help with latex

[lukel4]

hi there guys
i am a entry level prop builder and was wanting to build a prawn from district 9 and i saw a great indy mogul tutorial that i will use but since i am in australia i havent worked with latex before and was wondering if this is the same as liquid latex
thanks

link to video
District 9 Alien Hand, DIY Tutorial : Backyard FX | Backyard FX - Filmmaking Special FX for Cheap
link to website with latex
Brush On Latex 1litre | Riot Art & Craft Art Supplies, Craft Supplies, Kids craft materials

 

[VinnyboyXI]

Yes, that is the latex you need, along with latex paint

 

[lukel4]

will anyother kinds of paint work? like acrylic? does any body else have some onfo about this?

 

[toddslightning]

i built my pred body by buyign latex from monstermakers.com they have paint for the air brush and all .. also some perma wet to basicly clear coat the hand

 

[lukel4]

does anyone else have any tips or tutorials that would help a beginner learn how to use
liquid latex? also what are some other things people tend to make with it as i want to use it all but it says it has a 3 month expiration date.

 

[Deck star]

this is the place you need to deal with in Aussie,
Barnes Products Pty Ltd
you can find links to tuts there too.

 

[DethBecomesYou]

I hope I can help a bit. All kinds of liquid latex will net near similar results. The only difference is the level of ammonia in the mix. Even the thickest latex can be thinned with ammonia. The life of the liquid latex you buy is much longer than 3 months. Your alien arm, once finished should last you approx 7 years. Then the latex starts to break down.
*Tips*: Pretend that the liquid latex is just paint. All you are really doing is 'painting' your prop. If you want it to be a specific color, add your color of choice to a cup of latex. Acrylic paint. That will give you your base layer. So, for example if I used black to begin. I would mix black acrylic paint into some liquid latex I pulled out of the larger bucket, let's say a dixie cup. Stir and then paint onto the surface of a prop. (Use a brush that has been dipped in liquid detergent soap or other liquid hand soap. This keeps the brush fresh and you can reuse it after your first painted layers.) Let the first layer dry. Probably near 15-20 minutes depending on how thick you painted the layer. If you want a cheap and quick way to thin latex and don't like ammonia, use water. It thins the latex as well. You can thin latex with ammonia to the point of being able to use it in a spray gun if you really wanted. As for painting directly onto the dried latex for better color, use a mix of Pros-aide and acrylic paint. You can order your latex and pros-aide from monstermakers.com. The Pros-aide is a medical grade adhesive. When you mix it with paint you get a stable mix that will stick and stay on your prop and will still be flexible. You can mix the 2 and thin them to use in an airbrush for those really good detail paint jobs.
I hope this helped a little more. Hit me up with any further questions you might have. Good luck!

 

[PepMaster]

It should last about 7 years, if you are using it for a display. If you are using it for a costume or play purposes then the life of the latex goes down significantly. Now if you want something that will give it more realism, and last a bit longer just go with silicone.

 

[Indigogyre]

As far as expiration dates, that not a very easy question to answer. Latex solidifies through evaporation. If you could keep latex in a 100% air tight container they it could keep for years. I just broke the plastic jug of latex that was sitting around for a couple years and it was still good.

A good practice of storing latex is to turn the container upside down so the liquid is sitting on the opening after the latex around the seems solidifies the container is pretty much air tight. Eventually latex will thicken up but you can always thin it out by using strait ammonia.

Dean