Acrylic Inks -- substitute for paint?... Maybe.
Jul 23, 2021 14:36:45 GMT
skunkape and erho like this
Post by sgtslag on Jul 23, 2021 14:36:45 GMT
So for my world map making project, I tried acrylic inks: extremely high pigment content, extremely watery consistency. I don't think they will work properly for the map-making effect I want to achieve (the pigment load is extremely high, even though they are classified as being "transparent" -- they are actually rather opaque).
So, with three colors of ink, I am faced with finding a use for them... I bought some plastic aquarium plants off of Wish.com, a year ago. I pulled them apart to mount them on 20mm wooden squares, as bases, to denote swamp lands on my gaming table. Think, Lizardmen armies.
I decided to try to 'paint' the bases with the ink, to see how it would look, beneath the plastic plant fronds. Not bad! It covers rather well, it is super-easy, and quick, to apply. I use $0.04, throw-away, school paint brushes, from Wal-Mart. I wore nitrile glove, of course, to keep the ink off my fingers. The plastic plant fronds were Hot Glue'd to the wooden bases, after the ink had a chance to dry -- no more than 15 minutes needed, similar to acrylic paints. I made more than enough to last several gamer's lifetimes... I think I have 200+.
I place these on top of some fabric roundels I made using a swamp print, from a fabric store. I used my wife's serger sewing machine to finish the edges, as well as to cut the fabric into roundels. I place the plastic plants on top, to give it some dimension, and to dress it up nicely. I've used these in the past, with great success. However, for the previous plants, I painted PVA Glue on the wooden base, then I swirled them in a green sand mixture. I won't bother with the sand on these -- no need, as they have a nice green base already. They will blend into the fabric well enough, as is.
I need to do some experiments with the inks (green, dark navy blue, and yellow), to see if I can employ them either as paint on mini's, or as (heavy pigment) washes. They can, of course, be watered down, but that, too, requires experimentation.
Anyone have experience using acrylic inks for crafting and/or miniature painting? Cheers!
So, with three colors of ink, I am faced with finding a use for them... I bought some plastic aquarium plants off of Wish.com, a year ago. I pulled them apart to mount them on 20mm wooden squares, as bases, to denote swamp lands on my gaming table. Think, Lizardmen armies.
I decided to try to 'paint' the bases with the ink, to see how it would look, beneath the plastic plant fronds. Not bad! It covers rather well, it is super-easy, and quick, to apply. I use $0.04, throw-away, school paint brushes, from Wal-Mart. I wore nitrile glove, of course, to keep the ink off my fingers. The plastic plant fronds were Hot Glue'd to the wooden bases, after the ink had a chance to dry -- no more than 15 minutes needed, similar to acrylic paints. I made more than enough to last several gamer's lifetimes... I think I have 200+.
I place these on top of some fabric roundels I made using a swamp print, from a fabric store. I used my wife's serger sewing machine to finish the edges, as well as to cut the fabric into roundels. I place the plastic plants on top, to give it some dimension, and to dress it up nicely. I've used these in the past, with great success. However, for the previous plants, I painted PVA Glue on the wooden base, then I swirled them in a green sand mixture. I won't bother with the sand on these -- no need, as they have a nice green base already. They will blend into the fabric well enough, as is.
I need to do some experiments with the inks (green, dark navy blue, and yellow), to see if I can employ them either as paint on mini's, or as (heavy pigment) washes. They can, of course, be watered down, but that, too, requires experimentation.
Anyone have experience using acrylic inks for crafting and/or miniature painting? Cheers!