Frequently asked questions: How can I avoid paint streaks in my custom figures?
You have finished your sculpture, you have sanded your figure and have chosen your paints. When you start, the finish looks patchy and miserable. All the sculpting detail is buried beneath a chunky layer of ungodly acrylic... WHY? OH WHY?
It's cause you forgot the first lesson about painting customs: THIN. YOUR. PAINTS.
Acrylic paints are not meant to be used straight from the bottle. Before you apply them to your masterpiece, you need to thin them down on a 2:1 ratio (mostly) on a separate paint palette (or any clean surface really) apply a dab of paint plus two drops of distilled water. Distilled water is better than regular tap water cause it's free from minerals and bacteria that can later grow moldy inside your paint pots (If your paint smells funny, that's probably the reason) Then mix and start your paint job building color in thin layers.
You'll likely need 3 coats AND PATIENCE to properly build color. Wait about 10 to 15 minutes between layers. Your results will look much better than when you started.
Like Obi Wan said, this is just a step into a larger world, but like any discipline, you have to learn the simple methods first, before going into the more advanced techniques.
LLLLLAter!
-Chris "Hunter" D.-
