Auto Air Vs E'tac

E'Tac are one of, if not the first ab paint producer to use the best quality and finer pigments to design an artist's paint specifically for the airbrush, they too do not use dyes for exactly the same reasons and the transparents are designed the same.
From the E'Tac site:
[h=3]All E'TAC products comprises the highest quality uv pigment possible at maximum concentrations per type product not considered either chromic or acute in hazards and maintains ASTM D 4236 certification by a toxicologist and conforms to non-toxic labeling.[/h]E'Tac again is one of if not the safest water based paint on the market. It is designed to be thinned with bottled water only, no extra chemicals required. I've tried others and water alone just don't cut it.
This is the whole reason I chose and started using E'Tac to begin with, I can basically spray it in my house with some simple precautions. If I need to use a special reducer I might as well use a uro and be done with it. I have plenty of acrylic laquer in the shed I use for surf boards and it is easier to use no doubt but there's no way I would use it to doodle or for some practice art or even art on a canvas etc, there's no need.
E'Tac is a true artists airbrush medium that is of the highest quality and highest safety standards for general art use which can just as easily be used in high end custom painting jobs (see some of Jodie Barrio's custom bike work!).
I'm not so sure other brands can claim the same, if you are using a special reducer you are just adding a solvent or other chemical to be sprayed into the atmosphere (more VOC's even if still under the acceptable limit), not all water based paints are created equal and you need to compare apples with apples.

I really don't mean to bitch but it grates me a bit when things are being sold under the guise of something else, by all means buy what you want to use and honestly I'm not saying all this just to push the E'Tac barrow, just be aware of what you are buying.
Yes a respirator is a minimum but you also need to consider the other people and things around your work environment (even after you have packed up for the day!). Some of the water based paints on the market can hover somewhere in between the safest water based and a solvent based, a grey area and I'd rather use one end or the other and take the necessary precautions for each.

In regards to candies, they are indeed dye based and therefore have a poor light fastness as Mitch pointed out. The reason most candies 'seem' to hold up for a long time these days is more the fact that the vehicles they are used on spend more time in garages than out on the road and mainly come out for shows or weekend drives thus limiting their exposure to UV. A good UV clear also helps.
There's nothing stopping you using a water based base painting and using a uro candy over the top, you are most likely doing something on a custom vehicle surface or demo piece and can justify using the right/best mediums to get your best results.

Anyway, as far as comparing the 2 paints in question, try both and do your own comparison as they are both professional quality and produce excellent quality artwork in the right hands. It really comes down to your work environment and the tools and techniques you use in the end to come to your personal preference.

Cheers,
Mick.
 
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