Painters: Masking techniques?

[Nadesican]

Hey all! I'm a relatively new sculptor, but I quickly found out that painting (hand-brushing!) is far more tricky then the actual sculpture itself. The worst of it comes in repainting areas that get contaminated by paint from adjacent areas, usually because my hand decides to betray me.

I thought I read something about using frisket to prevent this, but what I've used so far (a watercolor frisket from Winsor & Newton) has been very disappointing. It doesn't always repel the larger paint spots, and I I've found I scratch up the surface of the sculpt while trying to remove the frisket itself!

If you guys have any tips for this, or how to hand paint decals without layering up the paint, I'd really appreciate it!

[Patsox]

I used to use Frog Tape because unlike the 3M blue painters tape it repells over painting as well as just masking the area. But after being on this site for awhile, I kept seeing people talk about using Silly Putty to mask areas. So I started using Silly Putty and never looked back. This stuff is great, you can mask almost anything, it can sit out overnight without drying out, it can be used over and over again even when it gets paint on it. It is very flexible and can be wedged into tight spots, it is a very versitle masking solution.

There are places on the web where you can purchase bulk amounts of putty (by the pound), but I just went to my local Michaels store and purchased a half a dozen of the little red eggs at a $1 a piece.

Give it a try, you won't regret it.

[android]

Yes, sculptures can create areas that cannot be reached with a paint brush and seem to take great joy in doing so.


There are a variety of methods and it depends on the situation.

Silly putty is great for large irregular areas, but it can get dislodged easily, so you have to be careful.

Latex is great but be sure to put on a few layers of clear coat first or it will leave weird stains.

The mold casting latex is much better than the masking latex for kits IMO.

Then you got all kinds of tape, standard masking tape, Tamiya tape, drafting tape (very narrow strips)

[jedideni]

Nadesican, I'm going to bump this over to the Workbench forum where more eyes will see it.

[Crazy Joe]

Eli (Zotzie) had posted an inquiry about masking before, and I had suggested Parafilm - I use it almost exclusively for masking figures these days. It's gotten easier and easier to use for me.

A tutorial can be seen on Filmy's modeling website, althought the exact URL escapes me right now...

[Joseph Osborn]

I have never used Silly Putty for masking but I've been reading about it for years. What temperature is appropriate for using it as a mask? It seems that lower temps would be better since it can get really soft and saggy as it gets warm. For those who are using it to mask, does it sag noticeably when left on a vertical surface overnight? I've used liquid latex mold builder and that stuff can be murder on acrylic paint even under a couple of coats of sealer.

[Pucho]

What temperature is appropriate for using it as a mask?

Room temp is fine.

For those who are using it to mask, does it sag noticeably when left on a vertical surface overnight?

A little, but nothing that a little nudging won't fix

Seriously though, silly putty is about as easy as it gets, imo. Don't overthink it, just try it

[Patsox]

I have never used Silly Putty for masking but I've been reading about it for years. What temperature is appropriate for using it as a mask? It seems that lower temps would be better since it can get really soft and saggy as it gets warm. For those who are using it to mask, does it sag noticeably when left on a vertical surface overnight? I've used liquid latex mold builder and that stuff can be murder on acrylic paint even under a couple of coats of sealer.

My modeling space is in our sunroom which is not air conditioned and can get quite warm (I use an oscalating fan that runs almost 24/7 in the summer months to keep the temp down for my paints and materials, and me when I am in there) and have not had a problem with the putty getting too soft or saggy when I use it. I would say the room in the summer can get up to 80+ degress on hot days even with the fan going.

As someone else pointed out earlier, the Tamiya small masking strips work very well also in tight areas.

P.S Down side of a modeling room in a sunroom is that I don't get get to do as much modeling in the winter months, kind of the opposite of what most might do, considering modeling is an indoor task.

[Joseph Osborn]

Cool. I'll be sure to give Silly Putty a try on the next figure I paint.

[dr.realart.md]

Parafilm M is what I read works absolutely the best for masking. It's a laboratory product used to seal test tubes. I personally haven't tried it, yet. Other stuff I've heard people use-Silly Putty, Blue Tack, Tamiya tape, painters tape and latex. I have used all of the latter and each one has it's own pitfall. So far I like Tamiya tape the best!

[tay666]

I've used silly putty a couple of times, but the problem I have with it, is getting it off the kit.
Sometimes it gets stuck in the little nooks and doesn't want to come out.

[Joseph Osborn]

Parafilm M is what I read works absolutely the best for masking.

I used it back a few years ago when it was the "new kid on the block" for masking but I didn't think it stuck all that well at the edges. Maybe I was using it wrong, like stretching it too much or something. Tamiya tape and similar paper tapes like Yellow Frog Tape have always served me very well for masking on mechanical-type models.

Glad Press N' Seal is a quick overall masking solution when you want to cover a large area after you've masked off an edge.

[Glusniffer]

3M blue painters tape. You can see WIP shots of in it use in my "Savage Land Rouge" thread in this same forum.

[AZ]

After trying the various recommended masking techinues, I now rely almost exclusively on Silly Putty. I use regular Saran Wrap (or the Costco brand) for large coverage areas, and stick down the edges with Silly Putty.

I bought a box of Parafilm, but my experience was similar to Joseph's. I guess I need to watch the tutorial.

As for getting Silly Putty out of little nooks, I just take a small ball of putty, press it into the nook where the stuck putty is, and it lifts right out.

I tried the Glad Press n Seal, but the last time I used it, it left a sticky residue on my model. YRMV

Years ago I used the various blue low-stick masking tapes, and I still do on the rare occasion I need a perfectly straight line. I am very careful when I lift it off to avoid damage to the paint under the tape.

Caution: Dullcote (lacquer) "melts" the Silly Putty. This is usually not much of a problem for me, since I apply Dullcote in several light passes. I just wait a little while until the Silly Putty is no longer gooey before I remove it.

[razorwyre1]

i usually use liquid latex as a mask (many "liquid friskit"s are actually thinned latex.) the latex used for making mlds works fine, but may need to be thinned a little with distilled (NOT TAP) water. you should also apply a little hand soap to your brush bristles before using them for latex to keep the latex from sticking to the bristles.

[tay666]

As for getting Silly Putty out of little nooks, I just take a small ball of putty, press it into the nook where the stuck putty is, and it lifts right out.

I tried that, and ended up with more putty in the grooves.
Probably a combination of the flat finish, and the deep texture I was working with on both kits I tried it on.