Sealant? Newb questions!

[PixiePony]

Hey all!
So tonight I started painting my first custom g4 pony.
I'm using students acrylic paint as it's all I have on hand.
The magenta I started using seems to be very transparent and streaky even after a few layers, and when I put my nail on it, it literally just flaked off!
So, my question is... Does anyone here use a base sealant before they start painting to get a bit of grip?
I'll be buying some Mister Super Clear soon for my Monster High Custom.
Could that work on ponies too? Or would it damage the vinyl?

Or, is it the quality of my paint? I tried a bit of magenta mixed with white, it was less transparent but still lifted easy.

Help? I really want to finish my very first custom!

[BarbedDragon]

Hi Pixie!
  I use a base coat of sealer on mine and MR. Super Clear is exactly what I use! I use flat. It also makes it really easy to wipe off mistakes. DO make sure you are prepping your bait with 100% acetone or 71% rubbing alcohol right before painting. Oils from your fingers can stay causing the paint not to adhere properly.

Magenta is typically a very transparent pigment with a smaller pigment load (less actual color in the paint) Yellow is another that is like this as well as neons and other colors. your best bet is to paint a layer of WHITE first and then use thin layers of magenta built up to get the effect you want. You can also use a dense pink as a base or like you were doing mixing the magenta with white, then doing a final few coats of pure magenta to get it just right. Thin coats are the key to making it look smooth and not gloppy.

[PixiePony]

Awesome! Thank you so much for your help BarbedDragon!
 I will be getting some MSC as soon as i can!

i wanna get customising!