One of the main advantages of using acrylic inks for painting miniatures and wargame models is their versatility. Acrylic inks can be used for a wide range of techniques, such as washes, glazes, filters, and dipping. They can also be used with a variety of tools such as brushes, airbrushes, and pens. This makes them an excellent choice for painters who wish to experiment with different techniques and tools to achieve a range of effects.

Another advantage is their durability. Once dry, they are water-resistant and do not easily rub off. This makes them an excellent choice for painting miniatures and models that may be frequently handled. Their durability also allows finished models to be displayed without the risk of fading or chipping over time.

Acrylic inks also have excellent flow properties, meaning they can easily seep into the cracks and crevices of a miniature or model. This makes them ideal for creating shadows, highlights, and other subtle details that can be difficult to achieve with other types of paint. Their generally intense pigmentation allows for smooth gradients and blends, contributing to a more realistic and lifelike effect.

One of their main advantages is that they are available in a wide range of colors. This means painters can choose from a variety of shades to create the exact effect they want, whether it’s a realistic representation of a particular subject or a more stylized, fantasy look. Acrylic inks can also be mixed with other colors or mediums to create custom tones and effects, giving painters even more creative control.

Types of Acrylic Inks

Green Stuff World offers a wide variety of acrylic paints for miniature and model painting. Here are some of the different types of acrylic inks we offer:

Intensity Inks: These paints are carefully formulated to intensify and saturate colors, making them ideal for bright colors, glazes, filters, and mixes. They have a matte finish and are suitable for both brushes and airbrushes.

Wash Acrylic Inks: Green Stuff World wash inks are designed to seep into the corners and recesses of models, creating shadows and depth. They come in a range of colors and have a matte finish.

Candy Acrylic Inks: These paints are highly pigmented and translucent, creating a candy-like effect when applied to models. They are available in a wide range of colors and can be used to create various effects such as shading and color transitions.

Fluorescent Acrylic Inks: Green Stuff World fluorescent paints can be considered a type of ink, but they are not exactly the same. They are designed to glow under ultraviolet light, making them perfect for creating striking effects on models. They are available in a wide range of colors and have a matte finish.

Dipping Acrylic Inks: For those seeking a quick and efficient painting solution to add contrast to their miniatures and spend more time on gameplay, the dipping ink range is the best option on the market. Check out our blog dedicated to Dipping Inks!

High-Concentration Acrylic Inks: These are very fluid inks that can be used directly on miniatures or with an airbrush. Although they are more liquid, their pigmentation is much higher than that of other inks, allowing them to be diluted without noticeable pigment reduction. They are widely used by artists.

Overall, Green Stuff World’s paint range offers a variety of options for painters looking to achieve different effects on their miniatures and models. From intense pigmentation to phosphorescent finishes, there is an acrylic ink for every need.

How to Use Acrylic Inks

Acrylic inks are very versatile, as they can be used in different ways: directly from the bottle without adding other products, diluted with water to give them a watercolor-like finish, or, for artists creating paintings, they can give the appearance of oil paints. Additionally, they can be used on most materials such as plastic, cardboard, paper, canvas, and more.

This product ensures very fast drying, great coverage, and the ability to mix different colors to create new quality hues. While it can be painted with just water, it is advisable in some cases to use an acrylic medium to help maintain its properties.

Similarly, acrylic inks do not require a top coat, but applying a varnish provides extra protection. It is also important to note that they dry quickly, so the brush should be dipped in water when not in use to prevent the ink from hardening on the brush.

Acrylic Ink vs Alcohol-based Ink

These inks have very different characteristics that you should know before choosing the paints you will use for your miniatures and dioramas, as they behave differently on various surfaces, under sunlight, in contact with resin, etc.

On one hand, acrylic inks are made from pigments and additives, suspended in a liquid emulsion of acrylic resin. This is a fluid and very fine product, giving a glossy color.

Alcohol-based ink, on the other hand, is made from dyes, resin, and necessary additives, suspended in alcohol. This results in very vivid colors. The evaporation of alcohol is very fast, so these inks dry quickly.

One of the advantages of alcohol-based inks is the ability to correct the work done by applying alcohol, allowing for error corrections or blending of areas and transitions. In contrast, once acrylic inks dry, they are sealed permanently, although it is possible to correct them by applying a new coat of paint. Alcohol-based inks, however, do not allow for layering.

When deciding which to apply, one of the first aspects to consider is the quality of the surface to be painted. Alcohol-based inks do not work well on porous surfaces, unlike acrylics, whose fluidity allows them to color less polished areas.

Both paints are water-resistant and remain waterproof once dry, with the difference being that acrylic paints adhere permanently to the surface.

Finally, to ensure a good choice, it is important to mention that alcohol-based paints are not suitable for figures exposed to the sun, as they deteriorate easily in this environment. In this case, it is necessary to apply UV-resistant varnish or use acrylic inks, which are compatible with most surfaces.

Can Acrylic Inks Be Used on Resin?

Several types of paints can be used to dye or create patterns on resin, including acrylic inks. They are recommended if you are looking for an opaque effect, as they do not retain the transparency of the resin.

Acrylic inks are a bit fluid in this context, so it is better to use them to dye the entire piece. For drawings, however, alcohol-based paints, which stay within the desired area, are more appropriate. Other options for resin are stained glass paints, which preserve its transparency, or small amounts of powdered pigments.

What Is Lightfastness?

Lightfastness is an essential property that evaluates the stability of materials, especially pigments or dyes, when exposed to light, particularly sunlight. In other words, it is the ability of these substances to maintain their color integrity over time, resisting the harmful effects of chemical reactions induced by light, such as photodegradation. This phenomenon occurs when the bonds between molecules are altered or broken when exposed to light, leading to color fading or alteration.

The importance of lightfastness extends to various fields, such as art, textiles, and printing. In the art world, for example, archival quality requires the use of lightfast materials. The lightfastness of pigments varies, and some are naturally more resistant to light-induced degradation than others. Additionally, the formulation of these materials plays an important role, as different substrates can affect their lightfastness.

Standardized testing methods, such as the ASTM scale and the Blue Wool Scale (BWS), are used to measure lightfastness. The ASTM scale ranges from I to V, indicating levels from excellent to very poor resistance to light-induced changes over given periods. In contrast, the Blue Wool Scale, originally designed to assess colorfastness in textiles, uses ratings from 1 to 8, with higher numbers indicating better lightfastness.

For example, Green Stuff World primarily relies on the Blue Wool Scale to assess the lightfastness of its products. These ratings, ranging from 7/8 for excellent lightfastness to 1 for very poor, guide consumers and ensure that the materials they choose retain their color brilliance and integrity over long periods. By meeting strict lightfastness standards, Green Stuff World guarantees that its products are of archival quality, enhancing the enduring beauty of its creations.

Why Is Lightfastness Important?

Lightfastness is of great importance in many sectors because it is a fundamental attribute that ensures the longevity and integrity of materials exposed to light. In art, this value is essential for artists who want to create lasting works that withstand the test of time. It ensures that the colors used in their compositions will retain their vibrancy and richness, preserving the aesthetic impact they intend for years to come.

In the art world, it can be measured using standardized scales like the ASTM and Blue Wool Scale (BWS), both of which are essential for assessing the resistance of colors to light-induced degradation. The Blue Wool Scale, originally designed to assess colorfastness in textiles, has been extended to other industries, such as printing, because of its effectiveness in measuring dye resistance in inks.

Green Stuff World, a European paint manufacturer, primarily uses the Blue Wool Scale to evaluate lightfastness. This scale, ranging from 1 to 8, provides a comprehensive assessment of a color's ability to withstand exposure to light, which is crucial for ensuring its longevity, particularly in museum conditions. With ratings ranging from 1, which is extremely low, to 8, which represents the highest possible lightfastness, Green Stuff World provides valuable information to artists about the durability and archival quality of its products.

BWS

7-8 = Excellent, equivalent to ASTM I

6 = Very good, equivalent to ASTM II

4-5 = Average, equivalent to ASTM III

2-3 = Poor, equivalent to ASTM IV

1 = Very poor, equivalent to ASTM V

ASTM

I = Excellent (should remain unchanged for 100 years)

II = Very good (should remain unchanged for 50 to 100 years)

III = Average (should remain unchanged for 15 to 50 years)

IV = Poor (should remain unchanged for 2 to 15 years)

V = Very poor (should change in less than 2 years)

All Green Stuff World acrylic inks in glass dropper bottles are rated BWS 7/8, indicating excellent lightfastness, or BWS 6, meaning very good lightfastness. These ratings confirm their permanence, ensuring that they maintain their vibrancy and integrity for periods ranging from 50 to over 100 years, even under the controlled conditions of a gallery.

You can find these paints in our TOOLS: Paints section.