Createx Auto Air Hot Rod Sparkle

[janmillen]

I do shirts for Family and Friends. Just a hobby, but I love doing this for them. Maybe another shirt painter can help me make a decision.

I have a video by Kent Lind. In it, he used white Createx's Auto Air Hot Rod Sparkle on a black shirt. It really did look nice and sparkled when the light caught it. I usually paint on white or very light color shirts. Just wondering if I could use one of the darker Hot Rod Sparkles, like gold, blue, red, etc. to get that "POP" effect on white shirts?

I'd like some comments and ideas from anyone who has used Hot Rod Sparkle (or something like it) on white or light colors to put a little "POP" in it. I'm just trying to decide what 2 colors might be the best to purchase for white.

I'm not opposed to trying things out, but at almost $15.00 for 4oz. plus shipping, I'd like to minimize the TRIAL & ERROR as best as I can.:headbang:

Thanks for reading, Jan

[sped17]

Wow, Kent actually used Auto Air on a t-shirt? I'm kind of surprised, I would question the durability of it in terms of withstanding washing. When I asked the experts at Createx a few years ago whether I could use Auto Air on leather jackets, they sort of shot down my idea and recommended I use regular Createx textile paint instead. Of course I ignored their advice and used the Auto Air anyway, which worked quite well.

I guess if Kent Lind used AA on a shirt.....and put it in a video to boot.....then I suppose it must be a viable paint for cloth. I don't have any of the Hot Rod Sparkle series in all the Auto Air I still have....but I would think the blue or red would work well on white shirts. Even the gold would probably work. Though I do think it would be a more subtle effect on white than it would be on a black shirt.

I have a different method for doing exactly what you want---nice sparkly bling for shirts. Curiously, Kent Lind also has an article in an issue of Airbrush Action from a couple of years ago using the same method I use....though I had been doing it for a while already before the article came out. What I do is mix HOK Ice Pearl in the clear base of whatever paint system you use....in my case I use E'tac so I mix the Ice Pearl in Extend-air, which is the clear base for the E'tac Private Stock. I then top it off with a couple of good coats of plain Extend-air (with no pearl in it) and then heat-set like usual. As long as you wash your airbrushed shirts in cold water on gentle or delicate cycle (plus turning the shirts inside-out prior to washing) and preferrably hang-dry rather than use a clothes dryer....that Ice Pearl sparkle is extremely durable.

And if Auto Air actually IS durable on shirts, that gives me another idea for a different special effect. How about using the AA Gem Chameleon colors? These of course work best on black or darker colors....but they CAN be used for some neat effects over other colors as well. I had a bass guitar that I painted with AA Irridescent Brite Blue...then dusted on several light coats of Gem Chameleon Ruby (shifts from coppery red to green) which resulted in a blue base that looked reddish violet from certain viewing angles and blue-green from other angles.

Another time I used the Gem Chameleon Ruby that turned out great was this: I sprayed a basecoat of light yellowish tan--no metallic or pearl. Then I mixed some bright gold pearl powder in my clear base and marbleized by dabbing it on with crumpled Saran Wrap. After that was dry, I airbrushed a dark reddish brown in some random areas, some streaks like veins in marble, and also crimped my airhose and stippled as well. Then I dusted on two light coats of a metallic bronze color--not enough to change the overall color, just to add some more sparkle to it. Then I sprayed a couple coats of the Gem Chameleon Ruby over all that, followed by some protective clear. When viewed from straight on it had a distinct greenish cast to it....but when you looked at it from a bit of an angle it turned to a reddish overall color. Yet you could still see all the previous stuff I had painted....and the gold marbleizing would appear and disappear from different viewing angles as well. I'm still kicking myself for not getting photos of it before sending it in the mail--it was all done on a 5" x 7" paper envelope and I painted the card inside it with the same color scheme to match. The reason I didn't shoot any photos is that a lot of pearl effects, especially color shift pearls, are difficult to photograph if they are used for a subtle effect rather that their normal in-your-face color shift use.

Sorry I got a little long-winded with my answer Jan....I just like messing about and experimenting with different pearl effects in other uses than their usual automotive applications. Fun stuff!

[AndyW]

Know that wickeds and auto-borne can be used quite happily on shirts, as apparently the first wicked formulation was directed at T artists hence you used to only be able to buy in big bottles. What I was told by a Createx retailer anyway.

[janmillen]

sped17,

Don't worry about the length of your answer. Thanks for taking the time to answer. I appreciate it. I guess I should have mentioned I am only going to use it to highlight things, not use the hot rod paint for a design or letters.Your response is what I was looking for.:)

I would think that the red and blue would work as mentioned. I would guess even the white would give a "glitter" effect when the light would hit it.

Thanks, Jan

[janmillen]

draggie 650,

Thanks for that. I have found the Createx line very versatile. I will probably try the Wicked at some point, but so far the regular Createx has been fine with me. I can get a great deal on the 4oz. bottles at Dick Blick Art Supplies and just have a hard time justifying the added expense for Wicked. Being retired, I tend to be frugal. YOU KNOW CHEAP!:cheers:

Jan

[AndyW]

lol mate cheap is my favourite word ha ha.......