I need help with a paint scheme

[mark poulson]

Three weeks ago I painted some 1.5 cranks with a light green pumpkin back and shoulders, and then shot a very reduced black over the back.

The black kind of clumped up, and I really like the effect.

Unfortunately, when I tried to repeat it, I couldn't.

Does anyone here have any idea what made the black paint act that way?

[RPM]

Mark you hit the nail on the head, I've done this before many times, especially when shooting the paint mixture with to much thinner, there is not enough pigment in the paint to cover thus leading to your results posted, the to thin mixture seems to pool and create this effect, I think it's on the verge of running but since it's on the top of the lure it has no where to run. Sorry I wish I had a better way to describe it, but it does make for a pretty cool effect. I've often thought I ruined the bait and wanted to wipe it off but went ahead and put the heat gun to it, sometimes the heat gun will make it seperate more, giving it a pourus, texted effect.

Please see example, sorry it's  not the best because I tried to cover it with pearl mixed into the clear coat, but you should be able to see it well enough.

I should add, it happens to me mostly when I use Createx Candy Transparent Black, very rarely will it happen when using an opaque paint.

Thanks Rich

Edited October 19, 2020 by RPM

[JD_mudbug]

Nice finish. It's annoying when you can't recreate a happy accident. Like RPM said, probably not enough pigment.

Could there had been something in your gun after rinsing out the green that hit the lure first when you sprayed the black?

Is it possible the green paint wasn't not fully set?  I have accidentally got some crackle finishes and splotchy finishes when the underneath paint was not fully dry when I thought it was. I put on the top paint evenly. The underneath paint still has a bit moisture causing the top to pool to random spots. Sometimes the top paint semi-dries first. Then, the underneath paint finishes drying and pulls the top paint to a crackle appearance.

[mark poulson]

15 hours ago, RPM said:

Mark you hit the nail on the head, I've done this before many times, especially when shooting the paint mixture with to much thinner, there is not enough pigment in the paint to cover thus leading to your results posted, the to thin mixture seems to pool and create this effect, I think it's on the verge of running but since it's on the top of the lure it has no where to run. Sorry I wish I had a better way to describe it, but it does make for a pretty cool effect. I've often thought I ruined the bait and wanted to wipe it off but went ahead and put the heat gun to it, sometimes the heat gun will make it seperate more, giving it a pourus, texted effect.

Please see example, sorry it's  not the best because I tried to cover it with pearl mixed into the clear coat, but you should be able to see it well enough.

I should add, it happens to me mostly when I use Createx Candy Transparent Black, very rarely will it happen when using an opaque paint.

Thanks Rich

I think you're right about "over thinning", so the paint film is weak.  I'd have to do some experimenting.  My problem is I'm lazy, so I don't like to break out the airbrush just for testing.  Hahaha

[mark poulson]

13 hours ago, JD_mudbug said:

Nice finish. It's annoying when you can't recreate a happy accident. Like RPM said, probably not enough pigment.

Could there had been something in your gun after rinsing out the green that hit the lure first when you sprayed the black?

Is it possible the green paint wasn't not fully set?  I have accidentally got some crackle finishes and splotchy finishes when the underneath paint was not fully dry when I thought it was. I put on the top paint evenly. The underneath paint still has a bit moisture causing the top to pool to random spots. Sometimes the top paint semi-dries first. Then, the underneath paint finishes drying and pulls the top paint to a crackle appearance.

JD, I use a really weak water/soap solution to clean my airbrush between coats.  I'll have to check and see if that's the problem.  Thanks.

[eastman03]

Cool effect.  I believe I've had this happen before to a similar effect.  I seem to have this happen with a few of my paints that I did not shake well enough.  So similar problem as to over thinning, basically not enough pigment.  It happened to my orange paint, a pearl white and a  black as well.  Was super watery and dried splotchy like that (I was going for a nice smooth finish).  When I tried to actually stir the paint with a stir stick, turns out I had a bunch of the pigment clumped up and stuck to the jar.  Especially orange, I have had lots of trouble with oranges lol. 

[JayBee]

Check out this video from Jekyll Baits on YouTube, seems like she achieves a similiar effect.

[swimb8s]

I have had this happen from a lot of reducer and having the airbrush too close and moving too slowly across the lure as opposed to a quicker controlled even spray . I almost got a kind of bloodline effect , I'll find them and post pics

 

Tommy

[MonteSS]

My mistake that I really like but not sure how I did it. i think the Wicked detail colors may contribute to it.

[mark poulson]

11 hours ago, MonteSS said:

My mistake that I really like but not sure how I did it. i think the Wicked detail colors may contribute to it.

Did you shoot the green over the gold, or the gold over the green?

[MonteSS]

I think i shot the Wicked Moss green and then Createx Pearl gold over it but don't remember.

[mark poulson]

13 minutes ago, MonteSS said:

I think i shot the Wicked Moss green and then Createx Pearl gold over it but don't remember.

Thanks.  Looks like you and I have the same memory issues.  Hahaha

I guess I'll just have to play around with the paints until I can get the effect again.

[MonteSS]

Well Jen lays down Createx transparent red and sprays wet  on wet over that with Wicked Detail. 

[mark poulson]

I was able to duplicate that paint effect.

I took a crank that I'd already painted and topcoated, and sprayed it with a mixture of my water/dishwashing liquid cleaner and opaque black Createx.  I used an already top coated lure because I wanted the gloss finish so the black mixture wouldn't bond really well to the crank. 

I filled my airbrush cup half full of the cleaner, added three drops of the black, mixed it in the cup, and then sprayed it down the back of the crank from 18" away with light pressure.  I held the painted crank still for a minute, and then hung it to air dry.  Because the paint is so diluted, it has no film strength, so it's really fragile until it dries.

I got the same paint effect.

I thought about it last night, and I realized that it looked like the paint hadn't mixed with the thinning agent, but had clumped together like an emulsion.  Liquid dish washing soap is an emulsifier, breaking up grease into  tiny globules that can be washed away with hot water.  I think I had added my original 4011 to my airbrush  cup with some of the cleaning fluid still in it the first time it happened.  Kind of a happy accident.

Now that I know how to do it, I'll paint my cranks up to the mottled black back, shoot a coat of gloss clear over them, and then come back the next day and spray my water/soap/black paint mix over the back.  Once that air dries, so my hair dryer doesn't move the black around, I'll shoot two more coats of clear over them, and I'll be done.  And I'll try it with other paint schemes, too.  I bet it would look good on the back and sides of a black and red craw.

I'll take a picture tomorrow, once it's dried, and post it here.

Edited October 26, 2020 by mark poulson

[mark poulson]

Here is a picture of the original "mistake" on the right, and my copy on the left.  I'm no photographer, but, then again, I'm no painter.  Hahaha

The mottling was finer on my copy, but I'm going to play around with the amounts of paint I add, and even some 4011, to see if I can get the larger effect.