# thinning acrylics for airbrushing



## Tyler (Jul 17, 2008)

I have been using a thinner I bought, but it goes pretty fast. What else can you use, can you use straight water?


----------



## Devils Chariot (May 23, 2007)

Hey Tyler,

You can thin acrylics with straight water, but that also makes it take longer to dry and increases the chance you'll get spiders and runs.

If these are liquid acrylics, like a pre-mixed airbrush acrylics or even just liquid acrylics (like from Golden) you can thin then with 70% isopropyl alchohol. This gives it a very quick dry time and make it more usable. test it first on a small bit of paint. Some paint formulation will ball up and get gummy, these are usually jar or tube paints.


If you just want a more transparent paint color, get some clear airbrush medium. This is just airbrush paint without the pigment. I use this to get nice transparent colors and subtle details like veins and flesh.


Other mixes I have used are 50% isopropyl, 50% water with a drop of glycerin, though that's getting fancy. Its basically what you buy at the store, without the nice smelling scents added.

I also have a mix I always use to clean the airbrush but I know others use it to thin paints too. Its 50% windex and 50% water. I used it as cleaner only because the ammonia actually breaks apart the acrylics and weakens them. Not a big concern if you are painting on paper, but on a prop, you want it to stay strong and resist cracking from handling and clear coating (if the paint is degraded too much, as you varnish, your brush will wipe off the thin layer airbrsush paint). You can add glycerin to this too. The glycerin is kind of a lubricant, so when you airbsuh sets dry for a lobg time the needle wont bind to the chuck.


----------



## Dead Things (Apr 4, 2009)

Can acrylics be used on latex?


----------



## Devils Chariot (May 23, 2007)

Dead Things said:


> Can acrylics be used on latex?


yes but you need to mix them with rubber cement thinned with bestine or a very thin latex adhesive like prosaide. I suggest prosaide because it non-toxic and water based.


----------

