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It seems there are many folks using acrylics these days. I've had some luck with them but the other day, I loaded up my airbrush with acrylics and got ready to paint a plastic building. I rubbed it down with rubbing alcohol to get rid of any oil residue. I shot it and it was like pouring water on a freshly waxed car!
So what am I missing here? Should acrylics be used on plastics? If so...how should I prep to avoid this mistake?
Allen
With airbrushing that problem could be many things like the mix of paint or you need to add some tooth to the plastic before you paint it. I would wash the model with liquid dish soap and water. Also, you can spray it with Dulecote before you paint to give the paint something to grab onto. For airbraushing you want the paint to be mixed to be as runny as milk and be sure you have the PSI low enought and you are not right next to the plastic when you paint. It's best to start spraying off to the side and move over the model and keep your hand moving.
There are a lot of other post on airbrushing here if you just search you'll find a lot of great tips.
Dave
if the paint was beading up and the alcohal was causing it to do so. sounds like it did not have time to dry before the acrylic was sprayed on it. Acrylic as well as most paints should need a few coats to fully cover the surface and will need a primer coat if the surface is not a solid color already. Primer is not always needed but I suggest it if the model has dark and light surfaces that is going to be sprayed on.
I use acrylic on all my trains as most of them are weathered or have a semi gloss finish. In my opinion I find that as a model the acrylics give a more real look to them compaired to oil based paints.Aacrylic will also allow to help keep the detail as its a little more thinner when it drys.
