Windex contains a whole cocktail of useful ingredients for acrylic painting. It is a detergent, surfectant and... dammit, here is the cocktail recipe- get yourself a glass and drink up whilst we discuss mini painting...
Okay, so we good now? Right... now the windex you *shouldn't* drink.
Spray some Windex cleaner into your paint water. It will dissolve acrylic on your brushes, stopping them clogging and keeping them clean. Secondly, it will act as a flow aid- making your paint slide off the brush and onto your model- great for fine detailing.
Windex in your wet palette will help keep mould at bay- especially if paired with bottled demineralized water rather than tap water. Less stinky and again, flow aid properties added.
Windex will clean your brushes and bring life back to your dead ones. Dilute about fifty fifty and rub the brush in the palm of your hand- et voila. Better than brush CPR- which just gets your lips dirty.
Windex can be used to speed up layered glazes (aka juicing). The isopropyl evaporates quickly, and the blue dye too- leaving a streak free glaze. By the time you have glazed all around your model, the front is dry - so you can use thin glazes and build up gradually but quickly.
The effect windex has on acrylic is that it dilutes it, weakening the bonds, which rebond again apparently just as strongly as it evaporates. Airbrush artists have used windex as a dilutant for years- it has the same active ingredients as professional air brush thinner- and smells the same. I am told it does eventually gnaw your airbrush out- but meh, I am a brush kinda gal anyway.
(Sips Windex Martini)
However, all this means no brush licking for you. I would also make sure your hobby area is well ventilated anyway, but imma gonna waggle my finger at you if it isn't already. I bet your the kinda dumb ass that sands resin or applies static grass without a mask, or votes Trump right? Dumb ass.
(Sips Windex Martini again)
If you use tube paints, windex water will turn them from a gel into something you are more familliar with quickly, without over diluting. You don't want too much water added as it will make the paint translucent. Translucent and pastey is not a great mix- outside of Nurgle minis. Windex water will make it smooth and even with only a small amount.
Back when I had a studio, I kept a Reaper dropper bottle full of 1:3 windex-demineralized water on my desk. Handy little bastard. I called it Windy. Windy Handybastard. Maybe you should too.
Drink responsibility you salty sea dogs. See you next episode.
Now comes the fun part of finding an equivalent in France.
ReplyDeleteYou learn something new everyday. Thanks for that. ;)
ReplyDeleteKnew the air brush stuff not the others cheers.
ReplyDelete