What is he general rule about mixing ratios of Createx 4011 Reducer?

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WisconsinGreenhorn

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Would you normally reduce acrylic by 30% for base and up to 50% for detail? I am using their acrylic line on paper. Thanks 4 any input.
 
For illustration colors I generally use 50/50 at a bare minimum. Subtle detail work can be 10:1, even up to 20:1.
Which line of paint are you using, Wicked, AA?
 
Which paints are you using? I use the Wicked paints, and start at a 3 reducer to 1 paint mix, and adjust from there depending on what I'm doing, what the weather is like, what colour I'm using (some colours work better with more reduction i find). Reduce more and lower the pressure accordingly for finer detail, though if you go quite far you will need to make more passes to get the colour intensity you are looking for. If you are using Createx which is specifically made for textiles, you will either need to reduce more, or work at a higher pressure. T shirt guys use larger nozzles and high pressure with createx.

There's no magic number for paint reduction, as everyone has different climate, or brush and paint combo's, different styles of painting. The variations are almost endless lol. But you will soon find your sweet spot, it may just take some experimentation. More reduction = lower pressure = less tip dry = less overspray + more control over tone etc, and let you build up more subtle layers. However it's a personal thing, I don't like to reduce as much as some people, but then that's probably why I can't paint as well Lol.
 
Yep agree with Squishy, I use Wicked Detail line and for most I start with 3 to 5:1 ratio and adjust accordingly. There is no magic ratio because it varies from person to person and paint to paint, also from day to day. what may work today may not work tomorrow due to temp, humidity, and all around hell of it lol.
 
I bought the largest size Createx Black and White. I wont bother buying anything expensive until I learn to control the spray pattern better. The initial cost of buying everything kind of blew the budget out the window. I had intended running the brush off a CO2 tank I have but it was just a hassle to try to find the correct fittings and adapters, hence I bought a Airbrush compressor.

If I learn my ass from my elbow I will graduate to colors.
 
Which paints are you using? I use the Wicked paints, and start at a 3 reducer to 1 paint mix, and adjust from there depending on what I'm doing, what the weather is like, what colour I'm using (some colours work better with more reduction i find). Reduce more and lower the pressure accordingly for finer detail, though if you go quite far you will need to make more passes to get the colour intensity you are looking for. If you are using Createx which is specifically made for textiles, you will either need to reduce more, or work at a higher pressure. T shirt guys use larger nozzles and high pressure with createx.

<<< Very informative. Thanks

There's no magic number for paint reduction, as everyone has different climate, or brush and paint combo's, different styles of painting. The variations are almost endless lol. But you will soon find your sweet spot, it may just take some experimentation. More reduction = lower pressure = less tip dry = less overspray + more control over tone etc, and let you build up more subtle layers. However it's a personal thing, I don't like to reduce as much as some people, but then that's probably why I can't paint as well Lol.

<<< All these factors are what makes airbrushing far more complicated then I had thought it would be.
 
Airbrushing does have a pretty steep learning curve, but the more you practice, the quicker you get to the fun stuff.

Using a higher quality paint, like the Wicked, Wicked Detail, or Illustration lines, will make things a LOT easier. Auto Air is much better than it used to be, but I'm still not a big fan. E'Tac has, in my opinion, the best spraying blacks and whites, but they aren't exactly cheap.

As far as reducing, I don't follow any strict ratios. At least not for airbrushing (basecoats are a whole other animal). I tend to use very little reducer, if any at all. Maybe up to a 1:1 ratio at the very most. A lot of it depends on the color, and what I'm trying to render. The rule of thumb I started out with was to aim to get the paint to about the consistency of milk (1 or 2%), and adjust from there. As you get more practice in, it starts to become second nature (as does "feeling" when your air pressure is right, etc)

Where in WI are you at? I live in Oshkosh at the moment, but I'm moving up to Menasha in a couple weeks. My shop is in Neenah, which is about 10 minutes from anywhere in the Fox Valley area.
 
I bought the largest size Createx Black and White.

The only problem with your statement is that Createx has 4 different lines of paint, so saying Createx paint does not tell us which kind of paint you have it tells us which kind you don't have though lol.

Here is a link to the Createx site, Createx Colors™ have a look then come back to tell us which of the Createx paints you bought :)
 
<I've been in Appleton the last 15 years. Nice to meet ya HCP.
 
ok so you are using the cheap tshirt paint as I call it lol. That stuff is made to shoot out of the bottle at higher psi (50-60) and they recommend reducing it with 5601 transparent base. 4011 is the auto air reducer and it is a flash reducer and contains solvents so a mask is needed while spraying. You can reduce it with the w100 but createx doesn't recommend using any of the AA reducers with their "original" acrylic brand paint. It's more of a textile paint and it has a completely different chemical makeup and isn't exactly compatible with anything else on their line. All wicked and AA are compatible with each other as they all use the same binders and pigments. I don't know if you live near a hobby lobby or a michaels, but most of them now carry wicked and wicked detail line along with the w100 reducer.
 
ok so you are using the cheap tshirt paint as I call it lol. That stuff is made to shoot out of the bottle at higher psi (50-60) and they recommend reducing it with 5601 transparent base. 4011 is the auto air reducer and it is a flash reducer and contains solvents so a mask is needed while spraying. You can reduce it with the w100 but createx doesn't recommend using any of the AA reducers with their "original" acrylic brand paint. It's more of a textile paint and it has a completely different chemical makeup and isn't exactly compatible with anything else on their line. All wicked and AA are compatible with each other as they all use the same binders and pigments. I don't know if you live near a hobby lobby or a michaels, but most of them now carry wicked and wicked detail line along with the w100 reducer.
Thanks for the info. I had dropped the psi to 20 and it caused problems with that ink.
 
Thanks for the info. I had dropped the psi to 20 and it caused problems with that ink.

Yeah, that stuff is a huge headache to get to spray decently. The Hobby Lobby in Grand Chute (by the mall) has the Createx Wicked and a few Wicked Detail colors. It's about $6 for a 2oz bottle. They should have the W100 reducer (which is the same as the "new" formulation AA 4011) as well. If not, send me a message and I can pour some off for you (I've got quite a bit. lol)

For painting on paper, I'd go with the Wicked Detail or Createx Illustration. The pigment is ground finer, making for easier spraying. The regular Wicked works well, too, though.
 
Yeah, that stuff is a huge headache to get to spray decently. The Hobby Lobby in Grand Chute (by the mall) has the Createx Wicked and a few Wicked Detail colors. It's about $6 for a 2oz bottle. They should have the W100 reducer (which is the same as the "new" formulation AA 4011) as well. If not, send me a message and I can pour some off for you (I've got quite a bit. lol)

For painting on paper, I'd go with the Wicked Detail or Createx Illustration. The pigment is ground finer, making for easier spraying. The regular Wicked works well, too, though.
My local hobby lobby also now carries the W500 which is a lot better then the w100.
 
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