I did a search in the archives and didn't find the answer to this question, though it has most likely been asked before. I am new to using an airbrush and I bought some Lifetone Hydomist water based acrylic paint to use in it.
I tried to paint my first two pairs of deer ears today but it was nothing but a headache. I couldn't get the paints to mix well. I tried to mix three different colors to get the color that I wanted but the paints didn't want to mix together very well. The white in particular wanted to settle at the bottom of the cup.
I would try to mix them and then paint but the paint only came out white from the white being settled on the bottom. I would stop and try to mix it up and then my airbrush would be clogged. I would start all over with a new mix of paint after cleaning the cup but the results were the same.
Can you mix these paints together? I would assume you can, so where am I going wrong? Can I mix them together in a seperate bottle and use this mixture each time I paint ears?
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a damp wash cloth while I'm painting to apply back pressure on the air brush to keep the paint mixed and also keep the tip clean.
to your other questions as well.
Thanks John!
If you apply the colors you want one at a time in light coats you will get the result you want. Life tone paints are designed this way. If you notice they don't make an irridesent violate, but when you spray the irridesent red over the irridesent blue, you get the desired effect. Practice on a piece of card until you get the color your looking for. Hope this helps !
If you mix them in a separate cup and then pour the new color into your airbrush cup you should be okay. The only thing I've noticed is the pigment sometimes settles to the bottom of the cup after a few minutes. But I've never had colors separate.
Go with Marc's advice if you're still having problems. Which I do too btw. Whether you "mix" paint in a cup or on the fish it doesn't matter. Actually, sometimes it DOES matter. Layering of colors on the fish manytimes will give you much more depth than would if you mixed the colors together in a cup and only hit the fish once.
Btw, Hydromist White in my opinion is a very, very temperamental color. You can't thin it much or it bleeds, runs or cracks. And you gotta keep shaking it when not in use otherwise the pigment will dry up. I will be trying the Polytranspar version of Pure White when my Hydromist is out. Mars Red (btw) is another Hydromist temperamental color.
Last thing - practice on paper for awhile before you attempt your deer ears...
Tint your epoxy with chalk and take out the cartliage and you will not have to paint at all.......... looks great