Hi folks,
In a thread on decal printing, a tangential question about clearcoating over Createx Auto Air / Wicked Colors came up. User kjkcolorado asked:
"I am also using Auto Air and Wicked Colors in my airbrush to paint rockets. If you don't mind me asking, what type of clear coat have you used with what kind of results?"
I thought it would be best to split that discussion off, and get input from others. To be specific, let's keep the focus to clear coating over mostly-water-based acrylic airbrush paints (be they Createx (inc. Wicked Colors, Auto Air, etc.), Badger, Americana, and so on).
My answer is:
My choice of clearcoat depends on my mood, the weather, the specifics of the project, and (I'm not joking) what day and time of day it is.
Overall, my favorite clear coat so far is Valspar High-Gloss Clear Lacquer, which I get from Lowes. It's Valspar product 65064. I like this clear lacquer because it is somewhat more blush-resistant than other clear gloss lacquers, and dries to a nice shiny gloss. I paint in often marginal humid weather. I try not to spray if RH is above 60%, but I can push it a bit. I've never seen any hint of reaction between the lacquer and the acrylic paint layer... I consider it completely safe. And, I've found even when it's 25 deg F out, I can spray this stuff and come back later and it has worked perfectly. So, year round clear coating is possible.
Here's an example of the results. Valspar gloss over white and red Wicked Colors:
I also use Duplicolor Paint Shop metallic clear... it works fine too. I'll have to find a pic of that.
Future works fine, though I've found in some cases it dissolves the acrylic ever so slightly, and can cause slight bleeding of darker colors over lighter colors. Thin coats, allowed to dry, seem to work fine. I avoid doing the "Future with Simple Green" super glossy trick over acrylics, because this mix definitely can melt the acrylic with smeary results.
Also I use Liquitex High Gloss Clear Varnish. This goes on wet and cloudy and dries to a beautiful shiny surface. However, it has poor self-leveling and if you get a run, it may show on the final product.
I'm out of time but will post more pictures in the coming days, to show examples of the work.
I invite everybody to add their experiences!
Marc
In a thread on decal printing, a tangential question about clearcoating over Createx Auto Air / Wicked Colors came up. User kjkcolorado asked:
"I am also using Auto Air and Wicked Colors in my airbrush to paint rockets. If you don't mind me asking, what type of clear coat have you used with what kind of results?"
I thought it would be best to split that discussion off, and get input from others. To be specific, let's keep the focus to clear coating over mostly-water-based acrylic airbrush paints (be they Createx (inc. Wicked Colors, Auto Air, etc.), Badger, Americana, and so on).
My answer is:
My choice of clearcoat depends on my mood, the weather, the specifics of the project, and (I'm not joking) what day and time of day it is.
Overall, my favorite clear coat so far is Valspar High-Gloss Clear Lacquer, which I get from Lowes. It's Valspar product 65064. I like this clear lacquer because it is somewhat more blush-resistant than other clear gloss lacquers, and dries to a nice shiny gloss. I paint in often marginal humid weather. I try not to spray if RH is above 60%, but I can push it a bit. I've never seen any hint of reaction between the lacquer and the acrylic paint layer... I consider it completely safe. And, I've found even when it's 25 deg F out, I can spray this stuff and come back later and it has worked perfectly. So, year round clear coating is possible.
Here's an example of the results. Valspar gloss over white and red Wicked Colors:
I also use Duplicolor Paint Shop metallic clear... it works fine too. I'll have to find a pic of that.
Future works fine, though I've found in some cases it dissolves the acrylic ever so slightly, and can cause slight bleeding of darker colors over lighter colors. Thin coats, allowed to dry, seem to work fine. I avoid doing the "Future with Simple Green" super glossy trick over acrylics, because this mix definitely can melt the acrylic with smeary results.
Also I use Liquitex High Gloss Clear Varnish. This goes on wet and cloudy and dries to a beautiful shiny surface. However, it has poor self-leveling and if you get a run, it may show on the final product.
I'm out of time but will post more pictures in the coming days, to show examples of the work.
I invite everybody to add their experiences!
Marc