Tutorial ACRYLIC PAINT THINNER: what to use and how to use it

Windex. No, seriously. It's a great paint thinner for acrylic paints. I'm not sure if it works for any other type of paints, I think just for acrylics.

Hope that helps! ^_^

 

At what point does the paint start clumping? Is it clumping on the brush itself or as you are painting on the doll? If on the doll, are you applying layers of paint?

If it is clumping on the brush you need to clean the brush more often. Sometimes I end up cleaning my brush (swishing it in water, sometimes even cleaner) after every few strokes.

If it is clumping on the doll it might be that you are applying paint over layers that are not quite dry yet. Remember that the retarder and the medium will both slow drying to a certain extent so give yourself plenty of time between layers. When painting lips it's best to try to paint them in as few strokes as possible. It takes some practice but it's possible! Less strokes means less opportunity for the paint to get sticky and be pulled up by the brush on subsequent strokes.

If neither solution above seems to apply it might be something with the paint itself. What sort of palette are you using? It's rare, but possible, that acrylic paint (especially when using the retarder) might react with some plastic palettes. I use an enameled butchers tray or a glazed ceramic plate for a palette.

I hope this helps! ^-^;

 

xiaomimi brings up a good point-- to give more help, we need more details.

But most of what I can recommend is making sure you're not just starting with a paint that is too viscous (thick). Paint from tubes is very dense, while the paint from those little containers is not so much. The paint from the tubes clings and clumps even if you try to only take a little on your brush at a time. For faceups, I would recommend the thinner (and cheaper!) paints in bottles.

Though I haven't done a faceup yet, so some of my advice may be flawed on that account, I've worked with liquitex acrylics for many years in painting and prop projects, so I know the stuff pretty well. From my experience, and generally knowing the process of face-ups, I'd recommend thinning your paint to almost watercolor density of pigment and brushing it on one layer at a time to get a natural, smooth, and flat paint job.

But that's just me assuming stuff ._.;

Let us know!

 

It's not! In fact, the tutorial shown in the back of the Super Dollfie Bible shows an entire face-up done with pencil with paint added to certain areas afterwards. Personally, I've not had much luck getting nice eyelashes with a pencil but, of course, the Volks artists can work magic with anything!

The paper you are using as a palette might be the culprit. It could be absorbing much of the retarder and thus not allowing the paint to thin as much as it should. On my palette I thin the paint with the retarder to the point that I can pull out nice thin lines on the palette but not so much that the paint begins to bead up instead of laying smooth. Beading up = too much retarder. I also do a few 'test lines' on the palette before actually applying paint on the face. This way I know I won't have too much paint on the brush. Probably someone with a steadier hand than I could go right to it but I get so shaky sometimes that a loaded brush just means a blotchy mess I'll be wiping off later! ^-^;;

I'm glad you found my tutorial helpful, btw! ^-^

 

I've been experimenting with faceups on my girls and have run into a problem - no matter what brand of acrylics I try, no matter how carefully I put them on, how I thin them down... if I want the color to be opaque I can't get the paint to turn out completely... flat. it either seems slightly raised off of the surface or I can see stroke marks. Most of the time what I'm using is liquatex acrylics.Does anyone have any tips? Maybe a specific acrylic thinner or extender that they mix their paint with?

 

How thin are the layers that you are putting on? If you are using very very thin layers, you should be able to get a relatively flat finish. You may have to put on a lot of layers, but the end result is better. With enough layers, opacity shouldn't be too much of a problem either.

I think with an extender, the paint consistency you should be looking for is fairly thin, like whole milk, I read once...you don't want to use water, it makes things difficult with the paint adhesion and dilutes the color.

Liquitex makes various extenders, so it's a matter of preference.

Hope this helps!

 

What Liquidtex series are you using? The that come in jars and tubes or the ones in bottles?

The ones in the jar and tubes are use for thick applications. The ones in bottles are pretty nice as they aren't as "creamy" the ones in the jars.

I recommend an airbrush medium just to see if it gives you the results you want. The airbrush medium really thins it down and have it not be translucent, so no brushstrokes really so threw. But I do suggest using the recommended ratio for the airbrush medium. I had some bad results when I didn't mix it in the range of the correct ratio.

 

If this is a repeat of an earlier post, do forgive me. The search function was acting wonky...

I've been working on my BJD's face up and I've run in to a small problem. Primarily, how do I get a smooth finish with my paints? I see all these lovely dolls with their face ups and then when I try to do my girl's face, I get a lumpy finish.

I've already removed the paint from her face twice, I'm getting just a little aggarvated! XD

Any help would be much appreciated!

 

I'm going to assume you are using acrylics here...

How much are you thinning the paints? For a smooth finish, we've (Pherret and myself) found that thinning the paint to the consistency of ink or milk provides the best results. You may have to put on a few extra layers, but the results are much smoother overall. Liquitex sells a liquid acrylic thinner that works very nicely.

I hope this helps!

 

I heard that it's possible to make a paint thinner rather than buy it. Does anybody have a recipie for success?

 

mm i duno, some people use water =/ bu i dont think it works, id recommend mr. color thinner for their paints and liquid retarders for acrylics

 

water definitely works for acrylics, basic poster paints kids use are acrylics, I am an artist, I use acrylic and I thin it with water. You can get thinning solutions in art supply stores, called mediums, and drying retarders as well, but I really wouldn't bother myself.

 

Okay, so to simplify things, acrylics are made up of pigments and glue. The glue is what sticks the pigments to whatever you are painting... its pretty logical really.

When you use water to thin acrylics, you start to loose the stick of the glue. Depending on how much you thin your acrylics, it might not matter, but if you are thinning them a lot your paint will not stick as well when you use water.

Using an actual acrylic retarder is like adding the clear glue rather than water. It has just as much stick to it, it is just a thinner consistancy.

... Hope this helps a little, I guess. I do not know how to make acrylic retarders though!

 

I just bought some acrylic extender from a local craft store, although I haven't tried it yet.

I'm just going to start work on my second BJD face-up, although I have porcelain doll-painting experience. The first face-up I did - and my first experience with acrylic paints for this purpose was - interesting. I found that thinned with water, the paint lost its depth of color and was harder to control. I also found that the acrylic paint dried too fast for me to blend it properly. I ended up scrubbing at the resin and actually lifting some of the paint I had wanted to leave, forcing me to clean it off and try again.

From what many BJD artists have said, the extenders are better for thinning acrylic than water. I will be reporting on my experiences with it after I try it for myself.

 

I was just wondering if water could be used as a paint thinner. :]

Also~ I'd like to know if it can be used as a gloss thinner, or if the gloss just be better used straight.

Thank youuu~~ ^___^U

 

you can thin acrylics with water but it might weaken the ability of the acrylic to stay on your doll. Get a floating medium, it will thin your acrylic while keeping it strong enough for it to stay.

I use acrylic gloss varnish for my doll's lips I do not thin it in any way. I apply 3 coats for shinyness and durability.

 

I got some citadel (warhammer) paints from my boyfriend that I'm trying to do the face-up of my tiny doll with, but I just can't seem to get it right... How do you dilute these things?

I've tried water, but the paint won't stick to the resin then (can you tell I'm a n00b or what?). Sorry if this is a really, really stupid question.

 

I believe Citadel paints are acrylic. If not, please get new paint! That said, what it sounds like is the water is reducing the paint's adhesion properties. Try diluting it with acrylic thinner instead. Hobby stores should have this. Also, be sure to clean your doll's face with soap and water and let air-dry before coating or painting as oils from your skin may interfere with the paint's ability to "stick" too.

 

try to get something called a flowing medium =) I use that for my faceups and it works like a charm =)

 

try adding a little dish soap to it.

 

Citadel paints are acrylic and will dilute with a couple drops of water mixed into it. I've been painting with Citadel paints on their Warhammer and Warhammer 40k line minatures as well as the resin large scale figures from Forge World for at least 8 years now doing this method of paint mixing. As small_gecko mentioned- it might be a matter of dirt on the surface of the figure or even some residue of whatever is used as a mold release left on the model still.

Oh! Also, what are you using as a base coat? That might be another reason why the paint might not be adhering.

 

I've diluted Citadel paints with both water and liquid retarder (for acrylics). I personally prefer the results I get with the liquid retarder. The paint seems to stick better.

But making sure the resin is ultra-clean is really important. ^^

 

I just wondered what ppl use here for their face ups...
Do you mix your acrylics with thinner( to thin the paint), retarder( to stop it drying quickly), or do you mix a little of both?
Thanks if you reply...

 

personally I use mostly water and sometimes abit of mediums(gloss, matt, even airbrush medium).
I don't use retarders as a personal preference. I hate it when I have to leave my work there to dry for a long time, but that is just me =__=
Seems like many people have good results with retarders though.

I think you should just try to see what really works for you =)

 

i am planning on using a paint to stain my obitsu white.. it is completely experimental but i was advised to thin the pain with white spirit!!

will this harm my girl at all?? i am planning to do her entire body and resin head?? im not sure if white spirit is dolly safe

any suggestion would be so grateful
from lynette

 

What is white spirit? Do you mean paint thinner / mineral spirits?

 

errm maybe.. it is a paint thinner.

the actual paint thinnner was out of stock in the art shop and they said i should just use white spirit but i was worried in case it damaged her at all

 

I have heard of it melting plastic and acrylic before so maybe it's not a good idea. However I've never used it on resin or vinyl. Maybe you could test it in a none visible spot first?

 

Ok, according to Wikipedia, it is like mineral spirits. I wouldn't use it. Why would you thin acrylic paints with something used for oil paints?...

 

sorry i forgot to mention im using an oil paint. i want it to stain her white, i didnt want the paint to chip off after i had lightly coated her in it.

hmm im thinking twice about this idea all of a sudden

 

oil paints are meant to be really bad for dolls, aren't they? i was warned off them...... good luck getting the answers you want!

 

Ok, I thought I'd posted a reply to this, but it was eaten, I guess. Oil will degrade the resin, don't use it. (That's the long and the short of it, really). ^^;

 

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Obitsus are Vinyl and oil paints and mineral spirits will both ruin theim!

There was a tragic post on Junkyspot recently where someone tried to clean their 1/6 using mineral spirits and the joints MELTED. And the rest of the body pieces began flaking in a truly horrible manner AND turning blue in places.

Furthermore, oil paints will never, ever, completely dry on vinyl, even if they claim on the can they are good for painting on plastic. They will remain sticky and tacky no matter what you do to try and dry them. So if the mineral spirits don't turn your doll into a flaking, oozing zombie-creature, then the doll will be forever gluing itself to its clothing and attracting every bit of dirt and dust and lint in a three county area.

If you want to paint your Obitsu white, use an airbrush and only acrylic paints. Seal well with MSC or Dullcoat. Use three coats before you paint. Seal afterwards. And know that it will wear off, especially around the joints.

 

waaah oh thankyou for these posts i wont do it

i knew i heard it oil paints were bad but i thought it was because of the staining T-T

thankyou all so much

 

THE HORROR!

Do not view this picture if you have a delicate heart or sensitive stomach.

THIS is what happens when paint thinner or mineral spirits are used on vinyl:

 

Wow looks like she was attacked by aliens

 

Oh, god. That's downright horrifying! oO

 

I've tried to do faceups many times and now I'm getting frustrated. I can't get acrylics to work for me. The lines are too thick and will either come off the brush in ginormous thick lines or none at all. I've tried adding stuff to the paint but it never helps. How can I make nice small lines that will come off the brush nicely?!

 

are you using paint thinner? also, are you using the right brush? sometimes a thicker brush wont work for detailed lines. I also find when i throughly clean my brush it helps also. Oh, and using light brush strokes can help, when i first tried doing lines i was pressing down too hard on the brush. I'm sure someone else more experienced will pop in and help you too.

 

Question,I just painted my doll's chair with black acrylic paint.
Is there a chance that it can stain my dollie's resin?

Should I coat it with some sort of clear gloss?
If so what kind?

 

If you can coat paint in any project, do it. It will protect the paint, as well as anything it touches.

I've never had problems with acrylic paint staining anything, but I haven't had much experience with situations where that might happen. I would seal/coat just to be sure.

As for "with what," I'm not sure how to judge what would be best. Most acrylic companies make sealant/coats that go with their paints, and most other art companies make all-purpose ones. So, I guess it takes experimentation, or advice from people who specifically use the paints and materials you do.

Oh, and as for getting acrylics to work for you, I think it's all a matter of having painting experience, since there really isn't much different about them from other paint.

Use many thin coats, work slowly, study tutorial pics, and use extremely small brushes.

 

What type of Thinner is recommended for dolly use..

I can't order anything online atm but If I can easily get it at a store please tell me. I don't want to use anything that will harm any of my dolls, and right now I'm using water and I'm not satisfied with that.

 

Do you have any art stores nearby? Go in and ask about paint thinner used to clean brushes - that'll do the same thing as the stuff you get from dollie sites plus it'll be cheaper and sometimes they have stronger products that can wipe it off really quick compared to the diluted products doll sites sell.

 

Alright, are there any products your recomend, cause right now I have mineral spirits, which..I'm positive aren't good for dollies, and some other stuff my dad has that I use for my oil paints, to thin them and to clean my brushes, I don't want to put anything on my doll that will eat through the resin. Dx

 

I use Liquitex Slow-dri fluid retarder mixed with a bit of water.

Some people also use Liquitex Slow-dri blending medium.
Both of these should be easy to find at most stores that carry artist supplies.

I wouldn't use the same thinner you use to clean brushes, that might be too strong and might hurt the resin.

 

Hi hi~

I read that acrylics can be thinned with thinner, but I also remember reading somewhere (I'm not entirely sure, it was ages ago ^^;; ) that it wasn't exactly encouraged on resin.. I could be wrong though..

Anyone can give more information on this?

Thanks in advance, guys.

 

I've seen quite a few people using thinner so I'm guessing some types are fine

I have no idea if it would harm resin but I'd probably avoid turpentine though

 

i use Anita's acrylic extender and it works wonderfully. You just add a few drops to the paint and it gets a more ink-like texture. I've seen no problems when I've used it.

 

Just make sure you're not using a thinner designed for oil paints. Acrylics usually use the term imhitomi mentioned, "extender".

You can also use water to thin out acrylic paints, but with water there's usually a softening and desaturation of color. If you want intense, thicker color with a thinner consistency, an extender is the way to go. Water will make the paint look more like a watercolor paint, more transparent.

 

As with water colors you can reduce the opacity with water, but with acrylics water reduces the quality of the paint.

I read Acrylic retarder reduces opacity with a couple drops of water, but when I tried it I still got a dark unnatural color.

I think I might just rub a little bit of paint into the bristles, so I get a small amount of paint and achieve a semi transparent color.

Any tips on reducing opacity in acrylics?

 

You could always mix your acrylics with an acrylic transparent gloss, or some gloss and some water.

In my experience, retarders or thinners actually do work, though. Maybe you're just not using enough for as dark a color as you have?

 

As above, retarder and medium tends to work for me. If I want very very watercolor-esque feel and transparency, I like to use Volks' Zoukeimura thinner, as it's very much the consistency of water and makes paint supertranslucent for a more natural eye-liner effect.

- Mel

 

There are specific mediums to mix with acrylics to increase their transparency without dulling the colors or reducing their adhesion.

 

Wouldnt too much retarder make the paint not dry?

 

No the paint will still dry, just not as quickly as acrylics do without any retarder or flow medium mixed in.

 

So how much retarder do I a add?

 

As much as you would add water... it depends on what transparency you want and how much paint you're using. I guess add a little bit, and then keep adding more until it is as transparent as you want it. The paint will be thinner than in its original state, so the tip to add some acrylic gloss varnish (or matte or satin) might be good for making it a bit thicker again.

 

I've tried searching but I couldn't find
Anyway.. I'm going to try and use acrylic to paint for eyelashes instead of watercolour pencil.
The last time I tried thinning the paint using water, it dried up really fast. Then, somebody suggested that I use a proper thinner instead of water.
The only thinner I have atm is mr.thinner and I actually been using it to clean up faceups O_o;;

so i'm wondering.. if i use mr.thinner to thin my paint.. will it melt off the msc layers? O_o

also.. is it okay to

1) paint acrylic on the head WITHOUT coating them with msc
2) coat the head etc. Then, use watercolour pencil to draft the eyebrow. After that I paint using acrylic over them and after a while, use wet cottonbuds to erase the watercolour pencil draft? O_O