Grrrr.... (FBR Help?)

[MoonHawke]

I decided for my next custom to work on that I would make my pony persona. Simple enough I thought. I bought a Sunny Rays G4 for the bait, since I didn't like the shape of Fluttershy's eyes, and I thought a lighter color pony would be easier to paint.

I carefully painted a couple of layers of ComArt airbrush paint (since while my Citadel paints covered really well, I wasn't happy with all the brush strokes on my last FBR). Well, the color was too dark, and not really coating the bait really well.

A bunch of actone later, I had a clean pony again and thought that maybe some primer would help the paint coat more evenly. Primer dried, and some paint mixed up to try and get closer to the color I was hoping for, I gave her a second attempt.

For the most part, the paint job is alright (of course, now she's more of a Pony's gray than I was looking for), except for some areas that the primer didn't coat evenly so they feel slightly bumpy to the touch.

I'll probably give her another actone cleaning to get rid of the paint once again, but I'm getting annoyed.

I have an airbrush, but don't feel like I've had enough practice at it to use it for ponies yet. Would that be the best idea, or trying to water down my acrylics?

[Griffin]

You say the paintjob looks alright for the most part, so maybe you could try sanding down the bumps and continue from there? How many coats have you applied so far? And what type of a brush are you using? Watering down the paints usually helps, too, although you can work with thicker paint if you brush it on patiently enough not to leave brush strokes. Then again, I have no experience with G4s, and smaller bodies like babies are always more difficult to paint... maybe I should start experimenting with different brush sizes.   

[Kazzellin]

Ugh, I know. I picked up a darker color to use on a pony, figuring it would take the normal 1-2 colors my paint jobs typically need, and it took 5! *shakes head* It really depends on how thin the paint is, I think; but then, if the paint is too think, it won't go on smoothly at all. The only advice I can really give you is to have patient and let the repaint take as many layers as it needs to be solid. There are some paints when you really need an undercoat of a base color - metallics, mainly - but otherwise it's just patience. And layers. A lot of them.

[Maniah]

If you are just taking acetone to the paint job anyway, why not try the airbrush? If it comes out bad, it's just another acetone bath at this point. And it's a lot easer than it seems just stick something in the neck and the tail hole to hold the pony. I use old pencils or paint brushes. This way allows you to do thin even coats that dry faster too.

As to the paint color, most paint turns a darker shade when it's dry. It might not be pathetic pony base making it look darker. If it is the base though, just add a few more layers.

[Alatariel-Silimaure]

yeah I'm currently about ready to throw my barnacle out a window I'm trying to paint him orange, and the paint job is SOOOOO uneven and no matter how many coats I put on it, I can still see the old body color through it... I even painted it white first I really wish I had an airbrush, it would be so much easier

[assassin_kitty]

Seems like everyone has already given you the advice that i would give you! Either sand it down and paint over it or try the airbrush! It's not a hard as it may seem just keep your paint at a milky consistency and don't be tempted to do too thick a coat of paint! It may take a few cats with the airbrush to get the colour even but that is much better than putting too much on in the first coat and having nasty dribbles of paint on your custom!
Good luck and let us know how you get on.

[Eluluu]

all of the above. and when you sand it, i use 600- 1000 grain sandpaper. you can find it at menards or true value or places like that by the painting section lightly go over the sanded bits and itll come out sooo smooth. i was a miniature painter before i dipped my toe into ponies so im a huge fan/ outright bully when it comes to primeing bait (or anything for that matter) just makes your colors pop and go on smoother. i prime white then sand it with the super fine sandpaper to even out the bumpies, then so far witht he FBRs ive done its taken about 5-6 gradually watery-er layers of paint til i was satisfied.