Some info needed befor i start paintinng my diablo costume

Craig Mcmillan

Just wanting to know if this is ok to do just trying to make it a bit cheaper to paint .

So the plan for painting diablo is to mix acrylic paint with latex first starting with 2 coats of white over the hole thing then spray the parts I want to have a fire / lava look with reds and yellow ect  and then just build up the rest of the body  by stippling with foam pads and dry brushing.

I have found this pick of the colour scheme I will try.

Chris Ellerby

Mixing up your own paints with acrylic and latex works great, I do it all the time.

Here are a couple quick tips.

The paint will look much lighter when you mix it up, but will darken when it dries.  So as you are mixing your colors, spread a bit on a piece of paper/cardboard/etc and dry it quickly with a hair dryer to see how dark it will get.

Because latex is an organic rubber, it will break down over time with exposure to heat, UV light, and oils.  Try to keep it out of direct sunlight, store it in a dry cool space, and avoid contamination from oils.  Sealing the surface to protect the latex is always a good idea.  I would test a few different sealants on some test foam that is painted with your latex/acrylic paint to see what kind of finish you get, and how it reacts to flexing.

That's one awesome character you have there.  I hope you can share some progress shots with us here as you paint it!

/Chris

Chris Ellerby

The paint job looks great, very impressive!

You could seal it by airbrushing (or better yet using an automotive spray gun) a few layers of Liquitex matte medium varnish on it.  You can also use their high gloss varnish on areas that you want a bit of a shine on (like possibly the horns/spikes and inside the mouth/eyes)

I would also suggest testing what ever sealant you go with on a hard to see spot first, like under the tail) to see if there are any undesired reactions.

There are plenty of matte/gloss varnishes out there by companies other than Liquitex, I would just make sure you get one that is flexible so it does not crack.

/Chris

Craig Mcmillan

Cheers for that but now I think I'm at the limit of my painting skill and looking at sealing it. What sealants could I use and how long would it last/ look good just siting inside the house with and without sealer just trying to figer out its life span it has about 3-4 coats of latex 

Craig Mcmillan

Cheers chris

I done a small test with the Liquitex I think it should be ok but it did sort of make very small cracks when extreme bending just a bit worried using it around the arm joint but I do think it will be ok.

In the t-rex and monster build ted uses rubber cement over the latex I cant seam to find the same stuff but I have found this rubber paint my friend is using it on a eva foam armour build could it be used over latex as a clear top coat instead of the Liquitex.

Chris Ellerby

Nice, let me know how that works out for you!

/Chris