Supplies airbrush sealants (all) | discussion and questions

There is an airbrushable clear matte coat it is supposed to seal but is not effective as a sealer on resin.

Just stick with Mr. Super Clear.

 

I used Createx Clear Coat it is a matte finish you airbrush and it is supposed to be permanent on most surfaces.

But I had many problems with it... You can not thin it using retarder or water because thinning it weakens it. It is thick and does not flow easy, it takes a lot of adjusting of air pressure to make it workable. Even then it was not quite as matte it needs to be, it dried as semi-gloss finish. And its no more permanent than regular airbrush paint itself, you can rinse it off with warm water and if not completely dry you can rub it off with your finger. My mom who has airbrushed since the early 90's has said that mostly if the paint itself is not permanent on its own then airbrush sealer won't help it any. All it can really do is offer another layer of protection and make it matte.

If you are willing to try things how about building the ideal environment for airbrushing and sealing. Make a spray booth (there are dyi tutorials online at many gundam/resin figure kit forums and websites or you can buy one) and get a de-humidifier. Then you can spray anytime you want no matter how bad the weather is.

 

I tried doing a search but couldn't find something exactly like this. I've been experimenting with my airbrush and while I'm not yet ready to do face ups with it, I did experiment with using Liquitex Matte Medium in the airbrush to seal face ups. So far I've really liked the results and feel like it lets me blend things a lot more smoothly than MSC or Testor's Dullcote. It also eliminates the smell factor that comes with other sealants (I do use proper respiratory protection, but sometimes even after the head has dried it still smells of sealant in the general area)

My question is: is there a down side to this? Is there any reason I should continue to use traditional spray sealants instead of just airbrush sealing with the Liquitex?

 

That is interesting! And it leaves tooth on the resin?
The only thing I can think of is perhaps it won't have UV protect compared to MSC? I guess what you can do is if you have spare resin pieces here and there you can try to spray one with Matte finish and one with sealant and leave it for a bit and see what happens?

Following this with interest!

 

Good idea. I should try that. I think I have some spare hands lying around somewhere. Will have to try to locate those!

And yep, leaves tooth on the resin. More than other sealants I've worked with do, which I find to be a plus.

 

Also I think it would be worth it to see how it layers up as well. The downside now I can see is that if you made a mistake with acrylic, lines and what not and try to clean it with thinner is that you will take the sealing layer off as well.

 

Very interesting! I'd love to see examples.

 

I'd like to see photos as well because I've never heard of this either and it seems like a simple alternative to MSC, Testors etc.
Testors Dullcote doesn't have UV protection either so I'm not worried about that, though I would like to know how durable is the sealant when dry, like will it rub off easily or chip and how easy it is to spray (so it doesn't dry with drips like Testors).

 

I am by no means a professional when it comes to doing face ups, but here are two I have done with this method:





I'm trying to think of some tests I could do to accurately compare its durability to MSC or Testors. I guess I can just try scratching at it with something like a tooth pick and see how long it would take to flake off or something. And then perhaps try blushing a joint and then moving it around for a while and see what that does to it.

 

Interesting. Liquitex airbrush acrylic products we do know to be safe with resin, so this is an intriguing method! It looks like it gives good results for you, too.
I am very curious to see if it helps durability of body blushing, especially around the joints. Please do show us your results if you test that.

 

I'd love to see if this is more durable in the long-run too! Is Liquitex safe chemically for the resin? This might work really really well to color match hybrids, because in theory you could tint the Liquitex matte medium.

 

Liquitex is safe on resin, yes.

I did some experimenting (don't have pictures because the camera battery died.) The airbrushed on sealant chips more easily than normal sealant, sadly. However, it seems fine if used with normal sealant as the bottom and top layers.

 

I've searched around the forum but I can't seem to find the exact information I am looking for.

Has anyone ever used Liquitex Matte Varnish as a sealant for faceups? Not just for the finished face up, but in between layers as well?
I wouldn't be using an airbrush, just the spray can.

I've seen that some people have tried it with an airbrush and it worked out alright but I want to know if I can use in from the can the way you would spray a painting. Is it a safe alternative? and does it come off easily?

Oh! One more thing: What are the chemicals I should look for in it's ingredients to steer clear of? Are there certain ones? I noticed that pastel fixative says it is made of a resin. Would it not be safe to put resin on resin? (I know, noob question)

Sorry if this has been asked already but I didn't find this exact question.

 

If you're willing to test it out with the spray can version, do let us know the outcome!

I believe most people use the airbrush method since its not an aerosol spray like the spray can version, so its less harmful.

Liquitex Matte Varnish should be the final layer, Liquitex Matte Medium is for the base spray and in-between layers.
Both have to be diluted with distilled water to a consistency similar to non-fat milk before you load them into the airbrush.

 

I have used Liquitex Soluvar Matte Spray to seal faceups and it's not exactly matte but it works very well! The colors do become even more vivid, though.
I first heard about it here (external link): http://fyeahbjdmods.tumblr.com/post...-soluvar-matte-sealant-vs-mr-super-clear-flat

Someone on the forum had said it was oil based and would harm the doll, but I'm not so sure about that. It has worked fine on mine!

 

Thanks for the responses! I think I am going to go ahead and try it anyway, but that will have to wait a couple of weeks until finals are over haha

Sicktress: I realized mine is also the soluvar. My store had only this kind. do you think it would work for in between layers or should I find something else?

 

byakra-chan, I've actually used the Soluvar for the in-between layers, then Citadel Purity Seal as a top coat to matte it all, and it actually worked great! I've used it alone for multiple layers, spraying 2-3 coats in between and it has a nice skin-like texture.

 

Thanks so much! In a week all of my finals at school will be over so I'll finally get a chance to try it. (:

 

The first can I bought they accidentally sent me the gloss spray which did not work well at all. It was too thick and a bit drippy. But then I reordered the matte spray and it seems to be working much better actually. I like it a lot. I used it for the base on the doll I am working on. I will probably seal with it too, but in between I actually prefer to use Modge Podge matte sealant, the stuff in the jar, not the can. I dilute that and brush it on as I work.

 

Can anyone say for its permanence and clarity?


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I know the original question is somewhat old, but I have used Liquitex Matte Varnish (not soluvar) in aerosol format on a few faceups. I switched to Testors after a few cans of the stuff. I didn't run into any staining problems, but I found the texture to be too uneven and the pastel work didn't go on as smoothly as with other sealants (it looked speckled). Acrylic paint went on just fine. My dolls that still have this on their faces don't seem to have any issues, and it has been probably about 6 months, so if you can get it to go on more smoothly then it may be worth a try. YMMV.

I believe it is similar in toxicity to Testors, though, so with that last potential benefit gone, I made the switch. I prefer the texture of Testors, as well.

 

So far I have had no problems! The only bummer is that the sealant is not quite matte. /: It's the tiniest bit shiny. I'll take some pictures when I've finished the faceup (:

 

Yes, I had that issue with the one I used as well. It had the tiniest bit of sheen to it. That's all a matter of taste, though. I'm glad it's otherwise working out!

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May I know if you used the soluvar one or not? I'm also looking forward to see the pictures <:

 

I have used Liquitex Matte Varnish as a seal for fantasy parts, painting it on with a brush as opposed to spraying, and the instance of chipping is significantly less. I can't wait to see how your faceup turns out, I would love to grab a can of this stuff and try it

 

Sorry it's been so long, but now that I'm over the initial embarrassment of my first faceup I've decided I should still post the picture. I was using the Liquitex Matte Varnish Soluvar (in spray can form) as a sealant.
So far my issues with it is that it stays kind of sticky for a while and it is a little bit shiny. But it seems that it is staying rather well even though I've touched her face a lot. (I kind of wish it wouldn't haha) I haven't tried wiping it yet, but I probably will soon since I'm disappointed in the faceup. /:

Christmas time! by byakra27, on Flickr

Christmas time! by byakra27, on Flickr

 

Hello,
can you tell me if their is a air-brushable non toxic sealant that can be used for faceups?
thanks very much,
Bobaloo

 

Yes, the Liquitex Sealant is the way to go You're lucky you have an airbrush, as I'm also looking into non-toxic alternatives myself, and I don't have one. Boohoo.

Check out this video by Andreja: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dr8-tnUDKHc

 

thank you very much. I will give it a try. now I can do faceups year round!!!

 

I have seen mention of the liquitex sealers, I want to try also. Liquitex, is a great affordable brand.
I wonder if Pebeo is sprayable?
Pebeo makes paints for every textile, including china paints, that you can bake. Also, it mixes nicely with Jacquard pigments, then again everything mixes nicely with those pigments.
Pebeo does have water based, they have an extensive line. You can try Dick Blick, or Amazon. The great thing about Liquitex, is that even Walmart sells it, so it may be available more readily, as opposed to ordering other products by mail.

 

Thanks for sharing! Do keep us updated if you decide to wipe it off. I managed to get my hands on MSC but I'm still interested in liquitex because of the price and accessibility. So far, I've heard nothing but positive feedback so it sounds promising to me c: Though I also heard somewhere to avoid soluvar since it's oil based but yours seems to look ok.

lovely faceup by the way!

 

Has there been any discoloration? Has anyone used in on white doll?

 

Sorry to reply to an oldish thread, but I just applied it to a white doll and it did yellow it a little bit, but I think it's because I applied it too thickly. I'm going to wipe it and try lighter layers. I really like it! It's a much more affordable option and I haven't had any trouble with shine or stickiness (as long as you don't set a wet body part down, because it will get sticky where it meets the surface you set it on). It's dark or I'd show pictures. Tomorrow before I wipe it!

 

I take it back, the parts didn't yellow like I thought they did. I think it just might be the difference in texture that threw my eye. The head was too heavily coated and did take a tint, but I wiped it before these pics. I white balanced them for greater accuracy, but beware that the lighting in my house isn't great, so shadows might make parts looks different colors.

The head is clean and the cap is coated once moderately with Liquitex Professional Matt Varnish Spray:



The fin on the left is clean and the fin on the right is coated lightly:



In real life, there is an ever-so-slight difference in color, but it might just be me looking for a difference more than a real one. I'll check back as I work. I'd love more people to try these Liquitex options out and share in detail their findings. I've had a heck of a time figuring out how to spray it right and how to remove thick layers. I just want to know what other (more experienced) people think.

Note that the spray I'm using has some formaldehyde in it, so buy the appropriate filters for the respirator you are using. I'm not sure about the Soluvar spray.

P.S. Sorry if the photos are huge. I'm a newbie here. :S

 

Have you used it for in between layers?

 

I know the matte medium works well for in between layers. Don't know if that helps at all.

 

so youd still have to wear a respirator using this Liquitex spray?

 

If you're using it with an airbrush, yes, because the process of airbrushing releases aerosols. It's not nearly as toxic as spraying MSC, though.

 

I have. It works great! Lots of tooth. It's not always pencil-friendly, but just requires some patience.

You do. I'm using an aerosol spray. The Soluvar aerosol looks like it has fewer toxic ingredients, so you might be able to get away with a paper mask, but I haven't looked closely enough at its safety sheet to know for sure.

I'm not claiming to be an expert at all, I just want to share my own research and encourage others to try it since it seems to work and Liquitex is much more accessible than MSC.

If anyone has tried to remove it (any Liquitex sealer) after a significant amount of time, I'd love to hear how that went.

 

I use the airbrush type Liquitex Matte Medium as a sealant, and then when done with the face up, I spray on layers of the Liquitex Matte Varnish. I recently removed one of my head's face up and it was fairly easy using 99% rubbing/isopropyl Alcohol. It needed a little elbow grease but it worked great! Hope this helps!

 

That does help! I'll have to get rubbing alcohol. Thank you so much!

 

I use the matte varnish as a sealant as well as MSC. The varnish seems to get shinier more quickly than MSC when its layered so I finish off my face ups with MSC and use Liquitex as a base and inbetween layers. To me, it has a "bigger" tooth than MSC if it's sprayed too heavy (which is easy because this sealant is thick) and can make the colors look gritty but its barely noticable from what I've experienced. In all, I think it's a good sealant, I have never had issues with it.

 

Does a few months count as a "significant amount of time?" I have removed both the brush-on kind and the spray (not the Soluvar variety, the other one) from several dolls. They both come off more easily than MSC (using Windsor and Newton), with about the same ease as Testors. One doll ended up with staining on her eyebrows, but I think when I initially drew them, my strokes were too hard and I scratched off some of the sealant. I just drew over them again on a new faceup and didn't bother with magic eraser, so I don't know how deep the stain goes. The other dolls were completely fine, with no staining whatsoever.

I have switched to Testors, but I have two or three dolls that still have Liquitex-sealed faceups going on a year or more. I will report back if/when I redo those faceups.

 

Thanks for the update! I've had a heck of a time using pencils on the Liquitex. It keeps flaking. :P I'm not sure if it's me or it.

 

If you look up nicollesdreams i believe on youtube, she uses it with an airbrush. Mixes it with distilled water for a milky consistency and it works quite well for her. I have actually tried it once and it works rather well!

 

Faceup Stories: Brush-on Sealants: http://youtu.be/dr8-tnUDKHc


This is her channel, and i actually love her face up work. Its quite lovely!

 

[Please don't just tell me to look it up or something, I have looked for it]
I'm using the Liquitex Matte Medium and an airbrush for my face up's instead of cancer in a can. What have you guys found to be the best ratio? I used 25% liquitex and 75% water. Plus any tips you guys have would definitely be welcomed!

 

Most people suggest using a paint extender or retarder, and not water. This thread may help you;
http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php/652111

 

You could try an "Airbrush Medium" too. I'm not sure if it will effect the Matte Medium as a sealant though, if that's what your using it for.

 

The mix I use varies a lot depending on which needle I'm using, but I tend to default to the 0.3mm needle and mix 50/50 with water. I have tried thinner but wasn't happy with the coverage. Despite using a thicker mix, I find it tends to go on best when I drop my airbrush pressure from the usual 35 PSI I run at to a range of 25-30 PSI.
If I'm using my 0.2 or 0.25 needles I thin it down a little more.

 

This thread has been helpful to me so I wanted to report here as well.

I used the water-based aerosol spray and kept the face-up for about 2 months. Liquitex definitely has more tooth than MSC. I really liked working with it but when I had to wipe the faceup, I found it more difficult to remove compared to MSC(using W&N brush cleaner). It did come of eventually and left no stains. I still don't trust it completely but I'm planning on testing it more.

 

I found that given how many layers I like to use in between, I get quite a bit of yellowing on my WS (not cream white) doll, so I have to body blush and face up at the same time and make sure I use the exact same amount of layers on both. (I like to have the body match)

 

I've used Liquitex Matte Varnish now for a good few face-ups and even an entire doll and I love working with it. The yellowing people are seeing is more to do with spraying it on too thickly and applying too many layers. I try to stick to three to four layers and it works fine with no noticeable change in colour. The staying power is great too and I've not noticed any chipping or cracking on the dolls I have used it on.

The shine people may have noticed results from not shaking the can thoroughly before use. I shake the can for a good 10 minutes when I start using it and then for 3-4 minutes between each layer depending on how quickly I am working.

The only gripe I have is the design of the nozzle part of the can. The spray builds up and hardens inside the nozzle and inside the lip on the top of the spray can in which the nozzle sits, which can lead to the spray not coming out in a fine mist. I have solved this though by soaking the nozzle in 91% pure rubbing alcohol and then carefully dislodging the hardened spray with a fine pin.

Either way if you are willing to experiment with spraying distance and do a lot of shaking the aerosol works just fine! I've used MSC in the past too and have to say I much prefer the results I've had with Liquitex

 

I've been following Nicole's Dream on youtube and she does amazing faceups, and she uses liquitex and an airbrush system exclusively.


Some links so that anyone who's looking at this thread can get some more info. Hope this helps someone. ^^'

 

I was just about to say, I use the airbrush method with Liquitex Matte Medium, and the tooth that is left behind is amazing - in my case, a little too amazing but that's a different problem.

pinkkittycat pretty much linked what I would have. Andreja pretty much works with her airbrush exclusively when it comes to sealants. I'd check out her videos.

 

Hi there guys,

I was wondering if anyone knew any trusted alternative sealants that aren't listed in 'the tried and true' list on the site?

One of the main aspects that attracted me to this hobby was the idea of face ups, and I have been really eager to try it when I get my first doll. However, due to my country's import restrictions on aerosol products, I am unable to purchase MSC, Purity Seal, Model Master, Zoukeimura Powder Finish Spray and Vallejo Matte through any retailers or purchase it from overseas.

I have looked into Army Painter and can buy it New Zealand, however, I'm a little unsure about those dodgy nozzles, and since the area where I live is very humid, I don't want to risk it.

I understand that if I can't get an aerosol sealant my only alternative would be to attempt using an airbrush to seal with a liquid sealing medium, which seems a bit more difficult. If that ends up being the case, is there any tips and tricks I'd need to know? or any methods people have discovered that have the application more effective?

I'd really appreciate your advice,

Thank you! xox

 

I have one that I have tried. I need to double check the name but it is called..um..something tree. Let me see if I can find it. I can't....Well Basically find one WITHOUT Oil. I found that if it says "Works on glass, plastic, wood" etc, then you can trust it. The more delicate the item (plastic) the better chance you have.

 

@rain2sunshine Thanks for the tip! I will have look around my local hobby shop for stuff without oil.