[Old/New Golden Additive]

Golden's additive GAC 500, it was originally sold as a self leveling acrylic additive for their fluid acrylics. Here is the specs from their web page, without the update for the relabel.

 

GAC 500: Self Leveling Applications / Hard Yet Flexible / Best Isolation Coat Medium for Spray-Application.

 

Unique balance of film hardness and flexibility.

Mix 2 parts GAC 500 to 1 part Airbrush Transparent Extender to produce a good spraying, fast-drying isolation coat.

Beneficial as an additive for acrylic paints for increasing mar resistance and decreasing dry film tack, without disturbing the balance between hardness and flexibility.

Useful when working on flexible or rigid supports.

Offers a self leveling working quality.

Dries to high gloss film with good clarity/transparency.

Useful to hard-edge painters to seal masking tape for cleaner edges. Apply over masking tape. Let dry before applying additional paint layer.

 

They are now relabeling the bottles. This is why I picked up this product, the new label says "Fluid Acrylic Extender". Which sounded like it would work great for some of my airbrush work, and possibly use it for mini's but wasn't sure. This product is a great thinner for the RMS paints, I mix it about 3:1 or 4:1 paint to thinner, no water needed(and haven't tried with any slow dry yet.) If you wanted to try with a slow dry, Golden recommended (I called them to find out if I got a mislabel or what) their Acrylic Glazing Fluid as it has their retarder included. It is pretty much nothing but pure acrylic medium, of a very high quality. I have used other ones like this, but had them change the color on the paint for some reason, this does not affect the tint or hue of the paint at all. The only down side I have found so far is if you mix to much with the paint, it looses any covering power at all, going almost completely transparent. And it does dry glossy, but that can be knocked down with dullcoat of course.

 

Just though I would post this as the relabeling has really just started.

[just wishin a couple Happy Bday wishes too...]

Happy b-day, mine was Saturday.

[Wow..]

Congrats

 

looks at own post count---- hmmm need to add some zero's to it.

[Tip: Read the Bottle]

It looks like my pickup, stupid salt

[Even the forum itself is against me]

So, I wound up doing the grocery shopping thing (we were out of cat food, we would have died if we came home with no more) got by bottle of black label (introduced the GF to JD and why we say "this ain't no sipping whiskey"). I did not paint any mini's that night, but I did play "just cause" on the 360 while intoxicated. Gaming while drunk is fun

[Even the forum itself is against me]

Here's hoping that today gets better and better for you!

I hope it does. 20 more minuets and I get to go. Then I have to decide if I want to go out to dinner or go grocery shopping then home. I'm thinking grocery shopping, pick up some JD black label, have a few of those then try and paint a few minis.

[Even the forum itself is against me]

Usually having a couple cold ones or drinks does the trick on tough days regardless of what the occasion is

 

Hope the rest of the day goes well for ya…. Heck the couple of cold sound good right about now

 

ERL

As soon as I get home from work, I will be popping a couple open. It's just weird, 30 didn't bother me this much.

[Even the forum itself is against me]

I get on here to get away from Birthday stuff, and the forum's reminding me Don't know why, but this b-day is killing me. Hope everyone else is having a good day.

 

Edited the title, sounded like I was accusing people, not the little forum monkey that runs the program.

[Books helpful for painting etc.]

This one is not a mini painting book

 

Blue and Yellow

 

It is a book on the proper way to mix paint's when using actual paint, not color theory mixing. Like color theory says red and blue make purple, actual RL depends on the red and the blue and how they react on what kind of purple you get. I have not picked up the revised version, but I understand it talks a bit more about glazing, which might be helpful for mini painters. It is a bit of a technical read, but I do believe it is worth it.

[Buying new brushes]

The bad ones also were typically missing the plastic caps.

Very true. As a totally different subject, Zach and a couple of us are doing some painting on Thursday night's at GP if you want to drop in. Of course for the next three weeks I will not be attending because of work.

[Buying new brushes]

I test when I buy (since I go to a real Blick store in Schaumburg), but the good online dealers at least claim they will replace any brushes not up to quality standards. I haven't bought brushes online, so I haven't put them to the test.

I have good luck with the same store, but I have found a few there that were bad.

[Buying new brushes]

That's good to know. So how would you go about water testing a brush and what are looking for while you do so?

 

Keep in mind that until recently, I didn't think a brush made that much of a difference, as long as it's bristles were straight and not falling out. Of course, I drybrushed a lot, which is rough on brushes.

If they are a good store, they usually will have a cup of water out, or one available if you ask. Wet the brush like you are painting with it, then run it on your hand, paper, a mini you brought with you. Watch to make sure the tip doesn't curl in an odd way or direction, that the bristles stay together fairly well (of course if you try it on a mini take the bumps and crevasses into account for the brush), watch for split ends (yes brushes have them too) and the one that will happen very rarely with a series 7, a loose ferrule. I do this testing on any brush I buy, not just for mini's.

[Buying new brushes]

EDIT: Never mind, finally found their website, and yes, they carry the W&N Series 7 brushes. A bit more expensive than Blick, but not if you factor in express shipping from Blick vs local pickup.

I would actually pay a little more to buy from a brick and mortar store then have them shipped to me. W&N 7 brushes still get damaged during shipping or are shipped straight from W&N with imperfections. When I worked at an art store and series 7 brushes would come in, we would water test each brush, and wind up sending about 30% back to W&N because they were bad. Always test your brushes at a shop, but that is my opinion.