Where to get Acrylic Gel Medium in the UK? and water help?

[Starfreak07]

Hi,

I have been looking at a few posts on making water, as i have never done this before i am a complete noob at it, so i have read every post on this form about it and came to the guess that everyone recommands Acrylic Gel Medium. I am still searching for other methods of simulating water.

Anyway my question, where can i buy this Acrylic Gel Medium in the UK? Or is there a alternative?

Any help on this would be great.

Simon

[Starfreak07]

I forgot to add, has anyone used Vallejo Transparent Water?? As i can get this from my local Hobby Shop.

Cheers

Simon

[mike mccabe]

Simon
You can get acrylic gel usually from a good art shop, though I must say I have had trouble getting the brand I usually use, Windsor and Newton, recently. It comes either in a little jar or a tube, but ask and make sure you get gel rather than gesso paste or similar. If you can get it then the fine type is best

Mike

[Starfreak07]

Thanks Mike, whats the best way of using it? and is it easy to make waves with it?

Sorry if this has been asked before but i am a complete noob at water and diorama stuff..

Cheers

Simon

[mike mccabe]

There are a lot of explanations on this site of how to make water, I find gel the easiest method, when I can get hold of it! One method I and quite a few others use is to use watercolour paper as a base, look at Peter Fulgoney's harbour dio from a couple of days ago, he gives a good explanation. The gel is quite thick so you use it the way you would a filler or similar, let it dry for a few minutes and it is easy to shape into waves. There are plenty of alternative methods but I find this gives a good effect for a calm to moderate sea.

mike

[Karsten]

Here I have found the best Art/Craft shops all have a pretty good selection of Liquitex in both the Jars and tubes.

The 1st time I went looking I checked in the wrong deptment and didn't find it so I ended up ordering from Rexart.com.

Later while picking up some oil paint I found 2 shelves of Liquitex products from acrylic gel paint to clear gel.

As stated ealier by Mike McCabe there are a lot of How To's using both the Gel and a few other mediums for water.

Myself I use the thick water color paper, cut out for the ship/boat then glue to a sheet of Luwan Mahogany floor underlayment.

Using a large bush I cover the water color water with one of 3 Acrylic Gels I have (Tube shuff is thinker and makes for better waves and peaks) then with a variety of Pallette/Painting Knives I begin to form the waves and peaks...No expert but I am getting better.

I then paint darker blue areas working up to lighter shades for depth and finishing up with Winter White or similar Hobby Acrylic Paints, Some washed down with water and a small brush to blend the shades.

Finish with Future floor wax then redo what you don't like and repeat.







Karsten

[Rob]

Hi,

I have been looking at a few posts on making water, as i have never done this before i am a complete noob at it, so i have read every post on this form about it and came to the guess that everyone recommands Acrylic Gel Medium. I am still searching for other methods of simulating water.

Anyway my question, where can i buy this Acrylic Gel Medium in the UK? Or is there a alternative?

Any help on this would be great.

Simon

Simon,

Your best bet is Hobbycraft if you have one nearby , or any decent art shop will seel it. Brands to look for are either Daler-Rowney or Windsor & Newton. Both are similair, but Daler Rowney is a it finer and dries faster.

Cheers,

Rob

[Peter Fulgoney]

Looking at your details Simon, I would say your nearest HobbyCraft is in Maidstone - St. Peter's Street, adjoining TK Maxx. 2hrs of parking BTW. Also you can buy the artists paper there, and coloured acryllic paint as well - good for painting the 1:700 crew figures as it comes out thick and so gives them a bit of "body".

Also thery've got some very nice leather jackets at the TK for reasonable prices so you can do the two tegether, and then pop up the High Street for a pizza at ASK.

Cheers,

Peter F

[Rob]

Looking at your details Simon, I would say your nearest HobbyCraft is in Maidstone - St. Peter's Street, adjoining TK Maxx. 2hrs of parking BTW. Also you can buy the artists paper there, and coloured acryllic paint as well - good for painting the 1:700 crew figures as it comes out thick and so gives them a bit of "body".

Also thery've got some very nice leather jackets at the TK for reasonable prices so you can do the two tegether, and then pop up the High Street for a pizza at ASK.

Cheers,

Peter F

Which is the best till in TK Max?



R

[Peter Fulgoney]

Actually there's one waiting line so the next customer goes to the next till available.

Cheers,

Peter F

[Starfreak07]

Thanks for all the good advice on this, i found a UK site that sells the Liquitex Gel Mediums, but this is where i am getting confussed, do i need Gloss Gel Medium? Matt Gel Medium? Ultra Matt Gel Medium? Gloss super Heavy Gel Medium?

other questions on this gel, can i lay it straight down on say MDF? Or do i have to paint the blue first or whatever sea colour i need for the build? i have searched for some step by step picture posts or in tip sections and can't find anything, as they say picture says a thousand words..

Cheers

Simon

[Karsten]

Myself and again I am still working out all the bugs it this water stuff.

I start by glueing a sheet of Heavy Textured Water Color Paper down with a cut out area for the hull.

I then have the following Liquitex products, Gloss Heavy Gel (Jar), Meduim Matte Gel (Jar), a large Tube of Opaque White (could get by with a small tube) and a small tube of Clear Opaque.

I also have a bottle of Mogde Pogde paste or glue to smooth the surface out if need be.

After the Water Color Paper has dryed I spread a skim coat with the Heavy Gel and a larger Pallette/Painting Knife adding the start of swells here and there and let it dry.

With a wet flat brush I start to add more to the waves, crests, initial wake ect using the Meduim Bodied Gel and let that dry.

Next with Acrylic Craft paint (about .59-.89 a bottle here) I start the color.
I have about 20 bottles of shades of dark blue, through all the ocean blues, greens, grays, lamp black, charcol grey and a bunch of whites like Winter, Spring, Fall, egg shell....Just start buying every color you think you will need.

I also have a few plastic mixing trays to pour the paint in as well as water to make a wash.

Figure out where you want the deep water keeping in mind very deep water is extremely dark blue to almost black and gets lighter as the depth is shallower.

So figure out what you want and paint smaller areas of the darkest color slowing working to the lighter shades all the way up to the White Crests of the waves.

Example, paint your dark blue areas then some medium blue to a blue green and with clear water blend the paints together and left it dry. Come back with the lighter blue green and a water wash and paint everthing and let that dry.

Now you have an idea of your surface so you can start making more waves, swells and what not. Do the smaller waves, swells and crests with a Small Pallette knife ( took a grinder to one so it come to a shape point and is some what curved for this).

This is a good time to add your wave crests, wake or bow curls that are going to be White so in comes the Tube of White Opaque Paint and the same small pallette knife and smooth if all out with the Modge Pod Paste.

Then start painting again until you are happy and then give it a coat a Future Floor Wax and let it dry.

Then when you see where you messed up, want less dark blue more more of something else just start again with the gel, paint, washes or the shades of white and water to high light some swells.

It is your canvas and your work of art so you need to figure out what works for you and is within your comfort zone.

My 1st try was a 2X3 inch piece of craft ply wood and is nothing but water with waves. Next was a 3x5 inch piece the same ply wood with a 1/350 scale German Seaplane, then and IJN Destroyer and then a small diorama with beach, dock and a muddy river and hte USS Keokuk Cival War Iron Clad.

This is the IJN Destroyer that I paid $4.00 for that has been a test for P/E, Weathering, smoke and water.



Then the Keokuk the I need to get back and finish here soon.




And the Keokuk after a little more work.



Have a go at it and see what happens and doing it this way it doesn't matter if you get Matte, Gloss or High Gloss as the Future Floor wax wiil give you the Gloss you want for water.

Karsten