Question about sealing a painted head..

[JMC]

Hey,

Just wanted other thoughts about how long you wait until you seal a painted head once it's done.

[ctc]

Hmmmm....

Depends on what I painted it with. Most acrylics will dry in less than an hour. A LOT less 'cos you're using so little. I usually paint stuff in batches, and wait for them all to be done before spraying; so that gives 'em a little more time. When in doubt; 24 hours is MORE than enough time. (Even for enamels.)

Don C.

[JMC]

Thanks! I'm a little anxious to finish this particular one.

[The Bat]

I use acrylics, so wait until the next Day to clear coat. I use an acrylic matte...but don't spray to close, or it will come out too shinny.

[JMC]

Will do thanks! I admit that I sometimes spray an hour or two after it dries. But I guess it's better to let the paint set first.

[Random Axe]

God I must be really impatient.

I seal my heads the second after the last brush stroke is complete and dry. The paint techniques I employ do not call for a lot of paint nor do I use water to thin it out. It dries within minutes usually.

Now, the best sealer out there is Patricia Nimmock's matte seal. DO not hold it closer than eight inches from the head and just spray in very short bursts, just a few will do it. The sealer dries in a matter of a few minutes.

THis stuff is the best for resin, but DO NOT use it for vinyl. You could wait a year for it to dry and it will still be sticky.

Scott

[Mikey]

Now, the best sealer out there is Patricia Nimmock's matte seal.

I agree

If you do it the right way you can get your custom casted hand-painted head almost looking like an off the shelf vinyl head.

Patricia Nimmock's matte seal can be bought at Walmart in the art, fake-flowers & cloth section

[ctc]

Hmmmm....

Testors varnish is really good too.

Don C.

[BlackKnight]

I hate all Spray Crap.
I think I have used it all ...,
Found something I thought I liked for a While ...,
But to me , it's all pretty much Junk to me.

[JMC]

hey J,

what do you mean? is there an alternative?

[YANOULI]

I don't.

[The Bat]

Well...there is a "Brush on" kind. I own some of that as well.

[scott metzger]

I haven't tried the spray approach; all these years, I've been using Elmer's Glue. It dries clear and doesn't mess with the paint if you use a thin coat and a light hand. You just need to keep them out of the bathtub, as it's water soluble (then again, so are a lot of acrylics).

[LonnieFisher]

The spray sucks!! Brush on "acrylic matte medium" is what I use. I just don't paint the raw vinyl because it doesn't dry all the way and stays tacky. But over the paint it works great.

[boss]

I've never had any problem with the testor's spray matte finish. I've tried the brush on with very mixed results.

I think the rule is... there is no hard and fast rule. Everyone seems to have their own preferred method.