How long does water effects take to dry?

[zemjw]

I am making some markers for horror games and wanted to have a pool of blood in the base.

Specifically, it's the GW Endless Spells Khorne set, which has two giant skulls with blood pouring from their eyes. I thought it would be "fun" to have them in a large pool of "blood", rather than just the splashes on the model.

I bought the Vallejo water effects stuff last week and did a few tests. I printed off a few 30mm diameter slottabases with a 2mm recess in them.

Straight out of the bottle it dried in about 24 hours.

With Vallejo Air Red paint added, it's still wet 36 hours (and counting) later

With a couple of drops of FW Crimson Acrylic Ink, it's still wet 36 hours later

Did I use too much paint/ink? Am I looking at several days to dry? This is my first time experimenting with this stuff, so any hints and tips anyone has would be most welcome.

Thanks

[Freddy]

Do not use Vallejo water (neither black ink nor basing spray- these were the three of their products I tried and all 3 were sh_t). With time (2-3 years) it will shrink, ruining your work.

To answer the question, if an acrylic product does not dry in 1-2 days then you are in trouble. There are some plastic/resin materials which react with acrylic paints and will be gooey-sticky forever. The only solution is to wash off the paint, seal it somehow then to paint again. FIMO is for example such a material but they sell a special lacquer for it to seal and then it is (supposedly) safe to paint. I do not know what would wok with Vallejo water. PVA (applied as paint) is worth a try.

[zemjw]

Thanks for that, although definitely not what I was hoping to hear

It was all the shop had and, being Vallejo, I wasn't too worried. I just expected it to work (you'd think I'd know better by now).

I'll leave them for a few more days. The paint one was so wet that it actually re-levelled after I stuck my finger in it, so it's nowhere near the sticky stage yet.

I am glad I tested it before trying it on the main pieces.

[AKULA]

For blood with a "pool" like effect I'd recommend TCR (Tamiya Clear Red) Paint... perhaps add a tiny bit of black paint to darken it up, for more of a congealed effect.

Also - use an old brush as TCR will destroy your brushes.

[fred]

I’ve had success with the Vallejo water effects - but I have used it in very thin layers.

I can’t recall if I coloured the water effects or put the colour below it - probably below, as its quite thick and gel like so hard to mix paint into.