William S. Kenny

When you’re thinking about using interior paint as exterior paint, the first question that comes to your mind is, can I make interior paint into exterior paint? Or can I use interior paint on wood outside? Yes, it’s possible. But there are certain conditions that you have to keep in your mind while using interior paint on the exterior.

It’s crucial to discuss the difference between the interior and the exterior before turning interior paints into exterior paints. However, interior paint features unique characteristics that are only for internal environments. They contain organic pigments for colors; that’s why they have less ability to resist rain, snow, and heat/cold. It becomes faded and breaks down quickly if you use it in the exterior environment. When you talk about exterior paint, then it can prove fantastic and fabulous. It is best for both interior and external environments. It has better coverage, provides adhesion, and is more durable. But the problem here is that the chemicals present in the exterior paint are not suitable for the interior environment.

When you’re using interior paint as exterior paint, you have to work smartly to get outstanding results. It’s crucial to determine the specific place which suits the paint. The essential factor is to gain knowledge of the outcomes of painting at non-suitable places. Let’s see the ways to get rid of unrecoverable negative outcomes.

Most people are confused about; if we can use interior paint outside as a primer or not?

The simple answer is that, No. We can’t. The purpose of the primer is to adhere to the loose particles. The interior paint will not remain to attach to and detach from wood over time. So it’s not suitable under normal conditions.

Now we’ll discuss the interior paints that you can use outside. The first one, we have eggshells. Eggshells paint one of the best interior colors and are reliable to use in an external environment, but we have to keep some requirements for this, as we do it on window sills or doors. The remarkable feature is that it doesn’t appear yellow fastly and fast drying. Applying it produces a low color and provides you with the most refined look to your woodwork. This paint has more reflection and is easily washable.

Our next paint is flat. Now we’ll discuss the specific places where we can use it. There’re certain conditions that you have to keep in your mind while using it.

Flat paint offers a velvet finish and uses on the bumpy or imperfect surfaces you’d like to cover up. Now, see the process by which you can also use it in the exterior environment.

Every interior paint holds certain conditions and specific where it can apply. Just like flat paint can only be painted on the exterior walls. But not recommended for doors, railings, or windows. This paint is difficult or nearly impossible to clean, so you can use the pressure washer or repaint for cleaning. Therefore, according to observations and research, it has been confirmed that it’s not a great idea to use flat finish exterior paint on any surface located in damp or regularly splashed by rainstorms, shaded areas of the places where mildew and algae mildew may quickly grow. If you use flat paint in those locations, there will be no option to clean the surfaces without damaging the paint. Therefore, purchase extra cans of color in the same color for additional cost and touch-ups in the future.

Have you ever experienced the use of Satin paint on exterior surfaces? Can you use interior paint on the exterior? If you think it’s not possible, then you’re wrong. You can use it. Let’s discuss.

Satin paint contains more sheen than flat paints. It includes the most shine; that’s why it’s flawless when you want to use dazzling colors on your home exterior. Satin shows the reflection of light and makes the colors go off. It’s preferable to use this finish if you desire an attractive and not shiny sheen on your trim. Satin paint contains the material you can protect from UV radiation, and your colors will not fade. It is easy to wash and can hold up abrasion well.

Now it turns to Semi-Gloss Paint Finish. Can you use it outside? Yes, you can. It is the very finest choice to use it as an exterior. We’ll see how it is possible to use it as an exterior.

Semi-gloss paint is washable paint. It has more durability than Satin; that’s why it is easy to clean. Its chemical includes resistance against May weather and to face excess moisture. It’s a good choice and looks stunning on trim details, but if you’re looking to cover your cracks or any other default, then this, not a good choice. Where are the best places to choose semi-gloss paint? You can use it for painting on railings, window sills, metal lamp posts, and exterior trims. Or you can use it on garage doors, front doors, gutters, and shutters.

The last we’ll discuss is High-Gloss Paint Finish. Where can we use it? Can it also be used outside? 

Want your exterior trim popping, so high gloss finish paint is a good idea. It has the highest durability, which adds a glamorous look to your paint color. Like semi-gloss paint, it is also washable. The best use of high gloss finish paint is on black metal railings, window frames and highlight architectural details. Not only limited to this, but it is also available to paint on decorative fixtures, accent trim, shutters, front doors, or anything else you touch regularly.

You have to keep certain things in your mind while using all of these paints. Like if Semi-gloss and high-gloss colors do not match on a suitable surface, they can become brittle. But if you see the gloss paints, that’s a perfect choice for front doors, and if you used it to conceal cracks, it wouldn’t give you satisfactory results. All the interior paints are not suitable for all exterior environments. All the interior paints need specific conditions and specific places where we have to use them.

Most of us grew up knowing only the seven colors of the rainbow. You would be forgiven If this is the kind of information you hold dear as far as the concept of colors is concerned. While this may be true, it is worth mentioning that there are a ton of subsidiary colors that can be derived from primary colors through the careful blending of different colors. For instance, Magenta is a color obtained by mixing yellow and red colors. So how do you make fuchsia paint? This article will give you a step-by-step guide on how to make fuchsia paint through the mixing of colors. Read on to find out more about this topic.

Colors that Make up the Fuchsia color

To start us off, it is important to know the constituent colors that make up the Fuchsia color. Fuchsia is a characteristic of the fuchsia flower plant. The plant got its name from a  German botanist known as Leonhart Fuchs but it was later renamed Magenta.

The color wheel indicates the closeness of Fuschia and Magenta color and they are obtained by mixing red and blue. Fuchsia has a distinct purple while the red color is dominant in Magenta.

Fuchsia color is commonly regarded as hot pink color with a sparkling pink and light purple. A careful blend of purple and red color produces Fuchsia color.

Steps follow when mixing to make Fuchsia paint

To produce the desired color from mixing paints, you need to take into account the requirements of the whole exercise. Knowing how to mix different paints in the right proportions will help you to get accurate results. Let us look at the key steps to follow when mixing paint to make Fuchsia paint.

• Put an equal amount of the color red, blue white and black on the mixing surface and work your way toward the centre while blending the colors
• Scope a sizable amount of both red and blue paint using a coloring brush and blend them thoroughly to form a deep purple color.
• Add a little bit of white paint into the mixture to bring out a distinctive fuchsia color. It should be a combination of pink and purple colors
• You will need to add the red color to the mixture to deepen the red-purple mixture and produce a deep red-pink color ( fuchsia).

An alternative method on how to make Fuchsia paint

Mix pink and red colors in equal amounts on your mixing surface. Make use of your painting tools to carry out this exercise and ensure the mixture produces a uniform color. The resultant color must be purple. Add the color red to the mixture and mix thoroughly to make it pink.

Pick the right red to use. There are many tones of the color red which is why you should carefully select a good fit to give you the color you need. Put your color mixing skills into use to help you come up with the right tone of the color red.

Observe the intensity of your purple paint. You need to discern the correct color of fuchsia by adding in bits the color purple to the mixture to reduce the darkness. Add a little white to the final blend to make the paint fuchsia neutral.

Key Takeaways for you

• Pick the right red to use. There are many tones of the color red which is why you should choose the right tone for red color. Put your color mixing skills into use to help you come up with the right tone of the color red.
• On your mixing surface, place a sizable amount of red color and observe as it turns pink. This will help you to determine the intensity and quantity of pink you will require
• Put a little bit of white paint on top of the red paint and mix. Continue adding the color white until you neutralize the color red to fit your needs.
• Blend the two colors thoroughly until a distinct pink color begins to form, add a little more white to brighten the hue of pink color. If you use a darker red color, you will need to use more of the color white to remove unnecessary dullness from the color pink.
• Add Yellow color to the pink color to make it a little more light and then add blue to the final color to create the color fuchsia or Magenta.
• Note that using an excess red will darken the pink color and using more of the color white will lighten the pink color.
• It is proper to use coloring however, you can not remove it and therefore you need to start with bits of the pigments.
• To obtain light pink, you need to use a smaller quantity of red since using more red will darken the mixture.
• Get into the habit of adding white colors into your red colors to avoid darkening the color white whenever you are dealing with paint.

Conclusion

Understanding how to properly mix colors can give you an upper hand as a painting artist. You will be more knowledgeable when making designs and colorings. You need to have a good grasp of the various types of color tones and apply your analytical skills in painting.

Since the fuchsia color is red, you will need to begin with the color red and then put the color blue a little at a time while stirring to form a uniform mixture. You could also start with the color magenta because it is a reddish kind of paint. Certain paints such as cadmium have large particles and should be avoided.

Finally, ensure you pick the right tone of the color red to use. There are many tones of the color red which is why you need to carefully select the right shade that will give you the color fuchsia. Put your color mixing skills into use to help you come up with the right tone of the color red. Enjoy your painting!

Switching towards acrylics can be challenging as they behave differently than oil paints. Now I will share a secret of mine with you on how to make acrylic paints behave like oil paints.

Oil paints need more time to dry than acrylic paints do. This is why many like more acrylic paints than oil paints. But oil paints are more flexible than oil paints. Painters prefer to use acrylic paints most as they dissolve.

How can acrylics be made to look like oil?

As the oil paint dries too slow, you can make it smoother. To combine acrylic paints as oil paints, apply gently powder of acrylics to your collected brand of acrylic paints. You can also prepare the acrylic paints thick and glittering like oil paints by adding acrylic gel.

How to Blend Acrylic Paints like Oil Paints

The blending of oil paints is too easy for anyone. As oil paints dry gently, you can mix the paints for a long time. If you blend two different colors, it will create a soft gradient which is very useful for flat painting work.

During blending, you should be able to create soft edges which is the second aspect of oil paint. This soft edge looks like pictures.

Hence, to create acrylic that behaves like oil paint you will be capable of creating plain blends and gentle edges. Luckily, both two effects can be made by gradually drying acrylics.

You will find many variables that can affect the drying rate of acrylic paint. My recent article on ‘How Long Does Acrylic Paint Take to Dry?’ describes, how you can rule these variables to create acrylic fast or slow.

How to Create Oily Effects using Slow Drying Acrylic?

Golden Open is a lazy-drying acrylic paint that retains most of the characteristics of oil paint. This type of paint dries much slower. It is estimated that it takes about 10 times longer than conventional acrylic.

Golden Open acrylics are made with a good comparison of pigment and acrylic polymer. It protects skin from defects.

OPEN acrylics perform best when painted in a little bit thin manner. Golden Open doesn’t prefer to paint a damp thicker layer.

Painting any thicker may cause very high times to dry and the painting may remain sticky after drying. You must apply the next layer when the first layer dries properly.

The deep layer of paint takes a long time to dry, therefore you should apply the paint on the thicker portion. This will let you mix the colors for a long time. You can also check: How To Dry Paint Fast? to reduce drying time.

There is no doubt that the use of slowly dried acrylic is a completely different experience than regular acrylic use. With this special type of acrylic, you can create smooth gradients and also blur the edges which were only possible with oil paint. Provided that you are a regular follower of our articles, you possibly know how to make a good blend of acrylic paints. When using this acrylic for slow drying you need to keep in mind that your canvas will stay wet for a long time. This tells you to complete the whole part of the day prior to the rest. Because after resting for some time, you will find the canvas wet.

How you should Make Drying Acrylics Yourself?

Since you will mix acrylic with the retarder, you can choose any well brand of acrylic if you want. This is not a big deal. In the market, you will find slow-drying acrylics of different brands.

Though working with slow-drying acrylic is totally different than oil paints, the final outcome will be the same. I have already applied Golden Open Acrylic and added retarders on conventional acrylic. I’m acquainted with the Golden OPEN acrylic only.

The advantage of mixing retarder in regular acrylics is that you only need to buy 1 line of paint and this gives you the opportunity to use both quick-drying acrylics and slow-drying acrylics.

It takes some more time to mix the retarder with the paint, although you have complete control over how much you mix.

Make sure you’ve gone through the directions exactly before you mix. You must know how many retarders you should mix into the paint. But the problem is, if you add more retarder than necessary, the paint might take a long time to dry. It may remain sticky when it gets dried.

Apply proper Color Blend to Create Acrylic Look like Oil Paints

When painting, you must pay attention to the fact that the correct combination of colors. Professional painters do not have to face this problem. But if you are an amateur painter then you must handle this issue very carefully. It is a highly significant piece of your job. Although you are a good painter, you will fail if the color is not right. You can’t make the compassion of depth of an image without creating the accurate matched color.

First Make the matching color and keep it in the right place. The compassion of your subject will be found on the canvas if you can able to match the colors exactly. You cannot make any realistic illusion without a perfect blending of your paint.

Only the honest drawing and the right combination of colors can make any realistic emergence stand out.

As regular acrylics dry fast, hence your direction for any painting will be to blend the color and use it where it should be. Don’t try to blend the area too much.

Notice carefully that the areas where two colors join create a strong edge. If the colors are nearly the same, then the edge will be less clear.

If you want to veil the hard edges, blend a 3rd color which is an average of both colors, apply the third color between them. This works well for little things, but it won’t work well if you are painting a big plain background.

If you want to know how to charge glow in the dark paint, I tell you it works with charge. It entirely depends upon the charge. If you charge better, then it’ll last longer. Here we’ll discuss how it is done. Let’s proceed.

You can see many light sources available in the world. But in these light sources, we have up to 50+ light sources for charging; we can not use all light sources for a charge. As you know, all lights are not of the same power, and we have to use the high power that takes only a few minutes and provide you with highly glowing paint in the dark that remains for hours. Which charger can we use? The best chargers for glowing paint in the dark are direct sunlight, Lamplight, LED light, High wattage bulbs, UV Blacklight, and many more.

There is no better charger than the sun, light, but it cannot work properly due to the ozone layer. Its UV radiation becomes reflected, which makes it imperfect. The best charger is Blacklight. Do you know that light doesn’t charge the paint by itself? So who can do it? The UV rays present in the light do it. For this, we need a light source that can give the paint strong UV radiations to glow.

Does UV light charge glow in the dark?

UV blacklight, the one who is always the finest choice in charging because its powerful light charges the paint in no time. Yes! It’s possible by only UV blacklight. It gives the amazing result that you’ll love it.

But some people face issues because they don’t have UV blacklight. For those people, you can also use LED lights or the bulb with high watt. They can also give you better results but not as much as you can get by black light.

Now you have a charger, but how can we charge. Let’s move toward the procedure.

Procedure to charge glow in the dark paint

• Pick up the charger and get closer with your light. Try no to touch it with paint but keep standing near the paint. How long does the charger glow in paints? The Blacklight will take only one minute or less, but if you have another charger like LED, you might take 2 minutes.
• Remember to give the uninterrupted charge for some time. When you finish it, you can see your dark paint will start glowing.
• In some cases, you are unable to see the results. It’s because of your light source. So try to apply four coats.

Tip: Always keep in mind a better charger always helps you in providing better results.

Normally you can see that hot objects glow just like your sun is too hot, and if you touch the bulb, it also is hot, but if you want to glow your paint wall, it must be as cold as your bathroom bulb. It means the glowing of a bulb and the glow on paint in the dark are different procedures.

Scientists often make luminescent phosphors in the lab. This chemical is mixed in the paint and then becomes a pack to sell. If you use this type of paint on the wall, then our paint will glow. This paint is also used in stickers and toys. Who can charge the phosphorus? The charging of your phosphorus can only be done by UV light. The UV light is the only reason to charge the phosphorus and make it possible to glow.

You must need to know that we have different types to produce glow paint.  The one type in which you can charge the paint in the daytime, and it glows for hours in the dark at night time. Sunlight acts as the charger in the daytime, and paint stores it just like your phone’s battery and then produces a glow at night. We called this type of paint phosphorescent. The other type, which we discussed above, is when paint only glows when invisible UV light is present. The glow will only happen if we have UV light. This type is called fluorescent paint.

To produce glow in the dark is the fun and the most exciting phenomenon that’ll add magic to your room. But are you aware of how it happened? Some people use phosphors, zinc sulphide, or the newer strontium to produce the glow in the dark; they give better results. And remain for hours. Strontium aluminate is another option, and it gives a much better result than zinc.

The most common issue is that that glow fades after some time. What is the reason behind it? The reason behind fading is that the atom is excited in the first half-hour. After that, it starts to fade. How long will the charger remain? When you’re using the zinc sulphide, it’ll remain for half an hour only. But if you have strontium aluminate, then it gives you surprising results, up to twelve hours. Here you can see the clear difference between zinc and strontium aluminate. It means the glow produced in the dark is dependent upon the charger you’re using.

Few tips that you must keep in your mind while producing glow paint over dark.

Working the shine in the dark paint is rewarding to work. It is not very simple or as complicated as it seemed to be. You have to follow the proper recommendations to get the perfect result.

• The larger part of the glow which you see is a natural light that is reflected. That’s why it depends upon the color of the background. If the background is light, the glow will be more.
• Dry paint for at least ten or a max of 15 minutes between coats, and make sure that the paint is fully dry.
• For avoiding the rise of edges, try to use less paint.
• Most people become happy with a single coat, but if you want maximum brightness, add another coat or two for maximum brightness.

Do you have polymer clay, and want to colorize it? If yes, then stay with us. Because today we will learn how to color polymer clay with acrylic paint in the right way. And answer a few questions like, how to avoid bubbles, how to remove soil brittleness, how to paint it, how to make the color more durable, how to seal it properly when making polymer clay suitable for your work, and how the waterproof paint is very significant too.

Can I Use Spray Paint to Color Polymer Clay Instead of Acrylic Paint?

Yes, you can use toprated spray paint to color polymer clay instead of acrylic paint. However, it’s important to ensure proper ventilation and avoid spraying too close to the clay to prevent any drips or runs. Additionally, make sure to seal the painted clay with a clear varnish for durability.

Ways of Coloring Polymer Clay

There are many ways of dying polymer clay. You need to try these ways step by step. First, when baking the clay, remove the water from the clay to avoid bubbles. I will suggest you use alcohol-based paints, color pigments, fabric dyes to keep your polymer clay water-free. If you want to use acrylic, remove the water from the clay before baking it.

The ideal method to dye polymer clay is to apply alcohol paint or powder paint with polymer clay.

Method 1 – Use Alcohol-Based Colors to Color the Clay

Despite being expensive, good results are obtained from alcohol paints. Liquid or powder both types of paint are available. I would personally advise you to use powder paint.

Firstly, make a combination of fabric paint with rubbing alcohol to make the color yourself. You can also directly purchase the readymade dye from the market. If you want to use the cheap one you can try Alcohol Inks also.

Secondly, color your polymer clay perfectly. You should try to use less ink when drawing your clay. It is very easy to dye white clay but more color is needed to get a new color of pre-painted clay.

Mix the dye in a proper ratio with the clay you have collected. After that mix, the polymer clay well with the dye until the dye blends properly with the clay. You will get the correct instructions for mixing on the color packet. You can use some more drops of dye to make it colorful.

Do the same process repeatedly until you got your desired colored clay.

last but not the least, before baking the clay, is to let the clay alcohol evaporate. Do not bake while mixing colors in the clay. Baking the clay immediately can cause some problems.

Ensure that there is no alcohol remains inside the clay while you are baking it. Leave the clay out for 4 to 6 hours for the alcohol to vaporize before you start to bake. When the alcohol in your clay is evaporated properly, you can start baking activities.

Method 2 – Apply Pigment for Colors

I have already said, it is my favorite way to paint clay. There will be no possibility of water or alcohol getting stuck in the process. This is one of the easiest and most effective ways of coloring Polymer clay with powdered dry paint.

Buy colored pigment powder from a local market. It can be expensive for you depending on the manufacturer. However, it is very useful for your project. It takes less in quantity.

I would recommend using a good brand of pigment to dye polymer clay. Because these are of very high quality.

Method 3 – Using Acrylic or Water-Based Colors

The least common way to color polymer clay is to use acrylic paint or water-based paint. This method is not very effective enough. But if you do it with care, you will get close results.

Apply a few drops of acrylic paint or water-based paint on the polymer clay and mix it properly. Avoid giving too much color in this mixture. Otherwise, the amount of water in the clay will increase which will create bubbles.

Once you get a satisfactory color, leave the clay in the open place to evaporate.

Water-based paint requires more time to evaporate than alcohol-based paints. So you should leave the clay in an open place for at least 48 to 72 hours.

Is It Okay to Paint White Polymer Clay before Baking?

You can use alcohol paints, powder dye, or water-based paints on your polymer clay if you wish. But before you do this you need to make sure that there is no alcohol or water in the clay before baking.

Your results will depend on which method you are applying. If you use alcohol paint, the color of your clay will be less vibrant and less strong. But again if you use pigment color then your clay color will be quite vibrant and strong.

You need to remember it before starting your project.

Can Paint Be Mixed in Polymer Clay?

Yes, you can mix the color of your choice with the polymer clay. But for this, you have to leave the clay in the open for a few days so that the clay can evaporate water or alcohol.

As I said before, how long the clay has to be left in the open place to evaporate depends entirely on what kind of paint you are using. If alcohol or water does not evaporate before the clay is baked, bubbles or other problems may occur during baking.

So before baking the clay, make sure that it has evaporated properly. If you are hesitant to use any kind of color in your polymer clay, then re-read my article. If you want to get it done at a low cost then using alcohol or acrylic paint is the best option for you. But if you don’t think about the cost, I’d say use powder colors on your clay.

Is It Okay to Mix Polymer Clay Color with Food Coloring?

You can use food coloring with your polymer clay but I don’t think it would be wise. Because it will not work properly. It may contain sugar, oil, water, and other chemicals that will prevent your clay from hardening. Moreover, food colors are cheap and not. you know, there are many better, safer, and easier methods of coloring polymer clay than using food colors.

One of the reasons for not using food coloring for polymer clay is the presence of sugar and water in it.

Which interferes with the hardening of the polymer clay after baking. This can make your clay brittle which is not suitable for making your sculptor.