"PVA Glue for Painting" Topic

I have heard this over and over again. Games Workshop even recommends it in their "How to Paint" book!

But I still can't work up the courage to try it myself. It seems so... wrong.

Also I worry about commiting one of my beautiful and expensive Kolinsky brushes into anything containing glue.

What is the correct procedure for adding PVA to paint? For using PVA with water for glossing or smoothing a surface?

Should I use a very cheap brush or will diluted PVA be safe on any brush?

Will any PVA work? I currently use Elmer's White PVA.

Elmers works great, it dilutes very easily and leaves a glossy surface. You will want to pick up a couple of packs of cheap natural fiber hobby brush packs in various sizes.

I have never added PVA to paint, instead I usually dilute with acylic floor polish and water (I use it only for ink washes however).

Oh yeah, concerning your questions; I have never had a problem rinsing straight PVA glue out of brushes after hitting figure bases with liberal abounts for basing with gravel. You will need to change your rinse water more frequently but that is only a concern if you are rinsing large amunts of glue into it. If a small amount is present from the rinse water, it has actually helped to reshape some of my cheap brushes and has had no detrimental affect.

I see.

Thank you WeeSparky =)

can someone please explain what adding pva glue to paint acctually does.Never tried it myself so i'm a bit curious.

Adding PVA to paint makes for a colored protective shell - kind of like the "miracle dip" using Future floor acrylic. It creates a tinted overcoat.

Elmer's school glue dries flat, BTW.

There are two types of Elmer's, the traditional white and a blue "gel" that dries to a "glossier" finish. I don't usually paint models that have "shiny" surfaces so my definition of glossy may be a little scewed.

Sorry for the confusion.

I have used white PVA, added to washes to give them a little 'body'. It also helps them stay in the shadows. But recently I have taken to using acrylic matt medium for the same job, and I think it works better.

Both wash out of brushes as well as any acrylic paint.

Well, you can also buy acrylic medium from an art shop, but it is very close to the same stuff.

The acrylic medium is more expensive... HOWEVER, given the quantities we work with, even a small bottle will last a lifetime (as long as you don't paint terrain with it).

I bought a 25ml bottle of Rowney acrylic medium some 20 years ago, and I still have plenty left.

Given that, it's pretty immaterial what it costs...

Ahhh.

Ok.

I have bottles of Winsor and Newton Flow Aid/Retarder.

I'll stick with that instead of PVA.

Well, maybe just a little experimenting.

Thanks fellerz.

One thing PVA glue does when mixed with paint is that it allows you to build up 'blobs' where they might be handy.

I used some Vallejo white and a tiny, tiny touch of blue mixed with PVA to make some nice windows on some 1/278th scale high-tech vehicles. The result was nice, rounded, smooth fills that looked, well, like windows... Sort of a cockpit window effect.

After that dried, a drop of clear gloss acrylic set them off nicely.

~mArK

If you mix washing up liquid with poster paints it makes it waterproof!

How do you mean waterproof?

What is poster paint?