Like acrylics from other companies, they are fast-drying, water-soluble when wet, and water-resistant when dry.

However, they have their own set of distinct properties due to the type of pigments used and the unique formulation of the acrylic medium.

Metallics contain pigments and small mica flakes that sparkle the paint's surface, making it look like metal.

Both!

The first set of Turbo Dork paints was designed for use in an airbrush so the formulation was rather thin.

Then, as the paints became more popular and more paints were added to the line, the formulation was changed to better accommodate hand-brushing.

What happened, however, was that some paints ended up thicker than others. This was due to the unique mixture of pigments and medium plus additives that go into each colour.

When airbrushing, pretty much any acrylic-based thinner should work.

However, it is recommended that you use an airbrush medium to thin with. The Turbo Dork folks use Golden Airbrush Medium. Others have reported using flow improver as well to great effect, but we recommend using a flow improver in addition to an airbrush medium, not on its own. We do not recommend thinning with just water alone, at least for airbrushing.

At Exit 23 Games, we use Vallejo Airbrush Thinner and Flow Improver.

The bottom line is that no one set formula for diluting for airbrushing works for all colours.

For most colours, folks start with a ratio of 2 parts paint to 1 part medium. However, you will have to use your own judgement.

Some internet references say that the thickness of the paint should be the consistency of milk — you can go with that if it helps.

To be used for hand-brushing, paint is a little easier to accommodate.

Most colours are fine from the bottle. However, some are thicker than one might like and can be thinned with an airbrush medium, contrast medium, Lahmia medium, or by gently adding small amounts of water with a wet brush to the paint on a palette.

Turbo Dork metallic paints work fairly independently of the base colour, so putting them over something besides black will not surprise you. The finished product may not be as intense over a lighter-coloured base.

Please note that painting something dark like Cool Ranch or People Eater over white takes some patience to get even coverage.

As with everything in life, there are a few exceptions, metallic paint-wise, where the recommendation for primer is white. The pastels (Taro, Yuzu, Momo, Maguro, Sakura, and Matcha).

These other metallics (Curacao, Multipass, Pearly Gates, Pucker, and Absinthe). You can put this latter set of paints over black instead of white, but they will lose their soft, pale tone and take on a deeper colour.

Whether you are using an airbrush or hand-brushing, apply multiple thin, even coats and let the paint dry thoroughly between coats. Do not use a single thick coat. This can obscure the turboshift effect. If the paint pools or you see thin white areas, you put it on too thick.

For Metallics, 2 coats are usually enough to get good coverage and good sparkle.

It is hard, but try to think about Turbo Dork paints having a “normal” paint surface.

Dry brushing, feathering, stippling, layering, and highlighting, as well as washes, glazes, shades, inks, and even contrast colours work well.