Latex

Rose Hamel

Hey guys! I painted a big latex piece with acrylique... and all the paint beging to crackle. What is the best way to paint latex??
Thank you!! 
edit*Is there any way to airbrush color on latex without adding any latex?  I applied  pax paint and after that air brush acrylic on it... but now its cracking everywhere. 

Chris Ellerby

The challenge here is that on its own acrylic paint can be rigid, so on a flexible surface it can be prone to crack.  One solution is to mix that acrylic with something to make it flexible.  In the case of PAX that is done by mixing it with pros-aide.

You can mix liquid latex and acrylic to create your own flexible paint, and then try and seal it with a flexible sealer.  Over time anything with latex in it will break down naturally, so keep that in mind.

As far as airbrushing goes, you can add thin layers of airbrushed acrylic without too much concern for cracking, but once there is a full layer of paint you can start to get cracking.  Some of the paints by Createx do well on flexible surfaces.  And there is a flexible adhesion promoter in Tim Gore's "Bloodline" Createx paints which would help.

/Chris

Todd Watson

Hey Rose, there's a wonderful tutorial from Ed at Distortions Unlimited on YouTube about a 3 part blend of water, casting latex and indoor latex house paint for base painting that is easily sprayable with your spraygun, or can be brushed/sponged on. Once dry, it's tough as nails, won't crack, and leaves your detail layer completely intact.

The one pint "tester" size interior latex paints you can get at Home Depot or Lowe's will be enough to do a HUGE job once blended with the other components, and their color swatches let you zero in on your base color with no guesswork. 

Once your opaque base is down and cured, I've had great results with various inks and acrylic paints applied in thin washes, or using an airbrush as Chris mentioned. The base itself seems to be where cracking becomes an issue, and Ed's mix solves it beautifully. Here's the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=te6lwLpGioo&t=0s&index=19&list=PLzQzMRh2JpEIx2OCB_9uhRYuj7gVmi5ZD

The whole DU "Monster Lab" series is fantastic, and a great companion to the many mask making and painting techniques shown on SWSCA's site.

Good luck!
Todd

Miguel Ángel De la sotta

I would mix latex with some pigment and apply a thin layer. 
You can use some opaque base and the pigment. But be careful with the textures, it could affect them.