Supplies airbrush sealants (all) | discussion and questions

I wasn't a ton of help, lol, but maybe that will help a bit!!!!! Good luck!! Show us what you find!

 

Hello this is an opaque water-based paint of Golden.
I found it in an online shop in New Zealand.
I do not think it's been tested on bjd, but it's the golden products are great quality.
Being water based it is easily removable.
You may take it into account as an alternative ^^

GOLDEN SPRAY VARNISH MATTE 400ML at Gordon Harris Ltd

 

@Elvellyn Oh my gosh thank you for finding this! I will definitely look into this option. It sounds pretty safe for resin as well.

 

Did anyone ever test this out? I've been using Testors Dullcote but would like to try out different things!

 

I've been using the Army Painter matte finishing vanish if you are looking to try something different; it works pretty well. I am yet to experiment with airbrushing sealants.

 

I was wondering if there was any problem with using Liquitex Matte Medium with an airbrush as a sealant? I've seen someone who does that because it is nontoxic, unlike MSC, but is that a good alternative? I would eventually like to try customizing, but I can't work with regular sealants because of respiratory problems.

 

The only reason why I wouldn't use it is because Liquitex mediums are to be used with Acrylic paint, and should be waterbased and water soluble. So if you're using watercolor on your faceups, or need to wipe something off, you should be able to wipe off the medium as a sealant with no problem... which I don't really recommend.

 

Check this video
It is a good sealant, but my 0,2 airbraush hates it I think ^^ I have the feeeling that it often blocked my 0,2 needle. I tested yesterday a 0,4 and have no problems,
The dust is also fine dust so you should if possible use a respirator too but it is not so harmfull as MSC and so.

Con of this is, that a good compressor is alone about 100 bugs also the airbrush cost that much. cheap compressors make uneven airflow so it spitles the color out

 

I've used both the aerosol version and the bottled type and both give good results. It does clog up easily and after a while the sealant does have a yellow tinge.

 

Does anyone know if it would be good to use for a small repair to eyebrows originally applied using MSC.?
I have a small chip perhaps 1mm wide vertically across one eyebrow but I'm reluctant to break out the MSC and all that entails for such a small repair.
Any advice greatly appreciated.

 

@Mister M I've never worked with luiquitex as a sealant,so I wouldn't know but you can try and cover the face with tissues except the part of the chip on the eyebrow and spray MSC without having to spray the whole faceup.

 

The varnish is the actual sealant, the medium is just for tooth.

 

Thanks Ellie The Cat, great idea, but, what I was hoping to avoid is the face-mask, fumes etc which are part of the MSC process. I was hoping to just apply a little Liquitex to the chip, paint it, and seal it again with more Liquitex. I do have some MSC so I could easily try the mask, spray, run away quickly method on her.

 

It's good stuff for sure! I'd recommend an acrylic varnish rather than a medium because it's designed to last, but neither one is water soluble once it dries and both will protect just fine. I use Windsor and Newton Acrylic Matt UV Varnish with an airbrush as my sealant of choice, and I highly recommend it. The only difference I notice between this and MSC is that it may create a slightly rougher surface--to me, it's about the same as Volks Powder Spray and isn't an issue at all. Aerosols are just not an option in my living situation, so this has been a great solution for me. Just make sure you get thorough coverage!

 

I agree with that. I've actually used the Liquitex Matte Medium with watercolor (pencils), and it went terribly! It could have been my airbrush pressure, but the moisture from the MM caused my watercolors to feather and run.

The varnish is what you use for sealing and it's lovely, but be careful of falls. I dropped my doll's head and the sealant almost shattered at the place of impact. It didn't just chip, it also cracked the surrounding sealant. I had to remove the whole faceup.

 

This video is actually where I got the idea.

You're supposed to wait until the Medium dries completely. ^^;

So I'm thinking I would use the medium for tooth and then the varnish for my final seal?

 

The medium was completely dry. I was trying to seal it to do my next layer and the watercolors ran everywhere.

 

Oh, I see what you mean. That is strange though. The person that I saw using this method also used watercolor pencils and did not have this problem?

 

Thank you for asking this question and for all the people who have clarified this subject because I must confess that I too have been asking myself for a while

 

Another thing to keep in mind with the matte medium is that over spraying it can make it shiny/glossy. I did my first BJD faceup the other day, and I over sprayed on one or two layers, so my doll's all oily-looking.
I also previously used this technique on other non-BJD projects, and they came out matte.

I find it doesn't loose tooth, though. Keep in mind that I had some perfectly sprayed under layers to go off of, but if someone wants a shiny effect, and doesn't want to have to sand off a gloss varnish (they're permanent), this seems like a good way to do it.

EDIT: Forgot to mention that over spraying the matte varnish can also cause it to dry shiny! Sometimes it looks shiny while wet, but if lightly sprayed, it should dry fully matte after 24 hrs - 2 days max.

 

I think this method is really prone to problems. Running would be a very common issue. A way around this would be to mist the first layer very, very lightly with low pressure. Maybe even make tests on something else to check the correct pressure. But it would certainly be finicky.

 

I'm also having problems with Liquitex matte medium and my materials running. I usually do eyeliner, lashes, and individual brow hairs towards the end of my faceups. Everything was going fine when I was using the liquitex and pastels, but as soon as I used my pencils and then attempted to seal, the fresh sealant made my pencil lines bleed everywhere, which ruined my work and made me very discouraged. It happened multiple times. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I've been subbed to Andreja for years and referenced her videos for instruction on how to do faceups with my airbrush, and clearly she can use hers with pencils and not have a problem, so I must be messing it up? But I don't know how to fix it. If anyone knows how to solve this problem, I'd be very grateful for your insight. I live in Minnesota and the weather is crazy; I'd really prefer to do faceups indoors with nontoxic sealants instead of waiting until a very brief timeframe in the spring where I can spray MSC outdoors without it being too humid or too cold.

 

I have been experimenting with the brush on method and finally got something that doesn't look completely awful. I did not realize that you have to shake the varnish. The face up kept coming out way too shiny, but I finally read the bottle and realized that the matting agent is in suspension. When I do it again I will remember. Also, pencil colors dull. My eyebrows look more gray than white. I might have to get some white paint. I am only using pencils and paint (it is a dark head, so it does not need much in the way of blush), so I don't know how it would go with pastels. Sponging is definitely the way to go. I made the mistake of glopping it on with a brush because I suddenly got it into my head that I needed thick layers and now the forehead looks like it has wrinkles. Also, dust gets everywhere on her face, and some is stuck.

I've done this way too many times, so I will leave it as is for now, but I think I have figured it out so I will definitely have another crack at it. Just wanted to say something for anyone interested in this method.

 

OMG thanks so much , this is starting to make sense!!

I almost ordered the medium one myself with confidence cause of Andreja and would've been on your place. Maybe they're right , use light spray like super thin layer? ughhh I'm so happy i found this thread or else I'd feel really down too ... I hope all turned out good for you dear..

For airbrushing , what do you do with the paint? it is acrylic paint use right? just any acrylic paint? how about the apple barrel? help please ...Thank you

 

I haven't completed a faceup with it yet, but was having almost no issues at all with the matte medium, including with watercolor pencils. I even used water to remove some pastel in a spot and the medium stayed.

The only issue I encountered was areas where I erased too much became shiny, but when touched still obviously had tooth.

I'd only used 2-3 layers so far and there were no issues with it working improperly.

But, it did really clog up my airbrush, and then I ended up breaking the airbrush by not cleaning it properly (I got desperate and used acetone, which made a piece break off...don't use acetone in your airbrush, even if you immediately rinse it out lol). This was a cheap airbrush though.

I think the best course of action is to immediately clean the airbrush once you're done using it, even between layers if you're going to leave it sitting for a while while you paint.

 

I am also now having the issue of trying to use liquitex matte medium, diluted with water, with my new airbrush... and it just seems to be clogging up so much. It's very discouraging! Exactly how much should I be watering it down? "Non fat milk" seems to be the general consensus but even it clogged up my airbrush. I also seemed to follow Andreja'a directions to a T yet still...

I have an Iwata Medea Revolution and it seems very finicky! I also didn't get the one with the gravity cup on top - should've probably gone with that one...

 

I recently acquired my first airbrush and I am eager to try it for sealing dolls using this tutorial on YouTube: (from Nicholle’s Dreams channel)

Since it is so difficult and expensive to get msc, I’m looking forward to having an easier alternative!

I know it may sound like a kind of stupid question, but are there different safety precautions to using this method? In the video it mentions using this alternative to protect from the toxicity of sealants like msc, but is it actually safer to use the airbrush with brush on sealant? Would there be less fumes, and would you use a different mask? Can you spray in different environments, and are the temperature and humidity effects on the sealant similar or can you spray in different temperatures than msc?

I feel like the video didn’t really answer these questions so if anyone has any experience on this I would love to hear it! And I’m sorry if it’s been asked before, thank you!!

 

The difference between spray cans and airbrush is that, well, airbrush uses air as a disperser for the liquid you're applying, and spray cans use an aerosol, and that aerosol is the toxic component you want to avoid. That said - you don't really need a mask when working with an airbrush (unless you're really sensitive) because the liquid particles don't stay in the air after airbrushing.
As far as I've noticed, airbrushed sealants don't really care about temperature or humidity like MSC/any spray sealant, but I might be wrong with that. I haven't seen any problem with it.

 

Hi, sorry to include my inquiries on your thread but can I ask what you use to clean your airbrush? sometimes my brush jams because of the paint and excess sealant even though I've already cleaned it.

 

You should still wear a mask when airbrushing this stuff. Especially if you move on to airbrushing acrylic paint, some of which contains dangerous pigments. But generally you don't want to breathe in anything that's in spray form, even if it's water-based and non-toxic. I'm sure plenty of people spray without a mask, and that is your own risk to take, but if you're trying to be safe then you need to wear a mask whether you're using an aerosol like MSC or airbrushing an acrylic varnish.

 

Well, you still need to use a respirator with an airbrush. Holding your breath will not work either. Just because it's non-toxic and all that nice jazz doesn't mean you should be inhaling any of that.

I don’t use the type of sealant Andreja does in that video since I don’t like it, but I do use Vallejo which is the same thing without the fuss or need to dilute (you can if you want.) The point is, you don't want any of these chemicals in your system.

On the Vallejo bottle it even recommends the use of a mask. It might not be printed on the Liquitex bottle because it's not specifically made for airbrushing as the Vallejo sealant is, but please, do use some form of protection. I recommend just going the extra mile and using a respirator.

This link for extra help.

Better being safe than sorry. Most of the time the non-toxic label is to indicate it's safe for skin contact, not contact with your lungs. There's a huge difference.

So, yes, it is definitely a better and safer alternative to MSC (which contains some horrible chemicals) but it doesn't mean you can just go around spraying and breathing the stuff. It's "safe" to use indoors, isn't prone to the weather/humidity limitations, and in my opinion works 100 times better than MSC, but still, please protect your lungs.

(And I always mop the area and wipe it down after I am done; some people use an vent for extra protection, but I don't work often enough for that much yet; also if you have pets, you might not want them licking around the area that might have dried sealant .)

@Yangire811 — It's important to clean/rinse it between your faceup/blushing work if your airbrush is clogging since it means the sealant is drying on the needle and obstructing the flow. So after you've done some layers sealing, clean it, put down your pastels or paints, and by the time you need to seal again it should be good to go (which is why I use airbrush cleaner or rubbing alcohol specifically — and don't breathe these in either, please.)

 

I agree with the above commenter, about still wearing a mask. Even though the acrylic mediums might not produce toxic fumes, if used like they are intended, that doesn't mean
they won't be harmful if used in other ways than how they were made to be used. Most things that become airborne can potentially be harmful if breathed in, regardless
of what the toxicity of it is, when used properly (even common dust can harm your lungs). Acrylic mediums that are meant to be brushed on are tested as brushed on mediums,
if used as sprayed on sealer there's a risk of breathing it in, which wasn't something the manufacturer tested their toxicity for, so even if it's not toxic when you brush it on it doesn't mean it won't be if you breath it in.

 

thank you! I'll try using a bit of rubbing alcohol never tried that before

 

Thank you so much!! I always intended to keep my mask on just in case, the health risks are too scary.

@dollsoflace When you say “spraying indoors is ‘safe’” I can use it in my crafting space in my basement corner (with my respiratory mask of course) and it would be safe enough? Of course not having anyone present when spraying. A concern I have is not being able to spray outside most days, so spraying inside is okay as long as I have my mask?

Thank you SO much for everyone’s input, including cleaning the airbrush! I have a giant bottle of rubbing alcohol which is perfect!

 

@HappyCrover
The danger with "non-toxic" sealants is if you breathe them in. If the fine spray has settled (and better, dried), you are safe. You just don't want something to get in your lungs and be unable to get out.

Even things that are inert (won't react with anything inside you)/nontoxic can make your lungs unhappy, and unhappy lungs can result in breathing issues or even (at the most extreme) cancer (after very significant exposure or after a long amount of time). (Think like silicosis--silicone is intert, but fine powder isn't great for your lungs.)

 

Thank you everyone for your great feedback!

I feel a wee bit awkward about one thing however and I’m sorry if my post confused some people, but I absolutely did not think I could just get away with going maskless while spraying. My question was to whether I needed a different kind of mask, or even different kinds of filters for this method of sealing. Although I could just assume the same filter for msc would be good, I’d rather not make assumptions, especially something that concerns my health!

I really appreciate all your replies and the really great info, it’s so awesome to have such a great support system for fellow hobbiests!!

 

Guys i finally switched to liquitex sealant using an airbrush but i have a few questions that i can’t seem to figure the answer!

1) how do you know how much sealing is enough? Like how much do i need to spray with the airbrush before the layer gets thick?

2) should i keep my psi low, medium or high?

3) when it dries it short of has a misty matt look, a bit cloudy, not sure how to explain this and when i use my penciles it can flake easily, does that mean i spray too thick layers or i sprayed too many layers?

4) how many layers do i need to spray in order to protect the head and prepare it for the first face up layer?

Sorry for the many questions! If i had time i would just go with trial and error but my commissions are waiting so i have to hurry!!

Thank you!!!

 

I don't have a ton of experience, but when I've sprayed it, I do medium-high flow and 3 coats before starting the faceup. Just make sure it doesn't look like it's raining on the face when you're done with the coat--it should be a fine, even, clear mist. If you're using matte medium, you'll need to dilute it with some water first, as well.

 

Im very curious about this process as well. Hopefully someone can shed some further light on the subject for us.

 

You can tell it's too thick of a layer when you can actually see the head as being wet or shiny. Then usually you've gone too far. I don't usually mess with the psi on my airbrush, so I think it's at a medium. If it's flaking off I think it might be too thick, or like manaphyyy said it could be that it isn't diluted enough. I usually spray 3 layers before starting.

 

I am currently using a Iwata-Neo airbrush and a Sparmax compressor. They may not come into play here, but I wanted to have that info out there just in case.

The sealant I have been using is Golden Matte Polyvarnish with UV. I don't see many using this kind in the forums, so I'm not sure if anyone else has tried it out. I dilute 2:1 varnish to water. I try to clean my airbrush often when using this as it tends to leave greenish/blue residue in my airbrush after sitting for a while. It can be hard to clean all the parts and even then I sometimes have clogging issues.

As far as other varnishes or airbrush sealants go (Vallejo, Liquitex, etc) do they have the same issue with leaving behind residue like this? Are they easier to use/clean? The Golden brand has been working fine for me, and I have so much of it, but I've been wondering if there is something better I could/should be using for dolls.

 

I've been using Vallejo polyurethane matt varnish and I'm quite pleased with it. It doesn't really leave any residue in the airbrush, but after I spray a layer of sealant, I always backflush the airbrush and run some airbrush cleaner through it a few times.

I think it depends on how long you leave it for. I wouldn't leave varnish in the airbrush for more than 10-15 minutes.

Also Vallejo is cheap if you're in Europe. I pay like 5 euros for 60ml of varnish. Which I then dilute with water. So it goes a long way.

 

I use liquitex matte medium for a base and seal with their matte varnish. I use a duel action badger, M or H assembly and needle. Both sealants are wicked cloggers, especially the matte medium.
I use golden airbrush medium to dilute both. I had been using only water for a while but found a lot of success switching to airbrush medium. I always run airbrush cleaner at the end of the day spraying and often have to fully disassemble and clean the whole airbrush. I usually work on 2 dolls at time over a course of a few days. I tend to have to do a real deep clean after finishing 2 dolls or so. It can be a huge pain, but i find it to be totally worth it. When clean and flowing, nothing has beat the airbrushed sealant for me for working on a faceup.

 

Does anyone dilute there Liquitex matte varnish? If so what products do you use?
Can i use liquitex to build up tooth or should i use a primer before starting my face up? Or if you can link me to a related thread Thx.

 

I just started practicing with an airbrush and matte medium as sealant. So far, I've mixed it basically 50/50 with Zoukeimura paint thinner. I don't want to do that permanently since the ZM thinner is kinda pricey, but I was having pretty good luck with it. I had some trouble with it being a tiny bit too thick even when thinned, so I looked up a few guides, and some folks recommended to add some isopropyl alcohol (or just use alcohol as the thinner completely), and just adding a few drops seemed to work out really well.

With my first two attempts, I just used the Liquitex entirely, I didn't use any kind of other sealant beforehand. The humidity wasn't cooperating with me, otherwise I would have tested using ZM spray as a final layer, but it didn't quite work out.

I think a number of people just use Liquitex - most people seem to use it as a complete alternative to aerosol sprays, so I don't think you'd need to worry about it beforehand, maybe just for a final finishing touch. I found that it picks up dirt and dust way more than normal sealants, and Liquitex is also not a UV protectant, so I see some good reasons to use it as a last coat, but not really a first.

 

I personally didn’t like the results of using or just having to mix Liquitex so I started using the ever amazing Vallejo Premium Airbrush Color Matt Varnish (here’s the one since searching Vallejo varnish can lead to other products.) No need to mix, has incredible tooth, dries quickly (the base layer will always need longer drying time but the subsequent layers dry fast) and has so far been wonderful on my dolls. It’s also self leveling so really nice for streak free matte lips. You can mix it with gloss/satin varnishes for various kinds of finishes (some people are into a dewy look.) I don’t know how I’ve lived without this. If I sound like an infomercial it’s only due to my love for this product.

 

Distilled water is preferred to dilute with liquitex used in airbrushes. Distilled water is easy to find in most gricery stores. Pretty cheap. You can use it with the liquitex matte medium as well before you use liquitex matte varnish for your final 3 or 4 coats. Liquitex Matte medium are your first and in-between layers. Last sealed layers to complete with liquitex matte varnish.

I also know that liquitex matte varnish is used for final coats of sealant because it has UV protection. If you use the same one I do. I don't know if liquitex change formula but my big bottle says UV protection.

 

Since getting my airbrush, I've been researching on a lot of model-painting forums lately. (after I posted here, I went looking some more, actually )

It seems like most people recommend using the appropriate thinner as recommended by the paint's manufacturer, rather than water or alcohol. Paint pigments don't bond with water so they tend to separate. And even if you mix it really, really well, the water dilutes the binding polymers in the paint, so it runs the risk of the paint possibly flaking off. And water has no flow-aids or slow-dry qualities, so there's also a chance that it could dry too quickly (any maybe clog your brush).
I haven't found many warnings about alcohol yet, just that it might dry too quickly, and the fumes might bother people (though most people recommend a respirator when airbushing anyway).

I am planning to get some Liquitex airbrush medium when I have a chance. Since I use mostly Liquitex and Golden paints, I think it would be nice. (And probably work with my craft acrylics as well)
http://www.liquitex.com/airbrushmedium/

I'll probably look into the matte varnish as well - my biggest issue with painting faceups is that it's often too humid to spray aerosols, so a good UV-protectant, airbrushable option for a final layer would be perfect!

 

@AirimirOfGondor In the Netherlands (or maybe all of Europe) I can't seem to find the Vallejo 62.062, which is what most people who use Vallejo use.

However, I can find the the Vallejo 26.651, which is an acrylic polyurethane matte varnish and is also UV resistant. I don't have tons of practice with faceups, but so far I haven't had any problems with this varnish. It sprays nicely and I can remove it pretty easily.

 

I was actually wondering about this issue in particular. Like many others, I have been using Liquitex Matte Medium (sprayed with an airbrush). However, I have been diluting it with Liquitex Airbrush Medium to expressly avoid any problems with flaking and/or clogging in the nozzle. Unfortunately I recently had to wipe a faceup completely due to small areas flaking when I used a watercolor pencil. I tend to be very careful and build up color slowly, so I don't think it was a case of being too rough or pressing too hard. This was after about 10+ layers of sealant. I was wondering if perhaps I am not sealing "thick" enough (spraying only a single, fine mist rather than several sprays between layers). ...Or could it be the opposite, I have too much sealant so it flakes off more easily...

Anyway! If anyone has any advice or experience about this, I would vastly appreciate the help :3

 

@Muhtooz

Most of the time, I've had watercolor pencils scratch off sealant when they are too sharp. So if it is only the watercolor pencils that are doing it, you could maybe try not making them quite as sharp.

I haven't used watercolor pencils much since I started using my airbrush (I used some once, and it was too thick and gritty looking, so I went back to acrylics )

I'd also say, maybe test out some different spraying techniques on a headcap or something; like one thick coat between color layers, or 3-5 very thin coats between color layers.

Oh, or it's possible the sealant isn't 100% dry maybe. You could also try letting it dry for longer as well, and see if that helps.

 

@AirimirOfGondor Ah, I did not even think of the pencil being too sharp...that could be. I keep them very sharp for fine details. But I will definitely try your suggestion of different spray techniques on a scrap/sample piece and see what works best. I give the layers 15 minutes to dry, and usually that seems sufficient, but I might try even longer and see how that goes. Thank you for sharing!

 

Asking my own question now!

I really like being able to seal with my airbrush and matte medium, but so far I have noted that it really just has SO MUCH tooth. It really picks up dirt and dust like crazy; I often need to pick specks out with a needle after every single layer, so I always seal with aerosol at the end just so it is smooth enough to prevent dust sticking when it's done.

But that defeats the purpose of wanting to work around the weather, so I want to get a liquid matte varnish for a final layer too, so I can do it all inside. But my question is, is it possible to get as fine a finish with a matte varnish as you can with an aerosol? I don't wasn't to end up spending the money on the product and have my faceups stay super coarse at the end.

 

Question for airbush folks, I went to my local model shop and they were out of MSC but he recommended I try Mr. Color Flat UV Cut (GX 113) in my airbush as alternative. I picked it up just to give it a go but I want to make sure I am using it properly. Has anyone tried this on resin before? Any tips?

 

Valejo has that. I just bought it to try it