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How do you…….

Home Forums Windstone Editions Paint-Your-Own Windstone How do you…….

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  • #506315

    So, Im starting a thread cause I have some PYO paint questions, and if anybody else does I guess they could post here too…

    Some are questions I have an idea for already, but this forum is meant to help more than just me, so I chose ones that I figured others who are expanding their medias with pyo’s might ask as well….

    So, How do you…..

    ….properly use interference colors? What are the best ways to do this? Effects over dark vs light? Do you use as is, mix in white paint or medium or do you mix them straight into the colors?

    ….use pastels on a PYO? Does pastels mean a TYPE of paint or does it literally mean like oil or other types of pastels? Do you have to do anything special, like using a specific sealer when they are done? What brands of sealant/finish work best with pastels?

    ….use pearl-ex pigment powders? What ways have you used them? What seems to work best? Over dark or over light? Straight powders or mixed in paint/medium?

    ….finish your pieces? Do you prefer matte, satin or glossy? Spray-on or brush on? Antiqued or not? What brands seem to work best for you? Any other tips with finishing?

    ….prep your blank pyo’s? Gesso, white arylic, or not at all? Does your media choice (tea-stain, inks, acrylic, pastel etc..) affect if and how you would prep them?

    ….prep you pyo unicorn’s horn? Do you paint the horn or leave it pewter? Do you prime the horn or seal it in any way? How would you prime or seal? What brands work well and are they easily obtainable?

    Feel free to post any answers or even other questions if you have them!
    If answering a question( s ), please specify which one( s ) and if you have any pictures for examples of what you are answering/asking could also be beneficial to help others understand what you are saying/asking, as well as for comparisons.

    Thanks for your time!

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    #896376
    etruscan
    Participant

      Often you can just search for the answers. For example, this came up from a search on Pearl ex:

      http://windstoneeditions.com/forum/pearl-ex-pigments

      #896390

      Interference paint: I like it best over darker colors because it creates more of a gem tone, but if you use it over light colors you can get a nice pearly effect. It depends on what you favor. I use it in thin layers either dry-brushed (very scant paint on the brush) or diluted with water. My favorite thing is to then glaze a transparent color over the top. I do the same thing with metallics. It cuts down on glare and makes the color more intense.

      Finish: So far everything has been gloss finish, Krylon spray. I think I’m in a rut.

      Blank PYO prep: None. I start out with staining using acrylics and a little water. I let the paint blotch, run into the crevices, do almost anything it wants. Then I start layering colors on over the top of it (acrylics again) working in thin layers diluted with water. One of these days I need to try diluting with GAC 100 or something similar. Thus far I have not had trouble with paints separating, but my oldest PYO is only 4 years.

      #896398

      So, How do you…..

      ….properly use interference colors? What are the best ways to do this? Effects over dark vs light? Do you use as is, mix in white paint or medium or do you mix them straight into the colors?

      Well, it depends on the effect that you want 🙂
      I have found that if you use interference as a finisher or a detailer and you’re painting over your existing paint job, that the interference color and shine will be the most vivid over darker colors. However, using it over lighter colors can result in some really beautiful finishes, they just tend to be more subtle. For example, I love using interference gold over white and cream colors because it gives it a pearly finish that flashes in the light.

      You can also mix interference with solid colors to create a dynamic, sparkly paint. I would NOT recommend mixing interference with light paint. The interference tends to get lost in the opaque, lighter paints. However, in darker colors interference will add a beautiful sparkle. I like mixing like colored interference to paints to add kick to the color, and honestly don’t think I have painted anything with truly solid colors in a long time! I always mix with metallics or interference.

      How do you…..

      ….finish your pieces? Do you prefer matte, satin or glossy? Spray-on or brush on? Antiqued or not? What brands seem to work best for you? Any other tips with finishing?

      Again, it depends on the piece and what I am going for.
      I almost exclusively finish unicorns with a matte spray-on, and then use a brush on gloss to finish the mane and tail. For dragons, I prefer gloss or satin finishes 90% of the time. For glosses, I prefer Design Master brand, and for Matte I’ve found that Krylon is the best. I use a Liquitex paint-on gloss.

      How do you…..

      ….prep your blank pyo’s? Gesso, white arylic, or not at all? Does your media choice (tea-stain, inks, acrylic, pastel etc..) affect if and how you would prep them?

      I do nothing! I find that gypsum accepts the acryllic paints that I use quite well. I have to put several coats of paint on my pieces to really solidify the color, but with every coat it just becomes richer and more beautiful. I’ve come to really love the way gypsum accepts paint all on its own, and with no extra prep.

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      #896404
      twindragonsmum
      Participant

        If you’re painting something red, though, I find that an under coat of black helps. Otherwise most reds wind up with a pink tone to them.

        twindragonsmum

        tdm

        #896486

        ….prep your blank pyo’s? Gesso, white arylic, or not at all? Does your media choice (tea-stain, inks, acrylic, pastel etc..) affect if and how you would prep them?

        I’ve prepped my handful of PYOs with a base coat of white acrylic. Sometimes the gypsum stone can come across as off-white, and so I find that the base coat sets a bright ‘blank’ color. The initial coating also helps to cut down on the amount of water that the gypsum stone absorbs when the next coat is applied, which is definitely helpful if you’re doing a tea stain or wet wash and want the color to run down the crevices more than sink right in.

        I assume this technique works just as well in black acrylic if you want to use darker colors and make them really pop. I have a unicorn I’ll be base coating black… when I get around to her!

        Forever seeking: Blackwatch the raffle Old Warrior, Jennifer Miller's pieces, and GB Baby unis!

        #896497

        I have found that you can use any sort of clear base either water soluble, or solvent. Most pigments such as pearl-ex are not affected.

        If you want to use things like micro glitter, most transparent types will dissolve in a solvent because they are made of plastic foils, but are fine in water base. Opaque glitters must be made with mica, or metal since they do not dissolve, thus will stand up to solvents.

        I have been working with pigments and customizing colors since I was in High School many, MANY, long years ago. I have used anything from clear varnishes and polyurethanes, gel blending mediums, to clear nail polish…they all work well.

        Heavier pigments do settle, so you may have to keep either shaking or stirring them to keep them suspended in thinner bases.

        As most everyone else so far has stated; darker base colors will produce more vibrant hues, whereas the lighter toned bases will produce more subtle effects.

        If you are wanting to supplement an existing acrylic color with a pearl, or metallic pigment, colors that are translucent or transparent will allow the shimmer to shine through. But some acrylics are very opaque, and adding even tons of shimmer will not really change it.

        (You can easily tell the paints apart by painting a single coat over a dark/light striping, and seeing if the lines show through the layer of paint.)

        If the paint does not allow the lines to show through…you are better off adding the shimmer as an over coat instead.

        I never prime my PYOs. The gypsum does take paint really well. but it is a good idea to base coat something that will be washed with very watered down staining, or if you wish to do an antiquing rub.

        Some yellows, and reds will benefit from a like-hued base coat to increase vibrancy and reduce streaking. I have a Primary Red paint that is very translucent, and will show streaks or stroke marks, if I do not use a pink primer. The same goes for my Primary yellow; I use a lemon yellow primer with that.

        As for Uni horns, kirin horns, etc. I usually leave them alone. On the pewter horns; I may clear coat them first with an enamel to prevent paint peeling over time, or I will use an antiquing rub to bring out the desired texture of the spiral.

        I use primarily satin/gloss finish on most pieces. It has the ability to maximize any shimmery treatment I might choose. Matte sealants tend to take away any sort of shimmer, or color shifting you may have used on any piece. It is fine on solid colors if that is what one prefers.

        On color shifting pieces, the glossier a sealant… the more shifting occurs, probably because you are not inhibiting the properties of these newer materials.

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