Patreon Exclusive Turtorial

Hii!! 

**If the video is blurry click on the “open in app” button on the right top or open on a PC for better quality video!

Click here to watch the tutorial 

I was able to make this quick tutorial on the turtle flexi! This is the method I have been using for all my recent models. I have used this technique to paint the axolotl tadpoles, and the seal! 

In the video I am using an egg make-up sponge I had picked up from the store, the brushes are from brush sets from amazon. I used two kinds of paint, Vallejo, and the acrylic that I got from my local craft store! The glitter paint is Folkart! 

You can use this same technique with different paint colors and filament combinations to achieve the same results! 

for this turtle I had skipped the shading part with the sponge, brushed 3 layers of acrylic with a brush on the different sections of the shell the same way I did in the tutorial, then the eyes were done the same way as in the video. 

A few general tips that I follow for painting any of my models:

- Always use a dry brush for your first layer. some paints are more runny than others, you can prime your model with a clear matte spray to help prevent paint from running, however the best way to prevent this is by using a clean dry brush and not overloading it when picking up paint, dab the excess away. your first coat should be light and thin. 

-  Always apply at least 2 thin coats. Overloading the brush will result in thick layers with ridges and a bumpy surface, it is easy to go over the edges with an overloaded brush as well. Several thin coats results in the best finish and is much more manageable.

- It is very important to let the paint fully dry in-between coats, this applies to brushed on paint and the paint applied on with a sponge. Trying to apply more paint on already wet painted areas will result in paint lifting, bunching up, and it ends up looking spotty. I use a hair dryer if I am in a rush which will dry the paint within a few seconds. Careful not to overheat the model. 

- Be prepared to make mistakes. I regularly mess up while painting my models, sometimes I am able to save the print by washing the paint away with water toothbrush and handsantizer, or nail polish remover. Other times I am not able to save the print and I pass it off to my kids while I print another. At the beginning when I was just starting out, I made a lot of mistakes, but I also learned a lot as to what not to do. Although it can be frustrating not getting the result you want, don't give up! Keep practicing. 

- Search for color palettes online. For example my turtle was a forest green. If I wanted to try and match a different color to paint it with, I would search for "forest green color palette" This would bring up lots of color combinations to choose from that work well together. for shading with the sponge, I go a couple shades lighter or darker than my filament.  

- Dont paint on silk filament. This may be an unpopular advice, in my personal opinion silk filaments are awful to paint because there is nothing for the paint to stick to. The surface is very smooth and your paint will almost always run into the layer lines and it is extremely hard to apply an even coat. The best filament to paint are matte filaments. Matte doesn't require any priming as it is already grippy and accepts all kinds of paints, including chalk pastel dusting really well. You can make any filament matte but spraying it with a couple coats of clear matte spray. Here is an example of before and after 2 coats of clear matte spray:

However I think silks and glitter filaments are better left as they are, the shine and glittery effect stands out on its own. 

- There are alternatives to using UV resin as the top coat! You can use UV gel nail polish, The brushes it comes with are pretty thick and hard to use on small areas, use your own small brush to manage the nail polish better, or use the same technique as I use for the UV resin in the tutorial. There are other gloss top coats available as well which are not resin. Please always use gloves and a proper face respirator when handling UV resin as it is toxic, and make sure it is fully cured (no longer sticky) before handling.

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I think that sums it up! I am going to try to make more tutorials in the future! Sorry for the lack of sound, it seems that the sound I had added did not upload with the video, so I recommended you turn on some relaxing instrumental music while watching it hahahah

Click here to watch the Tutorial! 

Don't hesitate to reach out to me with any questions you have! 

Thanks!