Monday, 31 January 2011
On Breaking Paints To Good Effect
Many painters know, if one adds too much solvent, usually water in acrylics, the paint will break, where the medium/solvent and pigment separate ...
(forgive the quality, I could not be bothered to set up lights etc)
So, above, we see a selection of GW standard range paints, which have been diluted, 1:1 with water, and left to stand. They are quite usable (for the job they were chosen to do), after shaking, but the breaking is obvious. This can also be seen, quite naturally, for some Vallejo MC paints, on the rack, in any store.
Now, the following observation came about, when I was looking for a dark blue, base coat for my SM/Chaos army. After trying many stock colours, I finished up choosing GW Foundation Mordian Blue. So, I diluted it (1:1 water, 15 drops of W&N Acrylic Flow Improver, in 20 ml, as usual) and after a few days, this happened (daylight bulb) ...
(all my paints and mixes have a good quality, stainless steel, nut in them for shaking)
The white precipitate is obvious, which sticks to the bottom of the container. I presume that this is the 'special' additive, which gives the Foundation range its good coverage. I also suggest that the pigments are liquid, but that is just a gut feeling. This also occurred with the AFI absent.
The point is, that the resultant upper layer of paint is perfect for what I need. 'All' pigment, it flows beautifully and is diluted to the consistency I like for 2 or 3 coats. Mechrite Red also did the same, but the precipitate is not so obvious.
Incidentally, I tried a Vallejo MC near-equivalent, Dark Prusia Blue ...
(like the back of my hand)
The first is my 'magic', GW Mordian Blue 'mix', the last is Vallejo MC Dark Prusia Blue, diluted, 1:1, with retarder/AFI/water mix. What is interesting, is the middle colour, which is the one on the right, heavily-diluted with the same additive mix - look at the colour, more Royal Blue !!! - just goes to show :)
Wish I had a pound for every one :)
Thank you to all readers, posters and referrers. Special thanks to my 'followers' and friends. I will be going though you all again, soon, and adding any relevant blogs/sites, you may have, to the lists. Please let me know if I miss one. In fact, y'all let me know anything you like :)
It is a delight, not only to be finding new and interesting things, by doing this, but being able to share them with the communities involved.
Here is to 7500 :)
Sunday, 30 January 2011
Saturday, 29 January 2011
Exploring Vallejo 'Black Glaze'
It will soon be time to paint my 'entry' in the You Tube community project ~ Adeptus Astartes, and I am trying out some new materials/techniques, for painting black.
My technique is this:
(1) Black primer (my 'stock', paint-on, primer ... GW Chaos Black:water, 1:1 ... plus 15 drops of Winsor and Newton Acrylic Flow Improver, in 20 ml). 2 coats, sometimes 3 (hair-dryer-assisted).
(2) Base coat GW Deadly Nightshade (OOP, but available from Coat D'arms), darkened, slightly, with GW Chaos Black.
(3) Glaze shadows etc. with black glaze.
(4) Highlight (to follow).
Normally, for the glaze, I would use Chaos Black:Vallejo Glaze Medium (VGM) (1:1, at least, sometimes some water). By my judgement, VGM includes retarder, matt medium and a little flow agent, too. The retarding can be useful, but not necessarily, for repeated, thin, glazing.
I thought I would see how Vallejo Black Glaze (VBG) compared ...
(A) Top row; 1:1 VBG:water.
(B) Middle row; VBG:VGM ... most of the 1:2 was used.
(C) Bottom spot; Neat VBG.
The colour balance is off, here, but it helps illustrate the points. BTW, the base coat on 'Testy-Bob' is somewhat lighter, than that described, above.
The boots were washed (2 or 3 passes, not shadow-glazed) with (B), 1:2. The border with the base coat is apparent (it appears brown, but it is black IRL).
The cannon was treated the same, with (B), the barrel with 1:2 and the end with 1:1. The end has more obvious pigment, on the raised areas, but the recesses are the same, in both cases.
In all (B) mixes, the initial glossy effect completely turns matt as the acyclic fully dries.
The arm was treated the same, with (A), it drying more quickly than (B), leaving a nice, flat, matt black finish.
Conclusion
It appears that VBG is, apparently, similar to 'my mix', as described above. For repeated, thin, glazing, it should be out of the pot and then diluted with water (1:1 at the very least), or it will be too intense for controlled glazing. Retarding will decrease as dilution increases.
Postscript
Neat GW Badab Black and VBG, on tile, then diluted with water, on tile and paper (2:1, water:paint).
Friday, 28 January 2011
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