Painting advice

Hi,

i typically use artists matte fixative. I used that rustoleum stuff years ago, but it seemed to have a sparkly texture or look to it.  Otherwise, u can def go over acrylic with either one, and paint acrylic on top of the matte finish.

gesso works great for mortar as well, flows easier than spackle, and easier to remove.

Testors Dull cote also works well.  Just don't use an alcohol wash on top of the dull cote,

Thanks for the reply Jeff! Where do I find Gesso? Not familiar with it but sounds worth trying. As I said, I'm experimenting!

You should be able to find gesso at Michaels or any other craft store with an art department or any where that carries artists paint supplies.

jcovert posted:

Hi,

iI used that rustoleum stuff years ago, but it seemed to have a sparkly texture or look to it.

[...]

Testors Dull cote also works well.

 

I have had good luck with Rustoleum matte. Obviously it is much cheaper than Testors. I have never been able to tell the difference, although perhaps that is just my untrained eye.

Thanks Joe and Pete for the info.I had read several places about using the Rustoleum matte clear instead of dullcote, mainly for the cost factor. Thought I would try it. I will pick up some Gesso and try it! Love this forum and the good people on it!

play trains posted:

Thanks for the reply Jeff! Where do I find Gesso? Not familiar with it but sounds worth trying. As I said, I'm experimenting!

Hi -

No problem - as stated above - pretty much any art store has gesso.  You can even tint the gesso to your liking with some gray or brown acrylic......real mortar it typically tan or gray.

Another advantage of artists fixative is that it dries super fast.

if you're using acrylics, there really isn't that much of a reason to use a matte finish as acrylics dry almost totally flat. But, if you're handling the buildings, then it may be useful. If you're using Dullcote, you may not want to spray on any windows (clear styrene) as the Dullcote will give it a fogged up look, which is fine if you want an old dusty window type look, but if not spray before adding the styrene. I've never found all that much difference between Dullcote and Rustoleum Matte Spray except maybe the cost. I'm not familiar with the type you've used but the basic Matte Spray works quite well. 

As far as mortar lines, there are loads of techniques. I haven't tried gesso, but I have used Roberts Mortar which really works well. After it dries to a white powdery coat, you can wipe it with a damp rag after five minutes, five hours or five days. Doesn't matter. You may have to wipe it a few times depending on how weathered you want the brick to look as the powdery residue will stay on some of the brick surface. You can tone it down significantly with a light alcohol/india ink wash and you'll have a very nice weathered finish if that's what you're going for. Another less expensive and easy technique is just to use a water down acrylic wash of white, ivory or even light gray. Just wipe the brick surface off so the wash only stays in the grooves. Hope this helps some. 

Thanks so much guys for taking the time to answer with good suggestions, information and tips! I really appreciate it! Always learning!

Play Trains, as others have stated above, you can absolutely apply a clear, matte finish (of your choice) over acrylic washes.  I do it all the time on everything I weather.

Personally I prefer Testors Dull Cote, but there are a lot of good choices available.  Yes, Dull Cote is fairly expensive when purchased without a discount.  However, I take full advantage of the weekly coupons from Michael's or Hobby Lobby (i.e. 40% or 50% off one item or 30% off your entire purchase) to substantially lower the price.

I respectfully disagree with Jerrman's statement above regarding acrylics not needing a matte finish.  I've found that it totally depends on the brand and/or quality of the acrylic paint you're using.  Some of the low-cost craft store acrylics dry with a bit of a sheen to them...which is unacceptable to me when it comes to realistic aging/weathering.

If you do use Dull Cote, heed Jeff C's warning above and do not apply any alcohol-based mixtures over it.  I found that out the hard way several years ago!!

CNJ #1601 posted:

Play Trains, as others have stated above, you can absolutely apply a clear, matte finish (of your choice) over acrylic washes.  I do it all the time on everything I weather.

Personally I prefer Testors Dull Cote, but there are a lot of good choices available.  Yes, Dull Cote is fairly expensive when purchased without a discount.  However, I take full advantage of the weekly coupons from Michael's or Hobby Lobby (i.e. 40% or 50% off one item or 30% off your entire purchase) to substantially lower the price.

I respectfully disagree with Jerrman's statement above regarding acrylics not needing a matte finish.  I've found that it totally depends on the brand and/or quality of the acrylic paint you're using.  Some of the low-cost craft store acrylics dry with a bit of a sheen to them...which is unacceptable to me when it comes to realistic aging/weathering.

If you do use Dull Cote, heed Jeff C's warning above and do not apply any alcohol-based mixtures over it.  I found that out the hard way several years ago!!

Agree!  I always use the coupons for dull cote. For a while, I think the staff at michaels thought my wife and I were up to something suspicious with weekly purchases of dull cote. I purchased 4 cans over 4 weeks last year.  They have to unlock it for you around here

All good information here. I'll add my 2 cents. I find that when painting bare plastic structures or styrene with acrylic paints, especially the inexpensive $1 varieties, the paint tends to bead up and won't cover very well, resulting in a need to paint several coats. I spray clear matte over the parts prior to painting. The matte coat tends to give the surface some tooth for the acrylic paint to adhere to.  

CNJ #1601 posted:

I respectfully disagree with Jerrman's statement above regarding acrylics not needing a matte finish.  I've found that it totally depends on the brand and/or quality of the acrylic paint you're using.  Some of the low-cost craft store acrylics dry with a bit of a sheen to them...which is unacceptable to me when it comes to realistic aging/weathering.

CMJ #1601 may be right about the type and quality of the acrylic used, although I've done most of my painting with craft store acrylics and I really havent noticed any sheen. Admittedly, I weather pretty heavily with A&I as I'm after a pretty run down, aged look and that may ameliorate any possibility of sheen. 

Could also be my eyeglass prescription, of course. That said, if any sheen whatsoever is bothersome then dullcote or matte spray will take care of it as well as making it more adaptable to any handling.