How to Make the Acrylic Version of Mr. Color Leveling Thinner

Sorry if you hear random clicking noises in the background, my dog was chewing on an empty Dr. Pepper bottle...
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[@johnatsf1564]

Wow, dude, this explains years of confusion for me! This video has restored my confidence in mixing paint for the airbrush. Thank you.

[@solskipper7107]

Great explanation and very practical video! 👍 Thinning Tamiya colors with straight alcohol (91%-99%) works very well for me

[@liquidbeefbag]

For hand painting a flow improver helps to make wash if you’re thinning down a paint. Or if making your own contrast/speedpaint. A bit will help with collection in recesses, and level the flat area. Too much and it will behave more like wash, and favour recesses. A small amount can help with levelling for base/layering,depends on particular paint, too much and paint handling might get weird. I use a flow improver from winsor newton for brush painting, so not sure how the surfactant concentration is different. Have yet to use airbrush. I have it, waiting for the weekend!

[@AsimPaints]

Thanks for tips!

[@FinsburyPhil]

I think the mix is fine for alcohol based acrylics like Tamiya and Mr Hobby Aqueous but I wouldn't put any IPA anywhere near something like Stynylrez acrylic primer - it'll just turn to goo. I would replace the IPA with acrylic thinner for proper water-based acrylic paint - not so cheap but you're still making it go much further.

[@AsimPaints]

@FinsburyPhil its actually not great for alcohol based ones like Tamiya as the water content is too high. If you've ever tried thinning Tamiya with just water, it's basically the same. It's not perfect for all water based acrylics, but for Vallejo it works really well, and I know Vallejo is one of the more stubborn ones.

[@robknight87]

You could probably replace the retarder with some mixture of propylene glycol and water. most of these artist brand acrylic retarders are pretty much a proprietary mix of mostly water and glycol. Flow aid can also be replaced by a very weak dilution of dish soap. Too much of either will ruin the paints adhesion and film strength.

[@roguemotionllc]

thanks for sharing this. I cant wait to make my own and try the spray paint hack you shared as well.

[@MoDub18]

I've been using a quite similar mix for my homemade thinner, I also add a couple drop of glycerin to help with the flow. I use Barbatos Rex recipe wich is similar to yours.

[@AsimPaints]

Yup! Basically the same as Barbatos Rex and other homemade recipes you'll find on KZbin, just with a decent amount more retarder. Most these other guys will only do like 10 or 20 drops or so of the stuff.

[@MoDub18]

@@AsimPaints Next batch I'll make I think I'll put less alcool like you did since I use 99%.

[@AsimPaints]

@@MoDub18 Let me know if it makes much of a difference! I do so because I know Vallejo breaks down if the alcohol concentration is too high.

[@iiiTestament]

Sorry but I think you’re little bit wrong. Vallejo Thinner is there to thin AND let the paint dry fast. Vallejo Flow Improver is just there for retarding, so the paint can flow and lay down better to surface (like you said too). But, both products do have their own jobs. What YOU created there is more a hybrid-mix, what is okay but not useful for every paintjob. I would mix in the retarder (flow improver) if I would need it a.e. for high gloss laquer. Also I think that so much water in the mix works same as a retarder itself so you wont need it anymore. Water retards and alcohol accelerates the drying. So, I like your hybrid selfmix, but Im not sure if it will work properly in every case. Thx for sharing anyway 💪

[@AsimPaints]

Yes, thinner alone will speed up the drying time. Flow improver does have a mild retarding effect, but it's not an outright retarder, it's main purpose is to break up the surface tension to allow it to spray smoothly through an airbrush. This helps with needle tip drying. Vallejo also makes a retarder product that is designed to slow the drying time of the paint drastically more than flow improver would. My mix here is an attempt to mimic Mr. Color Leveling Thinner, that is basically a slower drying time for the paint to settle, slower than if you were to use just water in the mix. But you make a good point that this isn't for every paintjob, and works really well for gloss finishes. But if you want more of a matte finish, that slow drying time, letting the paint settle, is not ideal. Mr. Color Leveling Thinner isn't recommended for matte finishes, and Mr. Hobby actually has a Mr. Rapid Thinner they recommend for matte finishes. You could tweak the formulation by lowering the retarder/water ratios, but for most people it'll get the job done fine. Thanks for the comment and watching!

[@TMacDo243]

That's a strange take, tbh. I get what you're saying, but I think you're over simplifying it a bit. I live at higher altitude and have noticed my ratios of stuff have to be a bit more on the retardant side of things because I get tip dry more easily than most people and what they recommend. With that said, retardant only does not work for me either. And to make it even more complicated it even changes depending on the season with summer being more humid. Like I said, you're over simplifying it a bit. No one solution is going to work for everyone, but this video is a pretty dang good start for people with dry tip and clogging issues I would say.

[@lylebriggs923]

Ya I would like to see a video on mixing your own colors of paint

[@AsimPaints]

I'll definitely make one!

[@liquidbeefbag]

How you liking the liquitex soft body? I really like their acrylic gouache.

[@AsimPaints]

I've only tested a little for hand painting and it's okay so far. Idk if it's worth the price, I got it for a good deal.

[@leonpelao4806]

Mr. Color Leveling Thinner is made with 2-Pentanone, 4-methyl-2-Pentanone, and 4-hydroxy-4-methyl. They are mild lacquer solvents. You could even use Mr. Color Leveling Thinner with enamel paints. Something that would not work with Alcohol/Water mixture.

[@AsimPaints]

Yes! This is purely a cheap (long term) acrylic only thinner. Mr. Color leveling thinner can actually be used on a handful of water based acrylics too, in addition to enamel and obviously lacquers. Best thinner on the market. But to clarify for anyone reading, this only applies to their LEVELING thinner. For whatever reason, their standard Mr. Color Thinner will not work with anything but lacquers.

[@aquaticnstuff7666]

@@AsimPaintswhich water based acrylics have you tried with mr color leveling thinner?

[@AsimPaints]

@aquaticnstuff7666 I personally haven't tried any, I use my leveling thinner exclusively with my mr. Color or Tamiya paints, but other painters in the hobby have attested to its compatibility with certain acrylic paints.

[@leonpelao4806]

@@AsimPaints Mr. Leveling Thinner will work with acrylic paints with a flammable symbol on the bottle. It will even work with Creos Mr Color Aqueous.

[@AsimPaints]

@@leonpelao4806 Yes, but apparently it also works with some water based acrylics, I just haven't tried it out myself.

[@saywise1106]

Perhaps you could use dishwasher spot reducers to replace the flow improver and retarder, I've heard it does the same thing but is cheaper.

[@AsimPaints]

Possible, I haven't heard of this specifically. I know there's a couple cheaper alternatives to make it even more budget, like glycerin. Personally, i rather stick with actual flow improver and retarded just cause they're specifically formulated for acrylic paints. Yeah the cost is a bit more up front but they'll get you literal gallons of homemade thinner!

[@goforitpainting]

I really like to use Vallejo Mediums.

[@AsimPaints]

Vallejo products are great!

[@vincehatina6987]

Can you substitute denatured alcohol for the isopropyl alcohol

[@AsimPaints]

I'm not 100% sure, might be worth trying to make a tiny batch to see how it reacts to paint.

[@mrthomasyip]

I diy my thinner and tried using it with the Mr Hobby model paint. I am not sure if I did the mixing in a correct ratio but somehow I had my airbrush kept clogging up. Did I not get the paint-thinner ratio correctly or is the alcohol make the paint faster in drying inside the airbrush chamber??

[@AsimPaints]

Mr. Hobby is a lacquer paint. This thinner is for acrylic water based paints only! Trying to mix anything but lacquer thinner with a solvent based paint like Mr. Hobby will cause issues like that. Even if it's their Aqueous "acrylic" brand, it's still solvent based like Tamiya, and this thinner won't work for it.

[@mrthomasyip]

Got it, will revert back to the Tamiya/Mr Hobby thinner instead. Thank you!❤

[@tumama001]

Hi, any chanche for the custom color mix video?

[@AsimPaints]

Eventually yes!

[@marekbambule5129]

Pfffffff...Ok guys, I just order my first airbrush HaS Ultra 2024 and whole 3 sets Squidmar/Valejjo paints for everything 😶...I have basket full of thinners, cleaners etc. for a LOT. So I spent 2 whole days searching DIY anything, and after all this found Vallejo is pretty much thinnable only with original thinner for airbrushing...I ordered all, glycerine, butylglykol, isopropanol etc.. Did I get it right ? I just must stick with their thinner ? 😏

[@AsimPaints]

@@marekbambule5129 Vallejo seems to be a trickier paint to work with when it comes to making your own thinner, but I think my formula works well because of the lower alcohol content. For airbrushing, I stick with Vallejo thinner, but for handbrushing I'll use my homemade one and still get great results.

[@charlieeverhart6646]

sorry dumb question.....Why does the water have an exp. date? lol

[@AsimPaints]

No idea lol. Only thing I can think of is plastic bottle degrades and will leech microscopic amounts of plastic into the water. Not sure how true that is.

[@BenjWarrant]

You said not to go to 3 to 1, and then you put 3½ units of IA into 12 units of water which is nearly 4 to 1.

[@AsimPaints]

I said normally this formula is 2:1 water to alcohol, which is too much alcohol for this. So 3:1 - 4:1 is better. Oh I see what you were referring to. I said I think it's not more than 3:1, but I was winging it and was fine with going over as the recipe doesn't have to be exact. I then said you don't want to go more than 2:1 but I misspoke!

[@johnaldridge5480]

You should add more precise measurements instead of about this much

[@AsimPaints]

@@johnaldridge5480 not how I work personally. Same with mixing paints with thinner, I try to develop an intuitive feel as opposed to replicating a recipe.

[@danieljanssen4580]

Get rid of that obnoxious noise in the background its distracting trying to focus on what you’re saying!

[@AsimPaints]

Which noise are you referring to? The background music?

[@danieljanssen4580]

@@AsimPaints yes, the “music” is distracting when trying to rear what you’re saying.

[@AsimPaints]

@@danieljanssen4580 I'll make sure the volume is lower next time, thanks for watching!

[@danieljanssen4580]

@@AsimPaints I did not mean to attack you and I hope you did not take it that way. I am a VERY experienced modeler and my concern is that folks like you that spend a ton of time trying to help others maximize their message. I love watching others because after 45 years working in the industry I still learn from others and I value everyone’s info…cause knowledge is power. I did enjoy your presentation keep it up!

[@AsimPaints]

@@danieljanssen4580 no worries, I always appreciate honest feedback!