Improved paint performance

[timvidlak]

A while back papabees & peabody let me know about a couple of products that can improve the performance of your paint. The first is Matte Medium & the other was Flo Aid I found the first but couldn't find the second by name. I picked up Flow Improver Which is supposed to do the same thing. I am taking the advice of using it "For all my brush painting I keep one ounce dropper bottles filled with a 50/50 mix of Flow Aid and Matte Medium." Just using the Flow Improver instead of Flow Aid. I believe it has Improved the vibrancy of my color pallet. These are the first models I am using this technique with.

They are still works in progress let me know what you think.

[papabees]

It's hard to see the brown models on the brown cardboard, but the models I can make out seem to show the miniature detail well which means your on the right track. Usually the best indicator of your paint being too thick is that is starts to show brush strokes or starts to obscure details.

[RuneCaster_Aris]

Sept 26, 2012 7:20:05 GMT -5 papabees said:

Usually the best indicator of your paint being too thick is that is starts to show brush strokes or starts to obscure details.

I learned a long time ago that it is better to do several thin coats than one thick one. Models look good! I would take a picture of a few with only white around them, for the very reason Papabees said; Hard to see brown on brown in detail.

[timvidlak]

I Actually think this style will work very well for me I prefer painting with a lot of washes But I thinned it down ma-bee a little to much had to do 3 coats with each camouflage color. Took Fresh Pictures using Plastic card for the backing & ground here they are & Even took some Comparison with the test figure who were painted before I picked up what I needed.

[cptkremmen]

I use flow enhance and matt medium almost all the time.

Matte Medium thins the paint without losing any vibrancy
Flo enhancer does the same job as water, but better!

[cptkremmen]

Oh nice figures, though perhaps a little dark?

[peabody]

Looking good! You need some additional light for your photos, but you took enough shots to clearly show you are getting a nice, smooth finish and good coats of paint. I'd be proud to brush paint that well.

Flo-aide, flow-aide, flow release, flow improver, flow extender; these are all the same thing and you can find this sort of product made by Golden, Liquitex, Windsor & Newton, Vallejo and Daler Rowney just to name a few. Just about any company that is serious about marketing acrylic paints will include this sort of product in their line.

This useful addition to our painting kit is sold as a concentrate, so follow the directions and dilute it before mixing it with matte medium or using it in any other way.