Artist Acrylics

[zemjw]

I stumbled across this tutorial today about converting "proper" artist acrylics to model friendly paints.

I have tried to use artist acrylics straight from the tube (thinned with some water) on figures a couple of times over the years. These attempts have been met with a complete lack any success, so I wonder if others have had more luck.

The main use I see for them is that I could try some of the colour recipes I have with the actual named colours, rather than trying to work out which Vallejo/GW paint is closest to alizarin crimson 

So, does anyone have any experience with artist acrylics they're willing to share?

[Svennn]

I do use the odd tube acrylic but do find them hard work/time consuming. I do however use a lot of watercolour tubes and guache too.  I went through a phase of painting everything alazarin crimson and cream back in the eighties and used guache for them.

I mix with acrylic mediums. Gloss and Matt as some work better with different colours for some reason but that may just be me.

[Big Sexy]

I've only tried artists acrylics a couple times and happy with them either.  The colors seems more on the translucent side and didn't cover well.  I assumed this was because they're made to be used on a white canvas instead of black primered minis but it could of been the type I was using. 

[Orctrader]

I use Titanium white for highlighting...white.    When I want a Daz white affect.



I use Mars Black for the edges of bases if I want them black - as above -  and the second coat of primer.  First coat being a black enamel.

[dampfpanzerwagon]

I like using tube acrylic for white and red, two colours that can be problematic with modelling paints.

Tube acrylics are fantastic for painting terrain.

One other point when using tube or artists acrylics is that you need a flow improver.

Tony
http://dampfpanzerwagon.blogspot.com/

[Donpimpom]

I use vallejo Acrylic Artist Color , vallejo modelcolor, citadel fundations, washes, old citadel paint and inks, and even mix all of them to see if works some weird chemical reaction.
IMHO the quality of some colors of the Vallejo fine arts acrilyc are much better than their equivalent in other ranges, but this is merely a matter of personal taste.
The back of the tubes and their color card include a samll checkbox to evaluate the color opacity, a kind of opacity guide.
On the back of the color tube you can see a circle or a square , full black means the color is dense an will cover nicely the surface, half black and half white circle means the opacity capability is lower than the full black circle, so, bad for minis except if you are looking for some kind of transparency effect (nothing to do with GW inks or washes) if the circle is full white avoid it.
But that guide is not 100% secure, sometimes color marked as opaque are not enough for miniature painting, maybe they cover enoug for canvas, but not for minis.

if you go here http://www.acrylicosvallejo.com/gb/downloads.html
you can see the  Acrylic Artist Color card, on each color you will see a small square, it's the stuff about the opacity, but even some colors marked with a black square when used can fail, for instance,
I have the #605 Cadmium Red Medium is an awesome intense red very dense an 100% opaque, next there is #402 Naphthol Crimson that is much less covering, an next it is #504 Cadmium Vermilion but despite is marked with a black bullet his opacity is very crap similar to #402.

Until a certain point is a matter or error/success test, it's fine you have an use for the less covering ones.

edit: by the way, about the tutorial you linked, this blog is not from a LAF member?

[zemjw]

Thanks for the replies, and apologies for the silence over the weekend (note to self - don't start new threads on a Friday afternoon  )

@Donpimpom - I hadn't realised Vallejo did fine arts stuff until your reply. Now I just need to find a UK supplier 

Not sure if the author's a LAF member or not - it was a clickathon on Friday that led me to his site.

I have a bunch of eye drop bottles that are pretty much identical in size and shape to Vallejo ones (except they're opaque blue), and a couple of tubes of burnt umber lying about, so I might try an experiment.

Thanks again for the replies 

[Skyven]

I hadn't realised Vallejo did fine arts stuff until your reply. Now I just need to find a UK supplier  

I've always had good service from Jackson's Art Supplies (http://www.jacksonsart.co.uk). They stock Vallejo's AV Artists Acrylics, AV Acrylic Gouache, AV Airbrush Acrylic, AV Studio, and AV Acrylic Mediums.

[zemjw]

@AfricanAl - thanks for the link. I think I've bought stuff from Jackson's before - the logo looks familiar. However, I didn't know they did the Vallejo fine art stuff. They certainly don't advertise the fact very well, as I eventually found it under A for AV, rather than V for Vallejo 

I think the basic set at the bottom of the list might be worth the risk (direct link to product didn't work, kept saying the price was out of date  )