Then gloss over? My wide posca (1") is rather lumpy. Airbrushing acrylic would be much smoother.
sure…just rough it up a bit first.
You can successfully airbrush water-based acrylics on the hotcoat before you gloss. Here are some points to remember:
Use a good quality paint. There are several out there. My preference is Liquitex in the tube. I thin it with a water and Future Acrylic Floor Finish. When it’s in the tube you can control the intensity and amount of pigment you lay down.
Always filter the paint before, or as, you pour it into the gun. The best filter I’ve found is used pantyhose legs. There’s almost an endless free supply out there, all you have to do is ask. (make sure you know the person). Just cut off about 5 inches at the toe and stretch it over your container or gun. Next time, you tie a knot in the leg where you cut it off, cut 5 inches again, and you’re good to go.
For ease of use, apply FLAT paint. Glossy surfaces cause problems with resin adhesion. Sand lightly with 220 grit sandpaper if there is any doubt.
Be sure the paint is completely dry before you apply the gloss coat. Immediately after spraying (or while you are spraying, in some cases) use a blow dryer to get the paint dry initially. Let it dry overnight before glassing.
Be carefull when you sand and polish your gloss coat. As soon as you sand through the gloss resin, you’re sanding your nice artwork. Been there many times. Big headache. Artwork on the flats (deck and bottom) have the best possibility of surviving the sanding process. The rails are the scary part. If you want to color the rails, it’s a good idea to spray on the foam, then the paint is protected.
Good Luck and have fun. Doug
If the graphic isn’t too big (or if weight isn’t a factor), I usually lam a layer of 4 oz. cloth over it and then gloss (or hotcoat and then gloss). This gives a lot of insurance against sand through. You run less of a chance of smearing the graphic by not brushing directly on it. The high styrene content of gloss resin will often have bad effects when applied directly on some acrylics.