Customizing woes

[Tabbyclaw]

Last night was not a good night for painting, and I need to share my pain with those who will understand.

As I mentioned briefly forever ago, I got it into my head to do a few Fullmetal Alchemist ponies, starting with my two favorites, Mustang and Hawkeye. I prepped the baits, picked the colors, gave them each half a basecoat (both their heads were being uncooperative so I decided to do them later), and laid down the base for one symbol each (they're both going to have two when I'm done). And then life happened and I didn't touch them for a couple months.

Flashforward to yesterday, and I'm in an I Am Going To Get Something Done mood. Put on the podcasts, get out the paintbrushes, it's time for the fun parts. Except the painting I did last time? Not so great. Roy's pocketwatch is a bit blobby and has a bit of tackiness to it, but it shouldn't be anything a hit of dullcote won't fix (please don't be anything a hit of dullcote won't fix). But Riza's banner is a mess, and I can't possibly proceed with it like this. Some careful scrubbing should get the symbol paint off without destroying the basecoat; I've done it before.  But not this time, apparently. This time some careful scrubbing leaves her banner mostly untouched and tears up the base paint around it so much that it's going to be easier to strip her completely and start over. For what's about the fourth time. To the garage and the acetone it is, and what a trial it is this time because the paint has been sealed and left for a couple months and doesn't want to go anywhere.

I finally get all the base paint off, and as long as I'm in the garage I might as well try to repaint her. I mix up the paint, fire up the airbrush, everything is going pretty smoothly, and then...

You're kidding me. You've got to be kidding me.

Etches and pockmarks all over her plastic. I don't know if it's just the acetone, or if there was another chemical on one of the rags or tools I was using, but her body is ruined. I'm going to have to start all over again with a new pony.

Extra irony: It's worst on her right foreleg, which I could always amputate to turn her base into Ed's. Except that Riza is a pegasus and Ed isn't, and also I'm adamant that this is not going to turn into a sculpting project and Ed's automail and Al's armor will be represented with paint alone.

At least, I try to tell myself, this time her head came out all right. While I'm waiting to get her replacement and get it prepped, I can at least start on her eyes, which are going to take forever anyway. Nope. In better light and after I've put everything away her head paint is spotty and pebbled, and at this point trying to strip and repaint it sounds like a terrible idea.

So much swearing. Soooo much swearing.

But it wasn't a total loss. I sighed, pulled myself back together, and got out the traditional paintbrushes so I could at least get something accomplished.

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It's not great, and it definitely needs some touching-up, but it's recognizable. And I'm going to call that a win.

-Tabby
the princess with claws

[Galactica]

You might try putting a few layers of dullcote down after you get your base color-  that way if you mess up on the symbol, it is much easier to erase without having to re-do everything.

[Salli]

I've never experienced pockmarking and etching on a pony, I wonder what happened.

Anyway, I am so sorry. I hope the rest of the pony goes smoothly

[Tabbyclaw]

You might try putting a few layers of dullcote down after you get your base color-  that way if you mess up on the symbol, it is much easier to erase without having to re-do everything.

I did. The basecoat still came up easier than the symbol paint did.

-Tabby
the princess with claws

[Galactica]

What a bummer!

[kaoskat]

I'm guessing the other (damaged) bait was a G4? If so, the damage makes sense. Acetone WILL eat the G4s if you go over them too many times with it. It is safe on them but only if you are very careful and don't take too long. If you had to scrub off the symbol with it, that's probably what happened.

[amazonarabian]

Nooooooo!  That's terrible!  What a frustrating experience.  Those ponies are gonna be great when you work out the kinks, though.  Can't wait to see them all finished. 

[Roogna]

You might try putting a few layers of dullcote down after you get your base color-  that way if you mess up on the symbol, it is much easier to erase without having to re-do everything.

I did. The basecoat still came up easier than the symbol paint did.

-Tabby
the princess with claws

probably b/c it's red vs white..the pigments are different

and I have had acetone eat g4s pretty bad...but occassionally g3s...and I've seen g1s get pockmarked during deflocking with acetone if they are soaked in it or scrubbed too much in a single area without letting it breath/have a break between scrubs