Using multiple paint brands

K

Kevin Puls

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I am getting ready to start painting some canvasbacks, but don't have all the colors from the same source.

Can I use multiple brands of acrylics together? Not mixing them, just layering them. For example, using a texture base of some sort, Jo Sonya's burnt sienna on the head and behr exterior black dry rushed over it?

I ask because you can't just get burnt sienna at a paint store. They have to call it some other fancy name to make it more marketable. But Jo Sonya's has it,
 
Kevin~

I have never had a problem mixing brands - I believe all acrylics/latex paints should be compatible. I very commonly mix latex house paint from a jar with acrylics from a tube.

All the best,

SJS
 
If you are using JS for hunting decoys, be advised, it WILL come off when in contact with water. Fine if your intent is to use it on easel or stuff that will not ever see water, unless a roof leaks on a bookshelf/coffee table.
 
Can't speak from experience, but I've heard too many horror stories about about JS like George mentioned. I have seen a bird in a competition lose a lot of its paint when painted with JS a few days earlier. I'd stay away from it. I'd stay away from chroma too.


Other than that, I mix the stew out of paint brands, traditions, goldens, Americana, liquitex, never had an issue
 
Ok. I had a couple dozen foam decoys in burlap that I painted with JS paint and had no issues with it coming off, but that was some time ago. Maybe the formulation has changed. I am not set on that brand, just wanted to occasionally buy something off the shelf that is ready to go, such as burnt sienna for a can head.

I have been using behr sample cans like Steve Sandford had spoken about, but I can't always rely on the kindness of strangers to pick my colors. Behr doesn't sell a burnt sienna by name and the folks at Home Depot won't pick one for me. Being colorblind I have to keep it simple. Lol.
 
Kevin,
I have burnt sienna (Goldens-Matte Fluid Acrylic) at the shop. Might even have it in Matte Acrylic or some Hi-Load.
Goldens is waterproof when it dries. ;)
Lou

p.s. definitely stay away from straight Jo Sonja for water immersion. It's left many bathtub rings in competition tanks.
 
I paint only with oils so my knowledge is limited. But I have helped, and judged many decoy contests. My favorite, the "POOL" at the old Westlake show. What that very warm chemical pool water did to most acrylic paints was pure hell! The first couple of years the towels used to dab dry the decoys had so much paint on them I'm sure the hotel gave the club a bill. My goodness it was pure carnage!
I have also seen this at other contests and tanks.

My question is - Is it the fault of the paint, or the fact that it was not allowed to cure? I know for a fact that many a Decoy was painted in the wee (not sober) hours just prior to the contest, and blasted with blow driers. Man those were the Good Old Days. I loved makin' the rounds till dawn. Talk about RED EYES and Over Hangs the next day...

In some of those cases, melting paint or not, those decoys won the contest. I never thought it was just the paints fault, but what the heck do I know? I'm a Rust-Oleum, Ronan and some tube oil guy.
 
95% of the paint on my decoys is exterior Acrylic House paints. Save for the bills and eyes, the little bit that isn't, is just for a little extra shading here and there. I think they've held up pretty well. But then, like was stated earlier-I let them dry for a good long time.


Jon
 
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