Acrylics How temperature and humidity affects painting

[Hobbyinovator]

At the moment there is alot of raining and very high air humidity here in Sweden. Yesterday I was trying to paint a 120mm figure but had to abort and remove paint twice because the paint got grainy and started to crack. At the balcony where I was painting the temperature was at a time over 40 degres Celsius.
Are there any good ways to handle high humidity? Is it only the humidity that causes the graining or does to high temperature affect it as well? I was using Vallejo acrylics and I guess that when it is so hot they dry up faste on a palette causing flakes in the paint. than would how happened if I had used a Tamiya can.

 

[gordy]

At the moment there is alot of raining and very high air humidity here in Sweden. Yesterday I was trying to paint a 120mm figure but had to abort and remove paint twice because the paint got grainy and started to crack. At the balcony where I was painting the temperature was at a time over 40 degres Celsius.
Are there any good ways to handle high humidity? Is it only the humidity that causes the graining or does to high temperature affect it as well? I was using Vallejo acrylics and I guess that when it is so hot they dry up faste on a palette causing flakes in the paint. than would how happened if I had used a Tamiya can.

Interesting phenomena, what are you using to thin the paint with? And the Tamiya paint worked okay ?

 

[Einion]

Higher temps definitely speed the drying time of any acrylic-type paint, but higher humidity will slow it down, so it might balance out. People in areas with humidity (above say 80%) will often report less issues with their paint drying too quickly regardless of whether it's hot, compared to someone who lives somewhere dry.

Are you using a solid palette of some kind? If you are, where the paint dries at the edge of the puddle of colour you can easily pick up tiny flakes of dried paint with the tip of the brush when you reload it. I would highly recommend a wet palette anyway, but particularly if you're having this problem as it should completely prevent it.

Another possible issue is you're applying another coat onto paint that hasn't had time to dry enough to be stable. If this is the cause then a quick blast with the hairdryer should sort you out.

Einion

 

[Hobbyinovator]

I've just try to paint over the black vallejo base color with Tamiya Field Grey, it seems to work better. At the moment the temperature on the balcony is 33.7 degrees celsius. Parts of the base color still seemed to be a bit wet since yesterday wich is a bit strange.

 

[Hobbyinovator]

Here are some pics I've just taken.

 

[Hobbyinovator]

Are you using a solid palette of some kind? If you are, where the paint dries at the edge of the puddle of colour you can easily pick up tiny flakes of dried paint with the tip of the brush when you reload it. I would highly recommend a wet palette anyway, but particularly if you're having this problem as it should completely prevent it.

A plastic palette covered with alumina foil.
The balcony has glass windows that I opened up wider and quickly got the temperature down, now it's 25 C.
The base color is Vallejo 70950 black.

 

[pete505]

I'm by no means an expert but I don't think the foil is helping you, if you are using acrylics you can just clean a plastic palette with warm water? I also always use a wet brush and add a little water to keep the paint to a workable consistent and if it dries out too much best bet is to get some fresh paint out.

Best of luck!! cheers

Pete