How-to Prepare the Surface: Paper 

Thanks Richard!

Thank you, my friend!

Hi Rick. Auto Air is just another line of Createx paint that was designed primarily for automotive applications, but it can be used on a wide variety of surfaces. Wicked Colors can also be used on a wide variety of surfaces. To my knowledge, the real difference between the two brands comes down to how finely the pigments are ground. Pigment in Wicked Colors is ground finer making it more suitable for airbrush application. The pigment in Auto Air paint is not ground quite as small as the Wicked. Auto Air can still be sprayed through an airbrush, but it was primarily designed to be sprayed through a spray gun. The color is virtually identical between the two brands in my experience. So, Although I wasn't referring to the Wicked Semi-Opaque Brite White in the video, that color will also work great for this purpose. Personally, I would prefer the opaque verses the transparent for prepping the surface, but either will get the job done.

Thank you!

I rarely paint on paper. I prefer to work on metal and/or canvas most of the time, but I'll definably give the Schollershammer 4G paper a try! Thanks for the tip!

Then I'm not the only one, lol. It is a little more work, but the end result is well worth the effort in my opinion!

Hey George! The issue you're experiencing likely has more to do with the quality of paper you're using rather than paint consistency. Paper is very absorbent and not all papers are created equal. Some respond better to airbrushing than others. Unfortunately, it's a trail and error process to figure out which papers respond better between those that are readily available to you. Some papers tend to lift tiny little fibers when the are wetted with paint. I suspect that is probably what you're experiencing, but it's very hard to diagnose an issue without being able to actually see what is happening.

Yes. You can use an opaque white from whatever brand of paint you prefer to airbrush with. The results should be the same regardless of brand. Keep in mind I was using Strathmore 500 Series Bristol in this video which is very thick paper. A thick paper will hold up better to scratching and erasing techniques much better than a thinner paper if you use those techniques. Thank you for the kind words!

Paint adhesion (regardless of brand) is always a problem when painting over a silicone based product. I've actually been experimenting with a couple of adhesion promoters offered by Createx recently. I would recommend you try this one amzn.to/2Qxl3xg . I haven't played with it much at this point, but I've read really good reviews from others that have tried it on similarly difficult products to paint (rubber shoes, etc.). That particular adhesion promoter was actually developed for the special effects make up industry (latex, foam, silicone, etc). So, it is probably your best chance. I'd be interested in knowing whether it works out for you or not if you decide to give it a try.

Wicked Art Airbrush Studio Hi Trevor I tried the product and it work, just a thin layer of promoter and primer after that. Autoborne Primer is giving me a lot of trouble with my 0.3 airbrush, tip is constant clogged, will need to buy a bigger one. Thanks for the advice 😉

That's awesome! Glad I could help!

Yes, you can use any search engine and search for "tack rag" to find numerous choices. You can find the brand I've preferred to use for decades here amzn.to/323UgwB

It kind of depends on your own preference if it's just for practice. I prefer to paint on hard surfaces like aluminum or steel panels most of the time. If it's for a client or it's a portrait I plan to sell later I will always choose canvas.

@@wickedartstudio thanks, there are so many different types it's hard to know where to start

I believe the Strathmore 500 Series Bristol board I have is hot pressed (but I could be wrong). That stuff is terrible about shooting little fibers up once I put paint on it. Maybe I'm just too spoiled from years of working on mostly metal. Anyway, I prefer to do a little prep on paper before I put paint on it. Just thought I'd share what I do and why. It's just an option. Thanks for sharing your experience!

@@wickedartstudio I've got some Strathmore 300 Series Bristol board with a vellum finish....I use it mostly for intricate stencils or ones that need to be sturdier than ordinary paper--I never tried actually painting on it but I've never noticed any paper fibers sticking up after applying any paint.

Hmm. Perhaps I got a bad batch? I've had the stuff for years because I rarely paint on paper. Or, I wonder if the age of the paper has anything to do with it?

Hi Sped. Don't know if you have tried it but photo quality paper can achive some good results. It dosen't semm to wrinkle so much but i must admit i tend to use urethane paint as i struggle with water based. I have used water based on photo and it did seem to hold up better. Whether it's how i paint I don't know but it's worth a try. Hope it helps maybe. Guy

@@guyverney3606 Thanks Guy, but I've still got a decent supply of illustration board on hand if I ever get to do any serious photo-realistic paintings again. Right now I'm finishing a set of black t-shirts for some friends of mine....then I have a black leather jacket to do next.

It is a tedious process that requires some time. There's nothing wrong with purchasing the ready to paint options.

Thanks Paul!

The only double-sided tape I have experience with is 3M. And I use that mainly for replacing emblems and/or trim on vehicles after the paint work is complete. The 3M double-sided tape has very good adhesive properties and I think it would be a disaster if it was used on paper. There may be other double-sided tapes available that would be better for this purpose. Experiment and let us know what you find out, but experiment on something other than your artwork first!

I use a similar process for canvas as well, except I use Gesso.

​@@wickedartstudioI'm giving up on canvas board with multiple gesso layers with a ton of sanding. I'm just going to paint on thin wood panels and cut down the gesso and sanding process.

@@larikmezey3924I can't say I blame you. It's a lot of extra work that is time consuming.

@@wickedartstudio some much extra work and I dot always get it right either. I learn a lot of things from you I must say and I just got the same compressor as you did thanks to your video on it.

@@larikmezey3924 I appreciate the kind words and I think you'll be very happy with the compressor!

Hey Guy! I agree, that is a lot of effort for a piece of paper and I generally prefer to find a better substrate as well for many reasons (quality and longevity to name a couple). However, I think many of my viewers are beginners and I know what it's like to be held back financially. The synthetic papers have been all the rage in the last several years. The synthetics have some qualities I like and some qualities I don't. The synthetic papers designed for airbrushing are also quite expensive for what you get in my opinion. I happen to have a current project that I volunteered to do. I chose to paint it on paper to keep my cost down, as well as the cost of mailing it when it's finished (It will be mailed to the U.K). I thought it might be beneficial to show others how you can achieve some of the qualities from synthetic papers that I like using a base coat and a little bit of prep work on a less expensive sheet of paper.

Fair Do's Mate. Did the wood scenario make sense to you. Paper is very similar. Guy

It did. And it makes perfect sense since paper is made from wood, lol. Like I said in the video, it was a complete guess on my part as to why the fibers begin to stand once paint is applied. It's nice to have someone that knows what they're talking about confirm that! Thank you my friend!

What brand paint are you using to prime ?

I just use a piece masking tape rolled over on itself. Just be careful when you remove it when you're working with paper.

While I don't normally wear a respirator or a dust mask when creating videos because I am often talking, I do recommend others do so in order to protect their own health.

I completely agree. I want to incorporate videos covering both on my channel. I think the problem I've run into is the actual artworks take much more time to complete. The airbrushing process takes longer and so does the editing process because there's generally more footage to go through. The increased time required makes it more difficult for me to upload a new video every week. I think the weekly schedule will help the channel grow faster, but I'm not sure if that's the best approach yet. The next videos will concentrate on actual artworks though because I have the volunteered piece I mentioned in our conversation earlier to complete and a commissioned piece I need to complete after that. I'll cover both of those with tutorial videos. I'd be happy to paint the same reaper you painted on your laptop and create an instructional video for that as well (and I haven't forgotten about the overlapping rivet panel request either). If you don't mind sending me the original reference material and perhaps another pic of the one you painted (I'm not certain if I saved that email or not) when you have time. Thanks for the suggestions my friend! As I said, I'm trying to build this channel. So, taking suggestions from my viewers makes it much easier to pick the right direction!

Glad to be of service nmy friend. Things have gone a bit mental at the moment as track day season has arrived. Gone from nothing to do to 6 race kits in two weeks. Also, just got a new computer and i'm trying to get it how i like it. Just bought a new vinyl cutter/plotter and i can't get that to work either. Not happy. I will send you all my artwork and all the references i have in the next couple of days. The reference for the laptop is HR Giger. The Reaper i will dig out for you. I know it was a google image but i will send you what i can find if that's ok? Just cos I've a new computer the keyboard seems to have changed. WHY? Guy

I understand. Why is it everyone waits until the start of the season to get their work done? I think you'll dig the plotter once you get the hang of it... makes things so much faster and you can reproduce logo masks with a couple of mouse clicks! I'm relatively busy at the moment too. So, no rush on the pics. I'm the last person to be giving advice on anything computer related. Good luck my friend.

Hi Trev. I Emailed what I have to you. Could you just let me know if it came through as for some reason i can't find my sent items. Gonna bin the new computer and go back to my old one. It might be slow but it works. Thanks Guy

Yes, I got the email Guy. Thanks again my friend!

Apparently I've been scrutinized... lol. Seriously though, this is something I prefer to do in order to start with a very smooth surface. Moisture is also absorbed during these initial steps which prevents further distortion during the painting process. It's just an option I wanted to share. It's definitely not for everybody.