Turboshift orColorshift paints are made with tiny glass-like flakes that work like millions of small prisms within the paint.Depending on how the flakes are made, different colours are refracted or reflected in the light.In simple terms, this means that colorshift paint changes colour depending on what light you are viewing it under, and what angle you are holding it to that light.

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.

Turboshifts take Metallics a step further by using small prisms to create a surface with different colours depending on the light source.

Zenishifts are Turboshifts that appear differently over different base coat colours. They appear almost as if they were two metallics in one bottle, with one or the other dominating depending on what colour base they are sitting over.

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.

Turboshifts are more dependent on colour of the undercoat. This has to do with what makes a Turboshift a Turboshift.

A Turboshift is essentially thousands of tiny prisms suspended in an acrylic medium.

These mica prisms are engineered to show only a particular set of colours. Basically, whatever light gets reflected back from the undercoat through the prisms dictates what colour you see.

Therefore, having a black background gives the truest colour based on the prism’s design. Other dark undercoat colours may work similarly, but lighter ones can significantly change the final look.

It is recommended to use a black base for all of the Turboshifts except Mother Lode. In order to get the mother-of-pearl look shown on the website, Mother Lode should be used over white. That being said, putting it over black gives a green/blue shift that some folks like and is a good example of the big difference that a change in base colour can make.

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 Turboshifts, the shift will start to come out more with each new coat that you apply. Usually, it takes 2 to 3 coats to achieve maximum effect.

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.