timbass Posted December 17, 2014 Report Share Posted December 17, 2014 So, I am just starting to airbrush crankbaits among other things and I was wondering what you all like to use for paints. I see Createx gets lots of mentions, but I am curious who else gets the nod for good paint. Also, what style of paint is best. From some articles I have read most people prefer to use the pearlized, fluorescent and iridescent paint, but typically do not use opaque colors. However, I have seen one guy who uses opaque white, but only to base coat all his lures. With that said, I was wondering why you don't you opaque paints, but on the other hand if you do, then why do you? I know its a goofy question, but I am just looking for some insight on how the paint will turn out when finished and maybe save a few bucks on rookie mistakes. So, please enlighten me if you would. I would love to hear what works best for you. Thanks. -Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musky Glenn Posted December 17, 2014 Report Share Posted December 17, 2014 I have had good luck with Badger paints, but they are kind of hard to find in my area. I use a lot of opaque paints just depends on pattern. Musky Glenn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass100 Posted December 17, 2014 Report Share Posted December 17, 2014 I use all of them: transparents, opaques, and pearls. Alot of guys only use the transparents but I don't like to limit myself. You can make an opaque transparent just by thinning it. Paints made for airbrushing usually cost a little more because they thinned them down for you but you can save alot of money by buying water based acrylic paints for paint brushes and thinning them down to spray through your airbrush. I have 189 different colors and 91 of them are done this way. I am slowly phasing out all of my createx and wildlife colors because this way is much cheaper and there are far more colors available. Walmart sells apple barrel water based acrylic paints for 50 cents for a 2 oz bottle. I transfer that paint to a 4 ounce bottle and then do a 60/40 mix with water. 60 percent paint and 40 percent water. If you are using a smaller needle than me then do a 50/50 mix. Once you start doing this you will find there are many options for paint around you locally and you may never have to order paint again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saugerman Posted December 18, 2014 Report Share Posted December 18, 2014 When using the apple Barrell paint from wal-mart, do you still have to heat set the paint ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass100 Posted December 18, 2014 Report Share Posted December 18, 2014 I do. There is no difference in the apple barrel or createx, they are both water based acrylic paints. Some of the paints are flat and some are shiny but they are all the same once clear coated. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassguy Posted December 18, 2014 Report Share Posted December 18, 2014 I haven't veered too far away from Createx but have checked out the "patio paints". The seem much thicker but do have a varied color selection and are easily thinned with water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timbass Posted December 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2014 Thank you so much for all the great advice. It is easy to get sucked into the "dogma" of buying specific things to get the job done right, but this proves that your best tool is knowledge, so thank you for some of that good knowledge. Bass100, thanks for breaking down your process step-by-step. Your insight is going to be a huge help for me getting started. Thanks everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted December 18, 2014 Report Share Posted December 18, 2014 If you already use an airbrush, forget what I'm saying. If not, be sure to learn how to clean your brush and incorporate cleaning in you painting process. Nothing ruins a painting session faster that a clogged airbrush. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imagine_studios Posted December 18, 2014 Report Share Posted December 18, 2014 It's all fun and games until the airbrush gets dirty! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveG Posted December 18, 2014 Report Share Posted December 18, 2014 Yes learn to clean your airbrush and flush after each color, I blast a cup of warm water through after each color and never wait as the paint will be much harder to clean out if it starts to dry. As for the paints I too started with Createx but Im gradually using more artist acrylics thinned with window cleaner, still lots of experimenting to do and having fun while doing so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted December 18, 2014 Report Share Posted December 18, 2014 I use a variety including Createx, Auto-Air, and several brands of taxidermy acrylic latex. Mixing and matching is not a problem. As to why use "transparent" versus opaque colors - you can layer colors with transparent paint, which allows you to blend colors for a more natural effect. Shoot them heavier and they become opaque, so they offer a wider range of effects. Yes, you can thin opaque colors to get to something resembling a transparent color but I'd rather not fiddle with paint mixing and thinning if I don't have to. Opaque paints cover quicker with less paint so I use them mostly for color basecoating, usually white, to hide wood grain and give a consistent color base for later paint layers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunkist Posted December 19, 2014 Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 Polytranspar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougarftd Posted December 19, 2014 Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 I agree with Sunkist...polytranspar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venutian_Lures Posted December 19, 2014 Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 I started off with Createx and Wicked Colors. I think I bought around 200 colors. I use them all. Don't limit yourself to one style of paint or you'll run into problems in the future. Have nothing but great things to say about Wicked Colors. Expensive yes, but worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted December 19, 2014 Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 I use Polytranspar Superhide White to color basecoat lures. It has lots of pigment to hide wood grain quickly, sprays well, and dries quickly to a hard smooth coating. I've tried other "cover whites" but this is the best I've found. Createx is the biggest name in airbrush paint for a reason - it's high quality, consistent, and sold everywhere. If there's a downside, it's that it has a rather limited color palette so you need to either mix colors to get specific effects or go to other sources. I do the latter and buy taxidermy paint that comes in an almost infinite array of specialized colors/effects. Of the taxidermy paints, I like Smith Wildlife for consistency but will try anything that catches my fancy. Mixing brands of acrylic latex on a bait has not been a problem for me. Taxidermy paints come ready-to-shoot. taxidermy.com is a gateway site for many of the suppliers and most companies sell both acrylic latex and lacquer versions of their paints - so be careful to order the version you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted December 19, 2014 Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 Years ago Bob shared the taxidermy.com site with me, and it opened me up to a whole 'nother world of 3D effects, from layering their paints over others. Doing that gives depth to almost any paint scheme. Once you've gotten comfortable with the actual process of airbrushing, so you can begin to explore different paint effects and schemes, the taxidermy paints are a wonderful next step. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
