Last year, I made the incredible discovery about painting model horses with vodka. Over the year, I did some tests to see how far you could really go with this medium. The answer may be surprising.
Please refer back to my previous posting about using vodka to paint. (Link to the previous post is at the bottom of this page). This post will be more about the dos and do nots.
Why is vodka so good for painting?
Vodka usually hangs around 40% alcohol but can go up to 95%. The reason its so good for detail work is that unlike water, it evaporates immidiently. No running and ruining the finish, it dries where you paint it, no questions asked. It also does not react with your paints, primers, or sealants! Win!
Vodka vs. Rubbing Alcohol
Can you use rubbing alcohol instead of vodka (one or the other are probably in your house right now) and the answer is YES. Rubbing alcohol works exactly the same, but has a higher alcohol percentage. That means it will evaporate faster.... but don't drink it.
The downside about painting with alcohol
Sigh... Unfortunately alcohol is really only good for high detail things (eyes, designs, etc). Once it dries, your pigment or pearl-ex virtually becomes like a chalk on the model and will flake off. Using it as paint on a full model is not advised - it will not have full coverage and not be durable! Pearlex is NOT opaque upon application, if you want more than eye dots, numerous coats are needed and sealing between each later is a must. Like water colours, alcohol will reactivate upon contact with more alcohol and will melt your progress. Sealant is the key.
How to succeed
No fear! Painting with alcohol is easy with the right tools.
Remember these tips:
If your'e going to use alcohol, seal 3 min right after application
If you are going to coat your model in more than just a dot of alcohol AND want opaque results, paint a base layer of acrylic paint in the same colour first.
If you are going to coat your model in more than just a dot of alcohol AND want clear glitter results, paint pearlex as is with alcohol.
Do not saturate your brush in alcohol, a little goes a long way
Mix your "paint" on a pallet before painting it on and do it quickly before it dries. Add more alcohol as needed.
Water cleans things up.
Pigment stains even more if you spill it with vodka....
Need a refresher? Here is the previous post about my experiment with vodka! https://andreab527.wixsite.com/thefoalwatch/post/painting-with-vodka
