'Createx' acrylic paint, how to

[fiatboy]

Can this paint be airbrushed on to primed styrene?  What thinner should I use?  Does Lowes or HomeDepot have anything cheap in large cans?  Shall I try water?  Thanks


































 

[Richard Bartrop]

It's great for T-shirts, but I have no idea how well it adheres to styrene.  Really, just get some model paint.

[NOBLNG]

I agree. Unless you have a fair bit of experience airbrushing, Mr.Color or Tamiya lacquers or acrylics are much easier to use. Or even Vallejo Air. JMO.

[Monty]

1 hour ago, fiatboy said:

Can this paint be airbrushed on to primed styrene?  What thinner should I use?  Does Lowes or HomeDepot have anything cheap in large cans?  Shall I try water?  Thanks















 

I believe these require their own proprietary reducer (P/N usually listed on the paint bottle by application).  If memory serves, the few people on here who've used them indicated there's kind of a steep learning curve. 

As others have said, there's a ton of actual model paints out there that would be easier to use while still giving you a great finish.     

[OldNYJim]

I’ve always found Createx easy to spray, infinitely mixable and almost foolproof to spray.  Make sure to use primer, and thin with their thinner if you need to.  Once you get the feel for them, they’re pretty easy to work with…

Some projects painted with Createx, and cleared with either enamel or Rustoleum clear:

 

[Dave G.]

Createx is a system paint. Buy their additives. You should include the 4030 clear intercoat. A small amount added to the paint gives a harder shell finish, converting the colors to poly acrylic. Their part number 4011 is now the correct thinner, try to skip the 4012 because it won't play with 4030 intercoat well.

Honestly, it's a great paint If You Use Their System.

I found out the basic formula to make what is close enough to 4011 thinner by looking up the msds, to work as well as 4011 does. But I had all the ingredients here. Or close enough anyway.

By the way, 4030 intercoat and 4011 thinner is a good combo to use in many craft paints !!

Edit: And finally, yes you should use primer. I use Stynylrez under Createx on plastic models. I see no reason why Mr Surfacer wouldn't work as well.

Edited August 20, 2024 by Dave G.

[stinkybritches]

Createx has a new reducer that allows you to mix your paint and bottle it for later use. Reducer 4021. It also has leveling properties. Though I've only used Createx colors on spoons, I am impressed with it's usability.

[Mike 1017]

I have tried both Createx and Wicked Colors. I like Wicked because it needs no additives I spray right from the bottle. I use a Paasche Talon with a 0.66 tip and needle I spray about 40 psi. I know that Wicked is a Createx product, but they are different.

Use what best works for you

Mike

 

 

[Jon Haigwood]

i use 4011 for most of my Createx paints. Lately i have been using the Candy2o. I can do some color mixing and add flake to it for a subtle metal flake. You can go to the Createx page and get directions on use and mixing there and Youtube has a bunch of videos on mixing and application. I use the sealer as a primer and it comes in various colors. It will work over other primers.  

[Dave G.]

7 hours ago, stinkybritches said:

Createx has a new reducer that allows you to mix your paint and bottle it for later use. Reducer 4021. It also has leveling properties. Though I've only used Createx colors on spoons, I am impressed with it's usability.

Yeah, I read about that reducer. But 4011, 4030 and Liquitex retarder gives all the leveling I need. I also heat set each coat with a hair dryer and you can watch the coat settle right in to the surface. I just kind of like that ! Not that I won't ever try 4021, after all I did say leveling, not flow out.

I actually make my own thinner for Createx, it's a 4011 knock off, but with retarder added.

[fiatboy]

Hi Dave G.  Are you talking about heating the paint before you airbrush, or the surface of the plastic after you paint?  Thanks.

[fiatboy]

Thanks, everybody for all the help.  And thanks for posting all the great photos.  I have got a lot of the Createx so I would like to try mixing it.  First is Ford engine blue.  And I'd like to try mixing some interior colors, various shades of tan or brown.  Thanks again.

[TransAmMike]

1 hour ago, Dave G. said:

Yeah, I read about that reducer. But 4011, 4030 and Liquitex retarder gives all the leveling I need. I also heat set each coat with a hair dryer and you can watch the coat settle right in to the surface. I just kind of like that ! Not that I won't ever try 4021, after all I did say leveling, not flow out.

I actually make my own thinner for Createx, it's a 4011 knock off, but with retarder added.

Yor are the man when it comes to Createx knowledge.  I have used your "system" on several occasions with darn good results.

[Jon Haigwood]

1 hour ago, fiatboy said:

Thanks, everybody for all the help.  And thanks for posting all the great photos.  I have got a lot of the Createx so I would like to try mixing it.  First is Ford engine blue.  And I'd like to try mixing some interior colors, various shades of tan or brown.  Thanks again.

Whole new deal when you get in to the Candies and Pearls, (watch the videos)

[Dragonhawk1066]

I love using Createx paints. There is a bit of a learning curve to get the right consistency for your particular airbrush, but once you're there it flows and dries very nicely. I do recommend using their products for mixing and thinning for better results, at least at first. Lots of great info on their website. As the others have said, definitely use a primer underneath. Using different base colors (metallic silver, metallic gray, and metallic black) will also slightly change the hue of the pearls and metallics. The Viper is a mix of Pearl Lime and Pearl Green, the others are straight colors.

[TransAmMike]

1 hour ago, Dragonhawk1066 said:

I love using Createx paints. There is a bit of a learning curve to get the right consistency for your particular airbrush, but once you're there it flows and dries very nicely. I do recommend using their products for mixing and thinning for better results, at least at first. Lots of great info on their website. As the others have said, definitely use a primer underneath. Using different base colors (metallic silver, metallic gray, and metallic black) will also slightly change the hue of the pearls and metallics. The Viper is a mix of Pearl Lime and Pearl Green, the others are straight colors.

Oh yeah Craig, those are awesome paint jobs.   Which paint (i'm assuming the pearl) and color is the T-bird??

[Dave G.]

13 hours ago, fiatboy said:

Hi Dave G.  Are you talking about heating the paint before you airbrush, or the surface of the plastic after you paint?  Thanks.

I flash dry each coat with the hair dryer. I learned this using Createx on T shirts but with a heat press. Then I saw a fishing lure maker who used the heat gun on his lure painting with Createx paints, at each coat, to fully flash dry. His results were awesome, so I incorporated that into model building. Also, the first two coats are very fine mist coats. You can barely see them on the primer. But it's the foundation for later wetter coats. No runs.

So, I put down a faint mist coat of color, then flash dry with the hair dryer on medium. Then a second. The second coat you begin to see color, heat set it. Subsequent coats are wetter and wetter, each one heat set. The paint flashes off very quickly so it's not a big deal to perform.

[Dragonhawk1066]

21 hours ago, TransAmMike said:

Oh yeah Craig, those are awesome paint jobs.   Which paint (i'm assuming the pearl) and color is the T-bird??

Thanks Mike! The T-bird is their Pearl Magenta.

[TransAmMike]

Well its sure is a pretty and unusual color. 

[Dave G.]

8 hours ago, TransAmMike said:

Well its sure is a pretty and unusual color. 

You can make pink pearl by using pearl white with a little of that magenta in it. I'm planning that on a T Bird build. Supposedly my wife wants to build it, it's her kit. We shall see. She already built a yellow 1960 Bird, so ya. I sprayed two 60 T Birds with Createx, one yellow, one blue. They were the little 1/32 AMT curb side kits.

[Mike 1017]

There is a lot of how to paint with Createx videos on You Tube and how to use their products 

Mike

[Jim N]

On 8/20/2024 at 6:16 PM, Dragonhawk1066 said:

I love using Createx paints. There is a bit of a learning curve to get the right consistency for your particular airbrush, but once you're there it flows and dries very nicely. I do recommend using their products for mixing and thinning for better results, at least at first. Lots of great info on their website. As the others have said, definitely use a primer underneath. Using different base colors (metallic silver, metallic gray, and metallic black) will also slightly change the hue of the pearls and metallics. The Viper is a mix of Pearl Lime and Pearl Green, the others are straight colors.

Craig, that is outstanding work.  Do you use a single action or dual action airbrush?

[DJMar]

On 8/20/2024 at 4:16 PM, Dragonhawk1066 said:

 

 Not to hijack the thread, but that purple is mighty tasty! ?

Edited August 26, 2024 by DJMar

[Dragonhawk1066]

On 8/23/2024 at 1:43 PM, Jim N said:

Craig, that is outstanding work.  Do you use a single action or dual action airbrush?

Thanks! I started on a single action, but for the last few years have used strictly dual action.

[Dragonhawk1066]

On 8/26/2024 at 4:29 PM, DJMar said:

Not to hijack the thread, but that purple is mighty tasty! ?

Pearl Plum. It is a great color!