Vallejo Crackle Medium..
- Thread starter mickc22
- Start date
CrookedEye
Fear the Crooked Eye
I never had any luck with that stuff either. If you can get it to work I\'d be interested to know how you did it!
Zach
Zach
freakinacage
Well-known member
rofl, i was gonna post exactly the same thread! any help would be great, been drying to get that sort of effect
QuietiManes
New member
AFAIK, the crackling is from the paint shrinking back. Usually this is done as it dries, because the top \"crackling\" coat does not adhere properly to the bottom coat or substance. Think ink on plastic. In other words, it\'s not cracking from shrinking as it dries and loses moisture. Although it could be.
Either way, it probably will never work on very small areas as it needs to shrink away from itself a certain amount before it will open up. I guess Einion said this all alot quicker. lol
I\'ve used craft stuff for faux finishing that the space between the cracks were larger than the minis we paint. You can play with this though, with how much paint you use (I.E. how thick it is), how fast you dry it, how you apply it, the direction of the brush or sponge strokes, going back brushing different directions after it starts to set up, if you tilt the object, etc.
So my questions would be: 1> How large is the area you\'re trying to get crackled (is it significantly smaller than where it dried and cracked)? and 2> Are you following the instructions and making sure to get a good coat of acrylics down before the crackle medium?
Either way, it probably will never work on very small areas as it needs to shrink away from itself a certain amount before it will open up. I guess Einion said this all alot quicker. lol
I\'ve used craft stuff for faux finishing that the space between the cracks were larger than the minis we paint. You can play with this though, with how much paint you use (I.E. how thick it is), how fast you dry it, how you apply it, the direction of the brush or sponge strokes, going back brushing different directions after it starts to set up, if you tilt the object, etc.
So my questions would be: 1> How large is the area you\'re trying to get crackled (is it significantly smaller than where it dried and cracked)? and 2> Are you following the instructions and making sure to get a good coat of acrylics down before the crackle medium?
Joek
New member
Love the Skaven, but can\'t really notice the cracks though 
.
Yesterday I bought a two-part crackle glaze varnish set, comprising of an Aging Varnish, and a crackle varnish which you apply on whilst the first varnish becomes slightly tacky. Apprantly, the longer you leave the first coating on the larger the cracks will be. You then have to bung on some rather dark paint to show up the cracks (oils apprantly).
I put the blame squarely on Giganticdark\'s quite wonderful work on his big SPace Marine...Were it not for him, I\'d have never bought the stuff. Quite how it\'ll work, I\'m not sure!
. Yesterday I bought a two-part crackle glaze varnish set, comprising of an Aging Varnish, and a crackle varnish which you apply on whilst the first varnish becomes slightly tacky. Apprantly, the longer you leave the first coating on the larger the cracks will be. You then have to bung on some rather dark paint to show up the cracks (oils apprantly).
I put the blame squarely on Giganticdark\'s quite wonderful work on his big SPace Marine...Were it not for him, I\'d have never bought the stuff. Quite how it\'ll work, I\'m not sure!
Joek
New member
Originally posted by Ritual
No, that\'s sort of the point with this thread! :]Originally posted by Joek
Love the Skaven, but can\'t really notice the cracks though
Sorry - early morning internet and me quite obviously don\'t go together!!!
I read Mick\'s reply as a success story, but clearly the elusive crackles are tough to do!
green stuff
Active member
Having read giganticdark\'s Space Marine thread, I too wanted to have a try at crackling effects, so I got such a medium (not Vallejo or the one used by giganticdark, but I can\'t recall the brand for the moment) and did a series of tests on different surfaces, primers, and contrasts of colors.
As the Vallejo instructions, my medium said to apply one color, then the medium, and finally another color.
I started out with 3 light grey spots and 3 red spots, and waited 30 minutes for them to dry (this was actually done twice, once on white primer, and a second one on black primer, but it didn\'t change the end result).
I then applied the medium on 2 grey spots and 2 red spots, and waited 30 minutes as instructed (Note : the medium was a bit thick and gooey for my taste; I\'ll be doing additional tests with it being diluted). The first spots were for comparison sake.
I finally applied on the last grey spot some red, and on the last red spot some grey. And waited 5 minutes as instructed.
The last spots did crackle, but the paint looked thick.
I then went back to the 2 spots that only have medium on them. Transparent crackles had appeared. So I applied a wash of Devlun Mud to get giganticdark\'s effect.
It worked rather well on the light grey, though care is needed to avoid ringpools, but didn\'t look very convincing on the red (just messy).
My immediate though was that highlighting and shadowing with a brush isn\'t very practical for this unless you work on a light surface and use a wash to darken the cracks, or use an airbrush, or do it on the fly ... but results might be unsatisfactory.
For now, I don\'t feel confident with this medium and more testing is necessary.
As the Vallejo instructions, my medium said to apply one color, then the medium, and finally another color.
I started out with 3 light grey spots and 3 red spots, and waited 30 minutes for them to dry (this was actually done twice, once on white primer, and a second one on black primer, but it didn\'t change the end result).
I then applied the medium on 2 grey spots and 2 red spots, and waited 30 minutes as instructed (Note : the medium was a bit thick and gooey for my taste; I\'ll be doing additional tests with it being diluted). The first spots were for comparison sake.
I finally applied on the last grey spot some red, and on the last red spot some grey. And waited 5 minutes as instructed.
The last spots did crackle, but the paint looked thick.
I then went back to the 2 spots that only have medium on them. Transparent crackles had appeared. So I applied a wash of Devlun Mud to get giganticdark\'s effect.
It worked rather well on the light grey, though care is needed to avoid ringpools, but didn\'t look very convincing on the red (just messy).
My immediate though was that highlighting and shadowing with a brush isn\'t very practical for this unless you work on a light surface and use a wash to darken the cracks, or use an airbrush, or do it on the fly ... but results might be unsatisfactory.
For now, I don\'t feel confident with this medium and more testing is necessary
.Beelzebrush
Active member
I used to use crackle glaze quite a lot for decorating and \'distressing\' old furniture (not in a changing rooms sense you understand!!! These were quality items lol). The stuff I used to use was a two part procedure - the point being they are both at different rates of curing.Alternatively using a spirit based varnish as a base coat that\'s left to be touch dry and then finished with a water based varnish has the same effect... the bottom layer (oil) dries slower thereby causing crazing.
Using the \'crackle base\' that vallejo sell may help but it\'s going to give a transparent finish.
Also, don\'t shake the bottle. I\'ve just read that on the vallejo website and I seem to remember this being quite important to achieve a good effect.... gah it\'s all so long ago :/ lol
Good idea using crackle glaze though... might have to try it
Using the \'crackle base\' that vallejo sell may help but it\'s going to give a transparent finish.
Also, don\'t shake the bottle. I\'ve just read that on the vallejo website and I seem to remember this being quite important to achieve a good effect.... gah it\'s all so long ago :/ lol
Good idea using crackle glaze though... might have to try it
Pandadosmares
New member
Hi all, i did a few test and from what i undestood:
1- the first paint shouldnt be totally dry
2- It helps using a sponge with large holes
3- there should be a contrasting color or wash
from all the tries i did, even if some were ok, they all werent what i was hoping
1- the first paint shouldnt be totally dry
2- It helps using a sponge with large holes
3- there should be a contrasting color or wash
from all the tries i did, even if some were ok, they all werent what i was hoping
Aliengod3
Active member
Originally posted by Ritual
No, that\'s sort of the point with this thread! :]Originally posted by Joek
Love the Skaven, but can\'t really notice the cracks though
lol
Anyways, there is a thread I am sure you ave all seen in the WIP section, the space marine? I am not sure what the creators name is but send him a message! I am sure he will give you tips on how to use it.
green stuff
Active member
You mean the one I mentioned 4 posts above yours :innocent:?giganticdark, mickc22, and I are all using different products.
giganticdark uses a 2 part product; mickc22 and me are using 1 part products. mickc22\'s product is made for his paints; I used one that works on acrylics but wasn\'t designed for miniature painting acrylics (different dilutions, ...).
I think mickc22 you should do a quick comparison test on a flat surface to get a better feel of how your medium works.
Aliengod3
Active member
Originally posted by green stuff
giganticdark, mickc22, and I are all using different products.
giganticdark uses a 2 part product; mickc22 and me are using 1 part products. mickc22\'s product is made for his paints; I used one that works on acrylics but wasn\'t designed for miniature painting acrylics (different dilutions, ...).
I think mickc22 you should do a quick comparison test on a flat surface to get a better feel of how your medium works.
Yes! That exact one. I would have seen your post but I have a disease called IdonotlookatotherpeoplespostsbeforeIpost-itis. It prevents see from seeing what is going on around me.
Pandadosmares
New member
he may help, but he dosent use the crackle from vallejo
mickc22
Granddad!
thanks for the the replies peeps
the pic was just to show the part I was working on, prior to applying the medium
haven\'t taken a pic of it yet
maybe I applied it too thin, trouble is now the area is getting a bit thick, what with three attempts at the crackle and then a couple of coats of paint too
I\'ll have a read through Vallejo\'s website and see if something comes to light as to where I\'m going wrong
I\'ll take some pics later and put them in the WIP
the pic was just to show the part I was working on, prior to applying the medium
haven\'t taken a pic of it yet
maybe I applied it too thin, trouble is now the area is getting a bit thick, what with three attempts at the crackle and then a couple of coats of paint too
I\'ll have a read through Vallejo\'s website and see if something comes to light as to where I\'m going wrong
I\'ll take some pics later and put them in the WIP
green stuff
Active member
@Aliengod3 : seems to be a commun sickness here on CMON; that and whybotherusingthesearchbutton-itis and ohtheresanarticlesection flue .
@Others : it was Lefranc & Bourgeois (the company that produced the paints for GW that had a screw on bottle) \"Cracking Medium\" that I tried out. Although as I said it was tricky to get the effect right, the crackles that it produces fit the scales of minis we usually paint.
.@Others : it was Lefranc & Bourgeois (the company that produced the paints for GW that had a screw on bottle) \"Cracking Medium\" that I tried out. Although as I said it was tricky to get the effect right, the crackles that it produces fit the scales of minis we usually paint.
mickc22
Granddad!
I did a test on some plasticard last night, following the instructions in the link Einion posted
it was a similar area in size to the neck plates but obviously it was all flat. I did two applications, one just a normal brush on thickness and another section about twice as thick. The thicker section took about twice as long as the thin, which took about 30 mins
it worked perfectly! with bigger cracks in the thick area :bouncy:
So I had another go on the neck plates, and left it for 30 mins, when I checked it some of it had crackled very finely, but not all. I\'m concluding then, that it\'s the size of the area that has a direct bearing on the amount of crackling that appears
so I guess I\'ll be saving it for larger areas then
edit*: no I didn\'t get round to taking any pics, I\'ll try and get some of both the test piece and the neck plates
it was a similar area in size to the neck plates but obviously it was all flat. I did two applications, one just a normal brush on thickness and another section about twice as thick. The thicker section took about twice as long as the thin, which took about 30 mins
it worked perfectly!
with bigger cracks in the thick area :bouncy:So I had another go on the neck plates, and left it for 30 mins, when I checked it some of it had crackled very finely, but not all. I\'m concluding then, that it\'s the size of the area that has a direct bearing on the amount of crackling that appears
so I guess I\'ll be saving it for larger areas then
edit*: no I didn\'t get round to taking any pics, I\'ll try and get some of both the test piece and the neck plates
