Using acrylic paint as a filter??

[cram]

Is it possible to use acrylic paint as a filter instead of AK or MIG Enamel filters?

I'm thinking that watering the paint down to about 10% paint and the other 90% water and flow retarder. Should the model be varnished first, and should this be a matt or gloss?

Thanks.

[Major_Gilbear]

If you're thinking of using it a bit like a wash, applied selectively, then yes you can.

I'd suggest something like:

1 part paint
1 part retarder
5 parts matte medium
5 parts glaze medium
5 parts water

The paint is your pigment (obviously), the retarder helps to avoid tide marks, the matte medium "thins" the paint opacity, the glaze medium is your flow release (and also helps avoid tide marks too), the water loosens up the whole mix so that you can apply it thinly.

It takes a while to dry fully and for the mediums to go fully clear (24 hours at least), but you can build up layers for colour effects and to increase opacity. Remember, it's best to go fairly thin as you can always add more layers - but if you over-apply a heavy colour in any one layer and then it dries, you can't remove it!

You can do it any stage, but I'd avoid doing it over gloss varnish so that the mixture doesn't pearl/streak. Afterwards, paint/varnish/whatever over it as normal.