For a quick overview of using Turbo Dork paints, see the FAQs below. If you want more detail along with actual examples, history, and personal experiences thrown in, then check out the Illustrated Guide.
Getting Started
What are the different types of Turbo Dork paints?
There are three general types of paint, each with its own distinct properties: - Metallics shimmer and shine - Turboshifts change color under different lighting conditions - Zenishifts change color over different colored bases
A lot of our paints are made with special effects pigments and will appear a different color in the bottle than they do in use or on the bottle swatch. Some of these paints will appear white, grey, or a weird red color in the bottle. Give the paint a try with the recommended basecoat on the side of the bottle and see for yourself.
Shake your paints up!
The pigments in Turbo Dork paints are large and slowly sink to the bottom of the bottle with time.
We include a glass mixing ball to help with shaking the paint, but our new favorite thing is to stir the pigment back up into suspension with one of our silicone mixing sticks.
What color undercoat should I use?
Check the side of the bottle for our recommendations or requires on what basecoat color to use for your paint.
Most TurboShift paints require a BLACK basecoat to appear colorful. Mother Lode is the exception and must be used over WHITE for the paint to look white.
Zenishifts work well with a heavy zenithal of white to black as a basecoat.
Metallics look most vivid when used over a similarly colored basecoat. e.g., Turbo over pink, Pucker over yellow, Da Ba Dee over a blue basecoat, that sort of thing.
Should I handbrush or airbrush?
Your patience will be rewarded if you apply several thin and even coats of paint with either a handbrush OR an airbrush. This is particularly important for the Turboshifts which show more with each new coat.
Handbrushing works best with a large brush to spread the paint as thinly as possible and to remove brush marks.
The pigment in our paints is larger than normal opaque paint, we recommend airbrushing with a 0.5 mm needle/nozzle and 25 to 30 psi.
What can I use to thin the paint?
We recommend using a little bit of our Thinning Medium. Other hobby water-based mediums will work as well, HOWEVER, do not use anything that contains alcohol in it.
DO NOT USE water. Water thins too well and will cause our pigment to fall out of suspension.
DO NOT USE alcohol or solvent-based paints/sealers/thinners, they make a big mess of your work.
Next Steps
Can I mix different colors?
You can mix/blend wet metallics to your heart’s content; however, mixing wet TurboShifts or ZenisShifts can lead to unexpected results.
What advanced painting techniques can I use?
Hang in there and try out all of the painting techniques in your repertoire.
Dry-brushing, shading, highlighting, glazing, and washing all work great with our paints.
What happens if I use a different undercoat color?
You can experiment with other basecoat colors for the Metallics for some interesting effects.
However, doing this with TurboShifts or ZeniShifts usually does not work out well.
Can I use these paints for more than models?
Think out of the box as these paints are for more than just tabletop miniatures.
There are examples of jewelry with Turbo Dork colors, cosplay armor, fishing lures, toys, and an electric mixer. In addition, there are posts with Easter eggs, Christmas ornaments, skateboards, and even goggles for a dog.
How can I get better photographs?
Don’t give up trying to get good photos, try having the light come from multiple angles. Natural light works great. Our paints are semi-gloss in finish and benefit from large light sources like windows or an overcast day.
Please show off your work on social media and tag us @turbodork or #turbodork #turbodorkpaints It helps us a lot and we love seeing your work.
Where can I find more help?
Do you have questions that weren't answered here? Join the Turbo Dorks Facebook Group and get advice from other users.
