I’m looking to try out a retarder for Tamiya acrylics but the Tamiya brand retarder is expensive, hard to find, and comes in a fairly small bottle. One of my searches turned up this product by Terlans: https://www.amazon.com/TERLANS-Acrylic-Retarder-Fl-Oz-Drying/dp/B0915BYB4M
It’s a lot cheaper per ounce, and 273 ml is a lot more appealing than Tamiya’s 40 ml size. The question I have is, will it work with Tamiya Acrylics? It says it’s “water-based” and Tamiya acrylics are alcohol-based, but that may not matter. I would assume that adding water to alcohol would slow evaporation, which is the whole point of a retarder, right?
Has anyone tried this brand, or even another “water-based” retarder?
Thanks in advance!
I use Liquitex Slow Dry Retarding Fluid in Tamiya acrylic. Actually in all my acrylics I use in modeling. This is not the Liquitex Retarding Medium, that’s made for brush painting art work. The fluid can be airbrushed or used in brush paint.
I don’t know how the cost compares with Tamiya retarder, I have the Liquitex in the house anyway ( both iterations) for doing art work. I’ve used them in many brands of craft paints, artist acrylics, Vallejo,both MC and MA, Tamiya, acrylic stain, and in Createx. It’s in my home brew acrylic thinners.
Thanks! Is that the one with the gray label? Looks like there’s 4 different additives and mediums in their retarder line.
The label will say slow dry retarding “fluid” on it. That’s the one I use in modeling and airbrushing. My label is grey but my bottle is also several years old. I don’t know what color the fluid bottle might be these days.
As an experiment, one time I tried the retarding “medium” in airbrushing. It worked but took more thinning… The fluid is just that, thin like water.
As far as I know, from Liquitex, there are only the two retarding products. Labels may have changed, along with size options. But yes, there are several other types of acrylic mediums for various purposes, from pouring medium to effects.