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Taming the Foam Monster in Acrylic Paint!

2 thoughts on “Taming the Foam Monster in Acrylic Paint!”

  1. Is it possible to use a chamber vacuum to remove these air bubbles from the paint mixture? Let’s say a fluid paint is mixed with a glazing liquid for further transparency yet the mixing has created a lot of foam. If the artist has a chamber vacuum for removing bubbles from resin, or other types of craft project mixing, then would this not also work with the paint?

    I would think the chamber vacuum is ideal, with the caveat that always applies to chamber vacuums and liquids – the liquid will expand and possibly overflow the container so always allow for adequate headspace before using a chamber vacuum. I generally look for at least 4 to 6 times the original volume of product – example being that 1 oz of paint should be in a 4 to 6 oz container. Get ready to push the stop button if an overflow is about to happen.

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  2. Hello Louise,
    Great question! The general answer is yes. You are correct that the material will expand dramatically depending on the amount of foam present so be sure to start with very little paint and a lot of head space in the container. Once at full vacuum and expanded it is helpful to allow the material to remain at the low pressure for a few minutes and then release the vacuum very slowly. Repeated cycling can further remove residual foam. The main drawback to this method, besides the limited amount one can deaerate at a time, is that one has to scrape down the sides of their vessel so it is easy to reincorporate some foam and or there is some loss of paint on surfaces. For this reason if using fluids simply allowing the material to sit in a closed container can have a positive effect and reserve the vacuum chamber for more viscous materials such as Heavy Body or Gels

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