Non MSC sealants for watercolors and blushing

Anything that you spray on won't run - unless you put it on so thick that its all wet. So yes, airbrush is totally okay
Can't help with these specific inks, the one I'm using (from Schmincke, meant for airushing) are acrylics/water based and are pretty easy to get off. I'd say test them on a headcap?

 

Airbrush sealant is great! Clean your brush after every spray though—anything we use to seal well is going to turn to plastic inside the tube and once it’s hardened in there you’ll never get it out.

You still need a mask with an airbrush, however. Inhaling paint long term isn’t any better than inhaling MSC.

 

I used Liquitex matte varnish but I dab it on with a make-up sponge, and this doesn't smear the watercolours at all, so maybe you can try it like that first as you already have the product
it also lays better when dabbing it on rather than brushing, just make sure to use a small enough amount on the sponge, it also gives a much better tooth to grab colours on when you use it between layers

 

Using varnish in its liquid form might work okay while you're learning. But as your faceups improve, you'll find it doesn't really meet your standards anymore and you'll need to switch to a spray to get the best results (whether it's airbrush or aerosol). Personally I'm not into re-learning a whole part of my process, so I'd recommend you start spraying right from the get go! It'll be worth it.

 

How long do you leave it to dry between each layer? Been meaning to have a go with matt medium varnish this year using the dab method, thanks!

 

Not very long, I do it at desk, so it's fairly warm.. I think about a minute or so?
I do very very thin layers, so it would take about 4 to 7 layers between each layer of faceup, but they dry fast so it's barely noticeable

 

Not that warm where I am then again nothing stopping me testing with a head cap and checking every couple of mins before starting. .. I was thinking more 30mins plus, so I am now feeling more geared up. Something for the weekend thanks for the info

 

Has anyone ever tried using the Liquidtex Matte Varnish Sprays? There are 2 versions available, regular and professional.

 

I've tried the professional and my experience was mostly negative/mixed: it gives you nice grainy texture but it won't take watercolor pencils at all so you can't use them. Pastel it takes very well (a bit too well even) and acrylics work fine so it's not completely hopeless. The biggest problem with it is removing it though, I did the stupid thing and after liking the feeling of it used it to seal multiple dolls without further testing, because what could possibly go wrong with that right? I'll just have multiple dolls ready to paint when I have the time for it!

I even fully painted one doll and he still has that now because his face turned out fine. But the next doll, I didn't like the direction the face-up was going and decided to swipe it off. After some vigorous rubbing with nail polish remover the paint came off but the varnish was still showing up with huge flaking shiny spots wherever it had stuck in. I rubbed that doll's face literally for hours on multiple days to get it all off because my arm felt like noodle after few hours every time. And then decided that I had to get it off from the others I had sealed with it too so I had to give them the same treatment.

During the removal process I learned that: it's probably fine to use on Chinese/shiny/smooth resin (Myou, Asleep Eidolon and DF-H) since it came off from those relatively easily but I had awful time getting it off from Korean resin (Luts, Demit doll) so I don't recommend using it on dolls by Korean companies.

So summed up: use with caution

Edit: here's thread with since discussion about the removal of liquitex matte spray.

 

Thank you so much for your detailed reply. I have ordered a Fairyland minifee head to start practicing on, and have acquired quite a few supplies to get started. I had seen some other reviews about the liquidtex matte varnish, which will probably dry a lot slower, and I got acetone and the Windsor & Newton brush cleaner/restorer. I will definitely do more research, thanks for adding the link to the discussion thread!

 

Apologies for replying to old thread. I just started trying with the dab method and it pick up the watercolour paint (eyelash/eyebrow) I laid. and if I dab with same makeup sponge it will smear to other part. Would you mind sharing tips? Thank you.

 

I usually cut off the dirty bit of the sponge once something starts transferring not to smudge it further. As long as I've used a light stroke of paint (watercolour won't dry properly if it's a thick dense layer and will keep re-activating) and don't dab on it too hard or too many times it's mostly fine, though. If you have a lot of trouble with paint still, using an acrylic thinner to dilute it will make it dry into a more stable state to dab the sealant onto (but it'll also become harder to wipe the paint off).

 

Thank you @cobaltconduct I'll give that a try

 

Yummysweetsdolls on instagram has tried a sealant hack using a nano atomizer with airbrush varnish mixed with water. You will have to scroll down abit on her instagram feed and there you will find a detailed guide

 

prefacing this with, you will definitely want respiratory protection for this, and should use it in a well-ventilated area!

i don't have experience with airbrush yet, but as for MSC alternatives, i've had good results with Tamiya TS-80 flat clear spray sealant! it's a nice toothy matte, and my pastels stick to it quite nicely, but it's easy enough to wipe them off if you make a mistake. it also seems a bit less fussy about humidity than some other spray sealants, which was great news for me as i live in a pretty humid area, lol. i haven't had any issues with colors running while using it.

but, as stated first, respiratory protection should definitely be used, as with any other sort of spray!