Hello guys,
I wonder what kind of medium do you guys use to thin the printer´s ink paste. I was thinking about using a linseed oil as a medium, but it would dry very slowly. If you use a synthetic gloss varnish, how do you clean your brushes then? Im a little bit lost with this, so give me a hand, please thanks
R.L.

I believe white spirit works well, I have some but haven't used them yet so will be interested in the answers.

Steve

I just apply straight from the jar. I usually use it for metallic edges which have scuffed. I know somepeople mix it with oil paints and the oil from the oil paints too.
I've never done a large area such as armour but for the scuffing it looks great. I did it on this mug.



As for cleaning...jeez I've tried everything...and they never get a good clean theres always residue left. I have a number of brushes I just use for the printers inks.

White spirit or any medium you use with oils, Inks can also be mixed with Oils

Good point Gellso, have 3 brush jars, one for Acrylics, one for oils and one for metallics

You might try thinners on the brush but just the barest whiff of it cos it's pretty fierce stuff.

Steve

I use W&N Liquin original which seems to work quite well and just clean the brush in turps.

I've used Liquin in the past, with a dab or two of mineral spirits to give the mixture a flowing consistency (when sort of 'floating' it on). I've also applied it as a stiff paste, just using brush pressure to spread it out.

How would you clean your brush normally? Same way.

Einion

Dear Robert,
If you want to paint a large surface I recommend to dilute it with turpentine plus sansador (w&N) or Essence de petroleum in 50/50. Add a little clear varnish enamel based like Marabu so will be protected from oxidation. Changing the proportions you can have more bright or less bright metal. If you used just enamel thinners maybe you loose the brightness of the metal. It depends what are you looking after. Clean your brush with white spirit, use this brush and thinner only for the metals! Do use the same brush or thinner for your colors. I hope that helps.

I use mostly white spirit, or spirit.

Cheers

Hendryk

Liquin for me does the trick.Clean brush with white spirit (turpentine gives me a thumping sore head) I usually give the brush a wash with soapy water to make sure you get rid of all the residue.
Brian

oilpaint will do it for the first layers. Gold with burnt umber and silver with black.
Highlight with W&N liquin.
High highlight pure inkt.

marc

I use Humbrol enamels.

I like to use Sandsodor by W/Newton or there distilled turpentine, but white spirits works also and speeds up the drying. The beauty of these is you can mix and blend them with oil paints to get some cool effects and shading etc ...


Carlos

I mix Printers Ink with Humbrol Gloss Black and sometimes other gloss Humbrol colours depending on the effect. Sometimes I use artist oils instead.

Cleaning and additional thinning is done with White Spirit or a similar product that I dont think translates that well, but heres the Wiki english definition.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineral_turpentine

Cheers
Janne Nilsson

Thank you all my friends, I very much appreciate your advices.
Stelios: thank you for a perfect explanation, will try to add a bit of gloss varnish in it
Marc: very good tip due I am an oil painter too, thanks.

happy painting to all, and thanks again

R.L.

I mix whatever ink I wish to use with the appropriately coloured oil paint (gold/brown, silver/black) and a dab of Liquin. I was advised (and actually listened ) to use cobalt dryer with the ink if I wanted to achieve a bright metal finish using the ink by itself. I generally clean my brushes using white spirits in two steps - gross wash and then a clean wash.

I use Zippo fuel to thin it down and apply the first coats over a dark acrylic. The metallic vibrancy is not lost at all and the ink dries almost immediately.

Cheers
Nicolas

Like everyone has mentioned White Spirts and it blends well with oil paints , which reminds me I need to get some more Bronze .
chippy

Mixing Printer's ink with a thinner or solvent such as "white spirit" does not qualify as a paint "medium" for carrying the thick pigmented paste that is printer's ink. To get a good metallic sheen and a smooth surface, the ink needs a carrier or medium. Liquin qualifies as a medium, "white spirit" does not.

I use the clear liquid at the top of a bottle of Testor's gold enamel paint. Do not shake or stir the paint, but let the metallic powder settle into the bottom of the bottle - as it usually does when the bottle has been resting idle for a length of time. Only take the clear liquid from the top of the jar - and mix the ink directly into this liquid. Thin with enamel paint thinner.

Testor paint is an enamel, so it can then be thinned and cleaned off the brush with paint thinner or "white spirit" or "mineral spirits" - all names for the same stuff. The secret to getting a good metallic finish is to make sure that the paint flows easily and smoothly off the brush. Also, avoid building up the paint in layers. The more layers you add, the more the heavy metallic pigments will have a tendency to "gob up" and add unwanted brush marks and ripples in the surface of the paint.

I hope this helps.....