Airbrushing vs. Handpainting Using Pebeo Vitrea 160 paint

I am using the Pebeo 160 transparent colour with my airbrush on glass and the finish is coming out "frosted". I have used this paint with a brush on glass, and the finish is transparent and clear. The reason for switching to an airbrush was due to the paint lines and streaking showing up (even with a squirrel hair brush :-(

Any thoughts and/or advice? FYI...I have used the thinner in both applications.

Thank you
Sheri

Comments for Airbrushing vs. Handpainting Using Pebeo Vitrea 160 paint

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Feb 22, 2016

Airbrushing Pebeo Vitrea 160
by: Cheryl

Hi Sheri,
I posed the question to Pebeo and here is what they had to say:

"Not sure why you obtain a frosted result when applying with the airbrush. This is the first time I've heard about such a case in 14 years....

In the Vitrea 160 colors, there are glossy colors AND some frosted colors as well....are you sure you are using a glossy color in your paint mix?

A few hints that I know work fine for airbrush application:

In all types of applications, always first stir the paint thoroughly prior to using it.

Then, for use in an air brush, we know better results are obtained when you prepare your mix a few hours or even the day before using it.

Since you need to dilute the paint up to a consistency similar to milk, you can add up to 20% water to your Vitrea 160 paint first, and then complete the dilution with the Vitrea 160 thinner.

Blend well then let sit until the next day or at least for a few hours...and use as usual with your air brush device as recommended by the air brush manufacturer.

This is all that I can think of for now.

There are other paint application techniques that will lessen (and even eliminate) brush strokes: have you tried the sponging application? This gives a texture but it is not brush strokes.

Thank you for your interest.

Best regards,

Catherine Pouliot

Consumer assistance Pebeo ( North America)

Visit our web site at www.pebeo.com

Tel.: (819) 829-5012 ext. 231

Fax: (819) 821-4151

Note our direct address is info@pebeo.net"

Feb 22, 2016

Frosted vs Transparent Pebeo Vitrea 160 Paint
by: Sheri

I appreciate the feedback to my original problem regarding hand-painting vs. airbrushing with Pebeo Vitrea 160 Paint.

I did, of course, use the glossy paint, which is why it is so perplexing that the finish is frosty!

While I did mix the paint with Pebeo thinner, I did not use water, and I did not let the mixture sit for any length of time.

I will try using water along with the thinner, and let it sit for a while to see if this helps with the finish.

If there is a way to post photos, I would be happy to post the frosted airbrushed prism, and the hand-painted transparent prism! Not sure this would be of any help to anyone, but am willing to do so if it is possible.

Thanks again
Sheri

Feb 23, 2016

Posting photos
by: Cheryl

Yes, you can post photos and that would be awesome. You can upload up to 4 images.

Mar 07, 2017

Same here
by: Lara

The very same thing happened to me with using an airbrush. I'm wondering if you tried the thinner and water and if it worked for you.

Jan 09, 2019

Airbrushing with Vitrea 160
by: Ann K

I have been painting glass for a couple of years now with the Vitrea 160 and have been unhappy with brush strokes with the darker colors, no matter the brush type (even those recommended) and manner of dilution/thinning I have tried. I am ready to purchase an airbrush machine to try to eliminate this issue, but have absolutely no background in airbrushing, so am asking for any guidance toward a system to purchase that you could possibly give me. Are there any particulars that I should look for in a system or things that I should stay away from in same. Thank you for any assistance you can give, and understand that you would not want to recommend a particular brand, but any insight will be appreciated.

Feb 18, 2019

by: Cheryl

See the comment titled: Airbrushing Pebeo Vitrea 160. It may help. I haven't done airbrushing on glass yet so I can't really wade in. PErhaps another visitor will be able to address this.

May 02, 2019

Using Pebeo 160 Gloss paints through an airbrush.
by: Bronte

Hi Sheri,
I work as a professional glass artist & have been using the Pebeo 160 gloss & matt paints on a few occasions for glass decals & restoratons.
I have found that the Pebeo gloss paint is most vibrant when thinned very little. In this form you are battling to get it through an air brush.
As the paint 'drys to touch' quite quickly,the more you thin it with thinners, the quicker it seems to dries.
When you thin it right down for the use of air-brush application,
& the air-brush spray is so fine, the paint particles dry before they hit the glass surface giving the paint layer a frosted effect.
Applying with a brush places a lot more paint quicker to the glass surface but it takes practice to eliminate most of those annoying brush strokes.
You need need to get the paint brushed/layed out quit quickly.

The above is from my experiences so hope this helps.
Cheers Bronte

Mar 31, 2023

Same problem! But, mostly solved.
by: Kendra

I know this is like 7 years later, but I found this thread because I had the same issue! What helped me is 1) turn down the pressure on the airbrush. I am using a little handheld battery powered one, and I changed it to the lowest setting. 2) add a small amount of water like was suggested above. I used the paint, a bit of water, and the thinner. And 3) be MUCH closer to the glass when spraying. The main issue appears to be that the particles are drying before hitting the glass, creating the frosted look. It has to go on very wet. I look to see that it’s creating a gloss look and ALMOST looking like it’s about to drip, and I know I’m spraying it correctly to get a gloss/transparent look. I did have some issues with dripping, but if I tap the drip lightly with my finger that helped. For me, the small drips are preferable over the paint brush strokes and the frosted look. I hope this helps anyone else that may find this thread!

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