Thinning Acryl Paint

Thanks folks... will give it a try!

DO NOT thin acryls with mineral spirits. Use alcohol, windex or water with approx. 50/50 mix ratio. The silver is a pain to airbrush. All you can do is swirl the paint container on your airbrush as you spray (if you have a siphon feed). This will keep the particles suspended. Make sure your siphon tube inside the container does not touch the bottom. That will suck all the particles into the brush that settle. Hope this helps....

Andy

Metal flake paints are a royal pain in the butt.  The flakes tend to clump together and settle very quickly. 

Stirring by hand does well to get the flakes back into suspension, but doesn't really help break up any clumps.  Shaking only introduces air into the mix.  What you really need is one of those cheapo electric stirrers from MicroMark for $10.  Stir the paint for a few seconds, put some in a cup, add a drop or two of thinner (water, acrylic thinner (like tamiya x-20a) or some 91% iso alcohol) and stir it again.  You'll get the flakes mixed in with the pigment and the thinner will help break up the clumps.

-Fred

 

 sound like you may not have the paint mixed well enough, metalics (silver gunmetal and the likes) require alot of mixing to suspend the fine metal flakes in the medium.i've thinned acrylics with water (tap and distilled) and had ok results,isopropyl alchohol works better but the recommended thinner is the best way to go. I've never thinned acrylics with mineral spirits and wouldn't recommend it.