How do you use Pros-aide to paint latex? {Paint tests (sans ProsAide) 06/02}

[MikeMakesMonkeys]

I am currently in the final stages of making an Ape Warrior costume. I'm pretty much done bar one important detail: the latex and J-foam ape face is not yet painted. I have already got a few pointers from people on this forum (cheers) and some others plus a fair few google searches, but my paint tests are not really working all that well.. at all.

I can complete the project without pros-aide - there are other ways to paint latex. But seeing as I have got a big bottle of the stuff and it seems that all the cool kids are using it I am well up for learning the art and zen of PAX paint and all that.

Given the poor results of my test attempts I'm thinking it may be time to first un-learn all that I have learned.

If anyone could give me some pointers it would be much appreciated.

The main questions are things like:
What thinner?
What paint?
Mix ratio?
Is it really meant to be that shiney?
Anything else is welcome though... because I am beginning to think I have very little idea about what is going on..

Thanks in advance!

[Here is a picture of the original sculpt, if anyone is interested. He's all moulded now and the latex pulls are looking good so far!]

[FXSculptor]

PAX paint is 50% PAX and 50% Liquetex paint.

it can be thinned down with water.

if it is to shiney, powder it. or give it a spray of Dulling spray, by Krylon.

I have found it best to use PAX as the base, and then use FW inks on top.

PAX is not very good for a compleate paint job. its good for a base coat, that flexes with the mask.

the inks can be thinned with alcohol, and go on as thined down washes. thinned down washses built up in layers work bery well for getting realistic flesh results.
its a little hard to excplain in Text, but excpiriment with it.

good luck,

[MikeMakesMonkeys]

Thanks FXSculptor, that was exactly the kind of reply I was after!

50% Liquetex paint

Someone else mentioned liquitex to me as well - I can't say it's a brand I have ever heard of. Is it just extra runny/ creamier in consistancy than standard acrylic?

---
This evening I was playing with mixing latex into the paint - which I thought was only pretty crude, but actually came out alright. The amount needed to stop the paint just flaking off was about a tenth/hundredth/gnat's cock of what I thought it was. It didn't obscure much of the detail at all and the adhesion of the paint to the latex was faultless. (and my airbrushing technique is improving a little too )

...

(Blatantly want to mix some ProsAide into my paint tomorrow though...)

[FXSculptor]

liquetex is a pretty common brand of acylic paints. they most often come in squeeze out tubes.
they come in a large viriety of colors.

almost any Art store should carry them, and if they do not....then they should be abel to order them.

[MikeMakesMonkeys]

Ok, I gave it another go and it didn't work very well... again. The paint behaves like it's too thick or the airpressure is too low - however, thinning it right down has no effect. My best guess is that my crappy student-brand acrylic (which is low-grade to put it politely) is having some issues. I do intend to get into London or onto the internet and find a source of liquitex, but with the deadline all too near, I'm going to cop out and mix a bit of latex into the basecoat - it works and I have not had a single problem with it at all.

Here are a couple of test paints -

1. Spraygun style - mix the pigment into an opaque white base and layer it up.


2. Inky stuff - using some well-thinned FW inks.


The colours are not final - the final version should be somewhere inbetween - dark but not too grey.