A Few Quick Questions...

[ApertureScience]

1. Why do you water down the paint before painting the pony?  I never really saw the point in that...
2. I use FabriTac to glue the hair down, but it dries so quickly that it gets difficult to spread it over the hair, so not only do I miss some of the plugs, it also pulls the hair out with it.  Can someone maybe suggest another glue to use?  Or at least a better way of applying it? (I spread the glue on a Q-tip, then stick it into the head and run it over the plugs.  It worked the first time with no problems, but it got difficult when I was working on my second project.)

Thanks for any help.  Also, sorry if this is in the wrong forum.  I don't know if there's a forum/sub-forum specifically for questions or not.

Edit:  Whoops.  I just found out that the Pony Corral forum is for Q & A.  Can this be moved?

[KiwiSquirtBottle]

1. I water down the paint because I find that if I use lower quality acrylics and don't water it down before painting, my work feels... Weird. I even water down my higher-quality acrylics because I like that when they're dried, it can feel like factory paint.


2. FabriTac is what I use, but mine doesn't dry so quickly! Usually I have to wait a full 24 hours, sometimes more before it's dried inside. I apply a dollop of glue to the brush end of a kid's paintbrush and use that to wiggle the glue around inside. I've heard people mention that if they leave their glue open, or as it gets older, it can get more thick and harder to work with.


Good luck!

[ApertureScience]

Okay, thanks.  I'll try that next time.  My FabriTac does stay open for a bit while I'm applying it, so maybe I need to pay more attention to that as well...

[Maniah]

1. Beause thinner paints dry faster and go on smoother without brush strokes. You can get a full body repaint with no brush strokes this way.

2. I just use Mod Podge. It dries slow, but it's secure and dries clear.

[mana-maiden]

1. You don't need to water down paint to thin it, actually you don't need to thin it at all. Just load the brush lightly, and do several thin layers of paint but each layer has to dry completely before applying the next, otherwise it won't work as well.

2. idk

[ApertureScience]

Great!  Thanks for the help, everyone!

[coinoperatedgirl]

2. FabriTac is what I use, but mine doesn't dry so quickly! Usually I have to wait a full 24 hours, sometimes more before it's dried inside. I apply a dollop of glue to the brush end of a kid's paintbrush and use that to wiggle the glue around inside. I've heard people mention that if they leave their glue open, or as it gets older, it can get more thick and harder to work with.

I came up with another way of getting the glue into the head.

I use a straw, and suck the glue up into it (but not into my mouth - I guarantee you'll only make that mistake once), and blow it into the head.  Usually two or three "strawfuls" will saturate the hair inside the head.  I use Mod Podge and let it dry for about 24 hours, with the neck-hole facing upward so the glue doesn't spill out.

[PrincessOfDarkness]

1. Watering down your paint tends to help eliminate things like brush strokes. I find that it also gives a nicer, smoother texture to my linework and makes the transition when blending much nicer. I also find that watered down paint has a nicer translucency to it, again, which makes blending and shading much easier for me, as its more gradual and not as harsh.
I use artist grade acrylics, and the brand I use tend to be thicker and almost paste like, so adding the water gives me greater control, no lumps etc. It would also be impossible to use unwatered down paints with my airbrush, as the paint is way too thick to 'fit' through the tips/needles I use.

2. I use mod podge. I squirt some down the neck hole, then stick a q tip in there and makes sure its spread along the hair line. I leave it to dry overnight, with the head resting so that any glue will pool along the hairline but not drip out the neck.

~Princess Of Darkness~

[pop-girl]

From my own experience I find thin paint gives me crisper lines and finer detail. I use Createx airbrush colors for both airbrushing and for hand painting. Createx is designed to be thin enough to run through an airbrush but I still add water when attempting fine lines such as scroll work or eyeliner.

I have several different glues I use for various stages of customizing. The gel Super Glue is my favorite for applying gem stones (and re-attaching heads when necessary) but for hair I use a high temp hot glue. I squirt enough in the head (down the hairline) to rival Hasbro.