Metallic powder

[Luis R.]

I have just found some bottles of Rose metallic powder I bought some 30 years ago and never got to use properly. There is also a bottle of solvent/carrier for these, but the content has solified to a rock state. I wonder if those powders could be added to acrylic paints or varnish? I know some metallic paste or powder would rust if mixed with water-based products.

 

[Huw63]

In the past I mixed the powder with Humbrol metallics with no problem. Might be worth trying the carrier if you have tins where the pigment has settled.

Cheers

Huw

 

[housecarl]

I've mixed them in with Vallejo, no problems.

 

[Luis R.]

Good! Thank you both, guys

 

[Ray Stout]

I still use them with Artists Turpentine. The OLD gold is great for gold braiding on uniforms.

 

[Luis R.]

What I remember from when I first used them is the glittering mess! Everything on my workbench was dusted with tiny metallic specs! Any advice on how to use them without dusting everything with gold or silver?

 

[bonehead]

What I remember from when I first used them is the glittering mess! Everything on my workbench was dusted with tiny metallic specs! Any advice on how to use them without dusting everything with gold or silver?

Please ignore the use of turpentine with them. Turpentine is NOT a painting medium, but a solvent. You must use some sort of clear PAINT as a carrier for metallic powders. Solvents contain no binders which are needed to make the paint permanent. I recommend buying a little bottle of Testor metallic gold paint. Let the gold in the bottle settle to the bottom of the bottle. You can then dip your brush or mixing stick into the top of the bottle to collect the clear paint medium. Thin this with normal mineral spirits or paint thinner.

For the powder, I recommend dipping a dry wooden toothpick into the powder and pulling small amounts of it from the bottle that way. You will find that it is easier and less messy to pull little bits from the bottle at a time and immediately mix it into a pool of the clear medium. Less mess that way. If it is not enough powder, you can always add a little more.

Although clear acrylic paint will work, it is inferior to clear enamel for this application. Acrylic dries too fast and does not allow the powder to migrate to the surface for a more brilliant effect. If the Testor paint is not available, any clear enamel paint will work. But I recommend the Testor medium from their metallic paint as it will not yellow like most clear enamels do.....

 

[Ray Stout]

Each to his own, I've never had any problems with Turps, as it evaporates eventually once the powder has been applied, and it DOESN'T allow it to migrate. Ray

 

[Ray Stout]

This hobby isn't easy, and to just describe a process, or technique just isn't enough! you learn better and quicker by WATCHING someone actually doing it. for instance, if you had gold and silver dust all over your work bench, then it would seem that there must have been too much powder taken out in the first place. If you still wish to give these powders a try, then try and find someone who still uses them and watch how they do it. They can be very rewarding in their results, when used correctly, but a bloody nightmare when they're not.

 

[Rich Sculpts]

Use an acrylic medium, it will bind it together and being water based you will be able to mix other water based colours to create shading.