NOTES ON PAINTING
Some Of My Thoughts On How I Paint Frames
By James Morikawa
AIRBRUSH (8 February 2008)
I use airbrushes for painting frames. They're easy to maneuver around a frame. Clean-up is fast and easy. I no longer use anything else.
My airbrushes from left to right:: Badger 150, Thayer-Chandler Omni 4000, Thayer-Chandler Omni 5000, Paasche Model H
There's lots of technical airbrush books on the market. Check out your local graphic store, or bookstore.
The amount of technical information out there is intense.
The amount of effects one can create with an airbrush is intense, artistic, and goes deep.
WATERBASE COLORS (8 February 2008)
Pictured below are "AutoAir Colors". Correctly applied, it bounds extremely well to it's surface. There's all kinds of color effects possible with the various shimers, pearls, metalics, transparents, candys, and so on. It's meant to be clearcoated, and it's the clearcoat that gives these colors the gloss.
Waterbase paints is the future in painting, I thought best to learn to spray it now.
I've begun to use more waterbase (waterborne) color basepaints. Requires a totally different application process.. Can't shoot the stuff like solvent base colors. Takes a little practice to learn to spray it correctly. Very easy to screw up a paint job if you don't understand how it's suppose to be sprayed. Doesn't cover as well as solvent base. Using a solvent-base color I usually get good coverage in 2 coats (sometimes just one coat). Using a water-base it's may take 4 to 8 coats.
MY FAVORITE URETHANE CLEARCOAT (8 February 2008)
This is PPG's DU1000 Urethane Clear. Very Pricey stuff, but the money is well sent. It's a very durable clear. An excellent Top Coat Clear. It sprays, and flows to a glass like finish. I understand I won't be able to purchase it after 2010. By that time all will have to be waterbase (water borne) paints?
.
The above is very toxic stuff. I have to protect myself fully when spraying it. You risk your health "big time" if you spray it unprotected (as per the manufacturer's safety guidelines).
OTHER TYPES OF WATERBASE GRAPHIC PAINTS (8 February 2008)
I've experimented with other types of waterbase colors. Below are Badger, and Liquitex brand waterbase-acrylic-paints. Some of them have good "colorfast" ratings. They're suppose to resist fading from Ultra-violet exposure and suitable for outdoor use. Always check the color-fast rating to see if the color is suitable to outdoor use.
Spraying characteristics vary, just got to spray them to learn their characteristics.
After tryng different brands of waterbase arcylics, I feel safer using "AutoAirColors", which are waterbase acrylics designed for automotive application. The above ones are for general artistic painting and airbrushing . . . not marketed specifically for automotive painting. "AutoAirColors" have been tested for automotive use.
SOLVENT BASE COLORS (8 February 2008)
When it comes to solvent base color base coats, the PPG DBC series is my favorite. I like it's spraying characteristics.
I
There's a local custom paint shop with the complete PPG color mix set-up, and they specialize in super-custom automotive paint schemes. The owner was willing to sell me small (2 to 4 oz.) quantities of any custom mix I wanted. That worked out great for me because most PPG Dealers will not sell in those small quantity.
I also had a friend who owned an autobody repair shop with a lot of left over paints, and he would allow me to take what I needed.
I also scored on PPG and DuPont paints from a shop that was moving. The owner gave me some of his left-over paints. So, be on the lookout for shops that are closing, or moving.
Doesn't take much to paint a frame. My advice, befriend people in the automotive painting business.
DRY PEARL POWDER (8 February 2008)
I purchase pearl essence powder from Fiberglass Hawaii. Different color effects are possible by adding it to the top-coat clear.
For example: I have a white base coat, and will be top-coating with a urethane clear. Adding just a little white pearl to the clear seems to give the white more depth. When in sunlight, the white seems more brilliant.
Another Example: I have a black base color, and will top-coat with the urethane clear. Adding a little blue pearl to the clear, seems to create "a midnight effect" to the black.
Experiment by adding in very small amounts, very easy to add "too much", and come out with a color-scheme you don't want.
Have a great day,
Website Information: www.modikoso.com