Using Rusty Powder

Using rusty Powder

Do you love the organic textures and look of rust?

Creating real rust on sculptures, canvas, and other substrates is made possible by using Powertex Rusty Powder. It’s the perfect effect for grungy, industrial steampunk, rust themed art.

Rusty Powder is a metal-based powder medium. When mixed with Powertex textile hardener and sprayed with vinegar, Rusty Powder will change into real rust. The results are a variety of organic rust colors, shades, and texture. How well your rust forms will depend a lot on what you mix Rusty Powder with and the amount of vinegar you use.

Using Powertex universal medium in the mixture makes it possible to apply rust to most any absorbent surface (not plastic or metals). Adding dry texture mediums such as 3D Sand and 3D Texture Medium into the mixture will create a range of interesting effects as well.

Imagine rusty embellishments, rusty fabric, rusty threads, rusty Stone Art, rusty MDF or paper mâché shapes in your mixed media art. It can be used on Easy 3d Flex and Stone Art sculptures or add to rusty details to hats, shoes, or costumes.

The possibilities are endless!

HOW TO MIX IT UP:

Use plastic tools for this project, metal ones will rust too!

Coat the object completely with a layer of Powertex liquid and let it dry. Pour a small amount of Powertex medium on a plate and add a little white vinegar. It works best to use Ivory, White, Yellow, or lighter colors. The Powertex universal medium is what holds your rusty paint together. Powertex acts like a glue, sticking your Rusty Powder to the surface. Sprinkle in small amounts of Rusty powder and mix until you have a paintable slurry but not a paste.

Sprinkle Rusty Powder on top of the liquid and mix a little at a time. Mix powder in until you have a spreadable paste, then add a pinch of 3D Sand. This can also be useful to thicken your mixture if it is too thin.

The mix will be between 10 and 25% Rusty Powder and the mix will be gray in color. Add a few drops of kitchen vinegar and a splash of water. You don’t want more than half the mixture to be Rusty Powder, or it will be too dark to start with. You may prefer to build up with thinner layers at a time. This makes up for uneven layers that don’t rust well and can be revived with another layer.

Apply a layer of this paste with a brush or palette knife on the object to be decorated. For different color effects, you can also sprinkle a little of the powder on the still wet paste. Adding more Rusty Powder, gives a darker result. The more vinegar, the faster and darker the result. Fill a spray bottle with water and a maximum of 50% vinegar. Moisten the object regularly as you go with it. (More vinegar gives faster and darker rust effect).

Spray generously and leave to rust naturally. You can repeat this spray over the next few hours if you like. The mix will continue to rust for up to 24 hours!

IMPORTANT TIPS:

Using a little Easy 3D Sand in the mixture, gives the best result. You not only get lighter shades of warm tones, but the whole also gets more structure. That coarser texture creates the look of real rust and real metal.

Protect your working surface from overnight rust marks by covering it with plastic.

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