Soapy

[Brandlin]

OK

Anyone have any ideas how I can paint or model this effect?


 or


I can do the water effect by simply adding a thin glaze of gloss varnish over the wet bits, but any ideas how I can do the soapy bits?

I've had suggestions of using bicarb of soda but the tests i've done makes this look grainy... i'm after something much more...SOAPY...

Help!

[Ajsalium]

And this has nothing to do with the grav bike, and the Megan Fox idea, and the DoD competition... right?

No idea how to make it, though. Hope someone will be able to offer good help.

[Brandlin]

And this has nothing to do with the grav bike, and the Megan Fox idea, and the DoD competition... right?

No idea how to make it, though. Hope someone will be able to offer good help.

Shhhhh, don't spoil it for everyone...

[Darknight]

If you get a water-based gloss varnish and mix some white paint in there, that might give you the effect you are looking for. You want something white, slightly translucent with a bit of body, I think. Something that will apply a small amount of texture or raised whatsit onto the model.

I've had success making thick blood with PVA glue and red / brown acrylic. It is slightly translucent and goes on thick, giving the impression of a viscous liquid (I typed viscious three times there, which is something quite different). Perhaps PVA glue and white paint would give something similar? You could gloss varnish over the top to make it shiny?

As for the quintessential "soapy bubbles" which such things demand, there are (I am certain) places which sell micro glass / plastic beads for various applications (I think some make-up uses such things?) You could drop a few of those on selected portions of the glue / paint mixture to create that "soapy bubbles" effect.

Of course, I add I have never tried any of this - so do experiment on a scrap model before ruining something! Those are just the methods I would experiment with to create such an effect.

[Lost Boy]

Looking at the pictures, I'm thinking you're going to have to make up a mix that'll separate on the model to give you the look of bubbles standing off of the water on the surface. So how about satin varnish on the model first, to seal it and give it a nonporous surface to work on, then apply a ready mixed mix ( ) of either satin or gloss varnish with a small amount of white or cream enamel paint in it. The enamel and acrylic won't mix properly so should, hopefully, separate and give you the streaky look you need.

Once it's dry (I think the enamel will take longer than the acrylic so you'll need to leave it a while...) you could highlight the enamel with acrylic (the acrylic varnish should seal it and give you the surface to work on) to make it stand out more. Then once it's all dry , give it another thin coat of satin to seal it all.

Might work...

[Avicenna]

The other trick used by military modellers is to use plaster of paris stippled on top of the water effects. I've seen this used to great effect as the foam at the bottom of a waterfall might work on a smaller area too...

[Brandlin]

Thanks for the ideas guys.

I've tried mixes of acrylic and enamel paint on things before and never been impressed so i might give that a miss.

I'm not averse to painting every single bubble on if necessary - its just time and patience!  So i am very interested in the glass/acrylic beads you mention. ANyone know where i can get some? I've goggled with no luck in the UK.

I think it sounds like
1. Gloss varnish and dullcote the model.
2. Apply pva or a gloss varnish to the area to be soapy and let it dry (establishing the 'wet bit')
3. Apply by swirl or stiple a mix of some snow effect or plaster agrgregate mixed with a pva medium possibly with some white paint for transulcent depth.
4. While wet apply some of the glass/acrylic beads for larger bubbles.
5. Allow to dry and seal with pva or gloss varnish lightly.

I also have some white Ink, so i'm wondering whether glazing the area with that between steps 4 and 5 will work.

I have a few pieces of scrap plastic painted up ready to practice on so i'll stick options on the blog.

thanks for the advice so far guys and keep it coming if you think of anything else....

[Lost Boy]

To be honest, I think it's going to be virtually impossible to do this convincingly at the scale I suspect you're working at. If you're willing to paint on every swirl and bubble and gradually build them up over time, that might be the way to go. But I definitely think it'll be a nightmare getting it right, and it could just end up looking like a messy paintjob.

I'd be happy to be proved wrong, though...

[Gangrel]

I've not tried it, but Vallejo make something called (I think) Foam & Snow Paste. It's a translucent white stiff paint that is supposedly ideal for doing effects such as the foam on waves. Perhaps (if ir works!) a combination of gloss varnish and that could be worth a look?

[Brandlin]

I've not tried it, but Vallejo make something called (I think) Foam & Snow Paste. It's a translucent white stiff paint that is supposedly ideal for doing effects such as the foam on waves. Perhaps (if ir works!) a combination of gloss varnish and that could be worth a look?

Hmm googling this it says it's completely opaque white when dried so more like a putty than a gel i think. I think i want something more translucent - but thatnks for the suggestion Lost Boy.

[Darknight]

Could you mix the paste with something transparent, like PVA, to make something translucent?

[Lost Boy]

I've not tried it, but Vallejo make something called (I think) Foam & Snow Paste. It's a translucent white stiff paint that is supposedly ideal for doing effects such as the foam on waves. Perhaps (if ir works!) a combination of gloss varnish and that could be worth a look?

Hmm googling this it says it's completely opaque white when dried so more like a putty than a gel i think. I think i want something more translucent - but thatnks for the suggestion Lost Boy.

'twas Gangrel

 

[Brandlin]

I've not tried it, but Vallejo make something called (I think) Foam & Snow Paste. It's a translucent white stiff paint that is supposedly ideal for doing effects such as the foam on waves. Perhaps (if ir works!) a combination of gloss varnish and that could be worth a look?

Hmm googling this it says it's completely opaque white when dried so more like a putty than a gel i think. I think i want something more translucent - but thatnks for the suggestion Lost Boy.

'twas Gangrel

 

oops sorry lost boy

thanks gangrel

Could you mix the paste with something transparent, like PVA, to make something translucent?

Not knowing how the chemicals might react i'd rather not spend the money.

What has been suggested elsewhere are the liquidex gels ...
http://www.artsupplies.co.uk/cat-texture-gel-mediums.htm
so i've just ordered the sand and the glass beads gel...

will post updates of progress.

[Darknight]

THAT'S where I saw the glass bead stuff - it was a textured paint thingie.

[gi6ers]

Or you could do something smaller like a dusty windshield and then do a clear bit with gloss...

[Captain Sprout]

This is probably more wavy than soapy but its a very classy effect and the modeller shows how he did it in the thread. Worth a gape even if not that helpful 

http://www.armorama.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=SquawkBox&file=index&req=viewtopic&topic_id=121617&page=8

The other thing you could try is adding water to 2 part clear resin, makes it very bubbly.

[Gangrel]

I've not tried it, but Vallejo make something called (I think) Foam & Snow Paste. It's a translucent white stiff paint that is supposedly ideal for doing effects such as the foam on waves. Perhaps (if ir works!) a combination of gloss varnish and that could be worth a look?

Hmm googling this it says it's completely opaque white when dried so more like a putty than a gel i think. I think i want something more translucent - but thatnks for the suggestion Lost Boy.

I'm not so sure of that - my girlfriend has some and although I've not studied it in detail, or used it, I think it's more of a translucent paint than a putty. I'd certainly say it's closer to a think paint and not especially opaque. Sorry I can't be more help.