CripDyke Posted December 19, 2004 Share Posted December 19, 2004 So... I got some liquitex slo-dri & some liquitex "Matte Medium, to produce a matte effect". This is the right stuff to mix the Gunk that Jen & others use for their paints, right? I've been using future & water for years (ala Jen Haley) but I know that she's stopped using this & before I mix stuff up (and lose the ability to return a $10 bottle of stuff that ain't paint, and therefore ain't no good unless it's the right stuff for making gunk) I want to make sure I'm buying the right stuff. I've got my receipt, so If i done myself wrong, hopefully someone here will point they way... and then, of course, I want the ratios for making gunk. As I remember, it was 4/5th medium; 1/5th slo-dri; and then that concoction was further mixed with some amount of water no longer remembered by me. Is this anywhere close? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkstar Posted December 19, 2004 Share Posted December 19, 2004 Actually, that's my recipe at this point...flow aid and matte medium. However, the traditional gunk mix posted on these Reaper boards would be flow aid and EXTENDER! instead of matte medium. Careful there, glad you posted as yes, you did have the wrong stuff. The actual ratio of Flow aid to extender has never been set in stone, and I don't use it personally, so maybe someone else can chime in here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qwyksilver Posted December 19, 2004 Share Posted December 19, 2004 In my gunk I mix the following in a 32 oz paint can: 5.0 oz Winsor & Newton Flow Improver (two of the small bottles) ** I've swapped this out for a 4 0z bottle of Liquitex Flow Aid without ill effect** 4.0 oz Liquitex Slo-Dri Blending Fluid Medium (green bottle) 4.0 oz Liquitex Slo-Dri Fluid Retarder (orange bottle - not easy to find) The can is then topped off with Distilled Water (18-19 oz worth) I like using the Blending Medium into my mix because it has a gloss finish, which helps protect what I have already painted as I go, and makes mistakes easier to remove. The shine comes right off with a shot of Dull Cote. I get plenty of work time on my pallet and very good paint control (at least at my level of painting skill). It mixes well with my paints (although I use tube paints so YMMV). I have also used it with some of the RMP paints (heh, couldn't resist the ATM machine thread ) and it worked out great for me. Your gunk will look like watered down milk, but I havent seen it effect final color at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flit Posted December 19, 2004 Share Posted December 19, 2004 I use the Slo-Dry, Flow Aid and the Matte Medium, but not mixed together in a "gunk" recipe. I have a bottle of Flow Aid mixed as per the directions on the bottle and bottles 25% and 50% Slow-Dri. I use these as needed/desired to thin my paint and extend open time. I add the Matte Medium to most of my paints on the pallete to increase the binders in the paint and to increase the strenth of the paint to mini bond. The Matte Medium thing I got from Rodnik and Wiz, so you can ask one of them for more details on it. Is that at all helpful? Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackwolf Posted December 19, 2004 Share Posted December 19, 2004 If you look in the craft section of the Reaper website there was a nice article on paint thinning by whiz and I believe it had a couple recipes in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
claymoore Posted December 19, 2004 Share Posted December 19, 2004 As others have said the formula that is most popular contains a Flow enhancer, drying retarder and H2O. If you go into an art supply store and ask for an extender for acrylic paint they will most often show you a medium like the one you purchased. That is because extenders are products that contain a significant amount of acrylic resin to "extend" the paint film. Retarders do not contain a significant amount of resin so they are refered to as additives. FolkArt adds confusion by calling their drying retarder "Extender" meaning it prolongs or extends drying time. That's what I expect from a craft paint company. I use a mix of equal parts WN Flow Improver, Liquitex Acrylic Drying Retarder Liquid, Golden Fluid Matte Medium and Distilled H2O for some applications and leave out the Matte Medium while increasing the water for others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
claymoore Posted December 19, 2004 Share Posted December 19, 2004 I like using the Blending Medium into my mix because it has a gloss finish, which helps protect what I have already painted as I go, and makes mistakes easier to remove. The shine comes right off with a shot of Dull Cote. Slo-dri Blending Medium contains Glossy Medium, Slo-dri Retarder and flow enhancers so it's like making your own Marinara Sauce and adding in a jar of store bought Marinara It works for you and that's what counts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qwyksilver Posted December 19, 2004 Share Posted December 19, 2004 Yeah, I know Claymoore :) I think of it as getting the jar of marinara as a base, and then doctoring it up for what I like. I started using it because it is a pain in the arse to find JUST the Slo-Dri Fluid Retarder. So I started adding in the blending medium. I found I didn't need as much of the Slo-Dri (which was good, since I can never find it - there is ALWAYS plenty of Gel form ) and not as much of the Flow Aid as well. The added benefit of a little glossy medium to make my paints stand up between sessions and my painting/abuse during sessions has been an added bonus. And again, as is always the case. It works for me I originally started off the 1:1:2 ratio from Whiz's article in the Craft session and experimentation led me to my 5:4:4:20 ratio over the past year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaper User Vaitalla Posted December 21, 2004 Reaper User Share Posted December 21, 2004 Real quick, my recipe for Gunk: 80% Slow-dri or Extender, and either 20% undiluted Flow Improver OR 10% Flow Improver and 10% water. Note that I add a drop of water for every one to two drops of this as well. Also, buying the Matte Medium wasn't a mistake, as I've been meaning to pick some up for a while--the Master Paints react really well to adding a drop or two to the mix, the medium gives them some body and even more smoothness in application. --Anne p.s. if you don't want to mess around with adding water separately you can mix Gunk as 50% water, 40% Slow Dri, and 10% undiluted Flow Improver. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blefuscu Posted December 23, 2004 Share Posted December 23, 2004 Anyone ever try using inks? i just read about that it can do double duty by enhancing the vibrancy of the colors as well as diluting it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkstar Posted December 23, 2004 Share Posted December 23, 2004 Anyone ever try using inks? i just read about that it can do double duty by enhancing the vibrancy of the colors as well as diluting it. Yes. Inks are the great unknown at this point. For me at least. They function in so many different ways, it's unknow if there is ever going to be a limit as to what one can do with them. I use ink in washes, I mix ink into paints, I glaze with ink, I shade with ink, I freehand with ink, I increase the opacity of my paints with ink, I paint whole basecoats with ink, I increase the vibrancy of my light colors with ink. I only have six colors of ink...cyan, magenta, yellow, black, sepia and white. I can make just about any combo of colors from these 6. Oh wow, way OT, sorry. Inks are cool though...I want like 20 more jars...and the metallics inks as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.