsewhere on the forum? It would be really neat to have a thread for your work. Ceratopsians are really growing on me.

[paleoferroequine]

   They are still only primered.   But in the old forum I did some conversions from the Papo Pachyrhinosaurus.
Here's the link:

http://dinotoyforum.proboards.com/thread/4120/papo-pachyrhino-conversions-jun10-2011

More:
http://dinotoyforum.proboards.com/thread/3432/poor-mans-battat-diplodocus

Of course now with new info on Spiny this is outdated:
http://dinotoyforum.proboards.com/thread/2351/new-spiny-haz-rhinoplasty-update
http://dinotoyforum.proboards.com/thread/2398/update-schleich-quetzalcoatlus-hatzegopteryx

I may redo this one , the teeth should not be so exposed!
http://dinotoyforum.proboards.com/thread/3206/livyatan-leviathan-melvillei-gnashy-teeth

[stargatedalek]

Does anyone know of any easily available paints that dry flexible? For painting pieces that have a fair bit of give to them.

[Newt]

Fabric paints are probably your best bet. They are available at most art-and-craft and fabric stores. They're water-based and can be used similarly to normal acrylics, but they're more flexible.

[stargatedalek]

Thanks, I'll be sure to try some out.

[tyrantqueen]

Does anyone know of any easily available paints that dry flexible? For painting pieces that have a fair bit of give to them.

Vinyl based paints are used in the special effects industry, because of their flexibility.

I use Vallejo paint, which also happens to be vinyl based acrylic. They are excellent quality anyway. You might want to also look into airbrush paints. You don't need to use an airbrush, you can brush them on. The only downside is their cost.

[Alatariel]

Hello.
I'm new in repainting figures. I've read the Cooper's Tutorial. But still I need help and tips with the acrylic paints.
1) How can I keep my paints workable? I mean, they dry to fast.
2) What proportion of paint and water should i mix to solid paint? What consistency should it have?
3) What proportion of paint and water should i mix to create a semitransparent layer? What consistency should it have?
4) Is there a guide on how to mix ACRILIC colors? I've painted with oleum over a canvas, and it was easier to mix colors and get what you want. But when trying to get a cream-yellowish with acrylics my result was salmon/fleshy.
4.a) How do i get a color similar to Papo Ankylosaurus lighter color?
5) How do you clean your 0 and 00 brushes? i don't want to ruin its fine tip.
6) How do i prepare the blackwash?
7) Is it better: A) imprint my figure with a medium base color and then shade and highlight. Or  B) imprint my figure with the darker color and then highlight and highlight even more.
Any other hint & tip for working with acrylics well be welcome.
Thanks.

I don't have any real experience with painting models- I'm just a traditional painter looking that's just getting into this hobby, and this post is actually extremely old (which I just realized after typing all of this), but most of your questions are about things that are pretty much the same between the two and I figured someone else might come onto this thread with the same questions, so here I am answering them anyways 
When I paint I do mix some water into my paints, although only a little- usually just by dipping my brush into water occasionally while I work whenever I feel that the paint is getting too 'thick' to really work with. You basically want it to spread easily, but still remain mostly paint with a minimal amount of water added.

In reference to your drying problem- alas, you have found the bane of all acrylic painters (both model-cutomizers and 'traditional' painters alike). As someone who only has experience with traditional painting I'm not entirely sure if this is a viable solution for use with models, but most artists who have this problem (that don't just give up entirely and switch to oils, which I really wouldn't recommend using on plastic figures) use painting mediums mixed in with their paints- such as a retarder or 'slow drying' medium. Liquitex has several, I believe, and are sold in most craft stores. Using a /small/ amount of water is also a quick fix, but you have to be careful not to use too much or the paint will lose it's structural integrity (it's some chemical nonsense, I can't explain precisely how but all companies seem to strongly warn against using too much).

For cleaning brushes I'd suggest using a brush cleaner like http://www.amazon.com/General-Pencil-Company-Masters-Preserver/dp/B001TNR7VM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1433957823&sr=8-3&keywords=master%27s+brush+cleaner&pebp=1433957838514&perid=67795D886E594154965B Just swirl your brush (gently!) in circular motions over the top of the soap and then rinse them out gently, repeating the process again if you really want to be sure your brushes remain clean and last.
As for color mixing... perhaps look up paint mixing recipes if your having that much trouble? Maybe the colors you're using aren't pure-pigment ones, and that's why you're getting weird reactions when you try to mix them (if a paint color is made by mixing two other colors, for example, and one of those colors within that paint reacts weirdly to the other color you're mixing with). Color mixing 'recipes' and guides are all over the internet and in book form, but be aware that paint colors with the same name can vary hugely between brands when you're looking!
Personally I prefer to start any kind of painting out with a base color that I can then pull highlights out of and push shadows into, sort of like sculpting, but that choice is really just up to personal preference and the way you work- experiment and see what you end up liking best.

[Alatariel]

Sorry for the double posting, but I am thinking about repainting some Invictas (there are only about 2 Invicta figures I actually like)

The only thing that worries me is whether the paint will be able to adhere to the plastic. As everyone knows, Invicta toys have a smooth wax like surface.

I was wondering if anyone else has ever tried to paint Invictas before? I'm not talking about the factory painted ones.

I googled and found these, they look pretty good

This is another really old question, but since I haven't seen this suggested anywhere I figured I'd throw it out there. Couldn't you sand the figures slightly with a fine-toothed sandpaper to give the paint something to adhere to?

[tyrantqueen]

This is another really old question, but since I haven't seen this suggested anywhere I figured I'd throw it out there. Couldn't you sand the figures slightly with a fine-toothed sandpaper to give the paint something to adhere to?

Nowadays I use primer and for the most part it stuck to the plastic pretty well.

I had some spare Marxes lying around and I had trouble even getting the primer to stick to those. I used Americana's All Purpose Sealer and then primed on top of that. It worked. That's the only time I would ever recommend craft paints.

[pylraster]

Mr. Surfacer 1000 seems to work for me. That primer has a very smooth finish and lets paint stick even on rubbery parts.

[tyrantqueen]

Mr. Surfacer 1000 seems to work for me. That primer has a very smooth finish and lets paint stick even on rubbery parts.

I haven't tried Gunze Sangyo primers yet. I'm not so keen on laquer based primers because of their smell and toxicity. I used to use Vallejo polyerethane primer but I my favourite right now is Badger's Stynylrez.

I might give Mr. Surfacer a try, since Gunze's products are very good quality.

[Alatariel]

Mr. Surfacer 1000 seems to work for me. That primer has a very smooth finish and lets paint stick even on rubbery parts.

I haven't tried Gunze Sangyo primers yet. I'm not so keen on laquer based primers because of their smell and toxicity. I used to use Vallejo polyerethane primer but I my favourite right now is Badger's Stynylrez.

I might give Mr. Surfacer a try, since Gunze's products are very good quality.

Is the Badger's the primer you'd recommend for a beginner? And on that note, is there a (fairly cheap) airbrush that you would recommend getting to start off with?

[tyrantqueen]

Mr. Surfacer 1000 seems to work for me. That primer has a very smooth finish and lets paint stick even on rubbery parts.

I haven't tried Gunze Sangyo primers yet. I'm not so keen on laquer based primers because of their smell and toxicity. I used to use Vallejo polyerethane primer but I my favourite right now is Badger's Stynylrez.

I might give Mr. Surfacer a try, since Gunze's products are very good quality.

Is the Badger's the primer you'd recommend for a beginner? And on that note, is there a (fairly cheap) airbrush that you would recommend getting to start off with?

I don't use an airbrush, I brush my primer on Sorry, I don't mean to confuse.

But supposedly Stynylrez is good for airbrushing too.

[Alatariel]

Is the Badger's the primer you'd recommend for a beginner? And on that note, is there a (fairly cheap) airbrush that you would recommend getting to start off with

I don't use an airbrush, I brush my primer on Sorry, I don't mean to confuse.

But supposedly Stynylrez is good for airbrushing too.

Oh, okay! I just assumed you did, since a quick search for that primer online said it was meant for airbrushing- that's actually better for me, since I don't have the money or space for an air compressor and everything  Do you do all of your painting with a brush? The blending on your figures is so flawless, I honestly didn't think it was achievable without an airbrush!

[tyrantqueen]

I do indeed use a brush...but I think you might be confusing me with another member I've only posted one or two paintjobs and they were way back on another thread.

I'm just an enthusiastic amateur, I guess

[jooooo]

What kind of paint is best for repaints? Or to paint shapeways dinosaurs. if the material matters i got white strong and flexible.

[tyrantqueen]

What kind of paint is best for repaints? Or to paint shapeways dinosaurs. if the material matters i got white strong and flexible.

Acrylic is usually recommended. There are all kinds of acrylic, but I personally prefer high quality acrylic paint. I use hobby or modelling paints, such as those by Vallejo and Games Workshop. You could also use artist acrylics, but they would need thinning because they are very paste like and thick out of the tube. Craft paint is also a possibility, but I would avoid them because they are poor quality. In my opinion, it is important to use the best kind of paint you can get.

It is also possible to use oil paint or enamels, but most people would avoid this. Because of the chemicals you need to thin them and clean them up, they're not very user friendly.

[pylraster]

Enamels crack too, especially on vinyl. Learned this the hard way. They peel off like hard-boiled egg shells. ^_^

[Pachyrhinosaurus]

This is more of a diorama question than anything, but is it a good idea to use Crazy Glue for water effects on a diorama? I wanted water on a base that I'm making but I don't need enough of it for an entire bottle of Realistic Water. I actually thought I had some on-hand but it was all dry.