MTG Salvation

Quote from serrot_29 »

Ebonclaw is pretty much right. This is up the head judge, but I can't really see them say you can't use these. But always make sure and have a spare playset of Bolts on you just in case. The use of altered cards in competitive play is a slippery one to nail down, as you may get different answers from different judges. Overall, it is best/safest to just use non-altered cards if you are worried about this issue.

I've seen my alters at SCG events and the last ones I saw had the old art completely replaced. I've also seen playsets of my extended art that had the borders painted over. I'd think that if you can play altered cards at Starcity Modern and Legacy events there is room out there for smoothly finished alters.


I see people citing the page above once in a while as a reason why they don't want to paint their cards, but I've seen so many painted cards make it high level tournaments that I don't think that it's really an authority.

Yeah, the issue is largely that you are using Sharpies and Prismacolors. Sharpie doesn't make a marker/pen that makes a tight enough line that I know if so it's like driving a snowplow through a grocery store when you line with them on cards. I use Micron's .oo5 pen as well as a prismacolor pen that I'm pretty sure they discontinued 5-6 years ago. Using markers might work just fine for coloring but I've never had any luck getting them how I want. Either way make sure you test on a blanked out card to see how the solvents react with one another.

Quote from havocentral »

can you unalter a card?

I have this card I got really cheap but the alter is aweful and i was wondering if there was a way to remove the paint

Most likely, no. It really depends on the alteration though. I (we) would need to see it before I (we) can have any opinion.

Quote from GamerMykee »

brand New SAkura marker just dried out after my first alter with it. how and why does this happen to EVERY fine point marker i buy i have tried so many different types it doesnt matter what brand they are has any one else had this problem?

You gunked it up and it's probably full of ink still. I use a blotter sheet to make tiny concentric circles every few minutes to keep mine clear. If you did any graphite drawing or tracing beforehand, that stuff is murder on Microns. I see you also have avoided using brushes. Brushes are best if you can get a decent 2-3 to work with, but it also required practice and knowledge to use them well.

$24 for 12?! I think for a 2 ounce tube I typically pay $8-$18.

Art supplies really are one of the most "you get what you pay for" industries though.

If only there was an eraser that works well and was easy to remember....
Oh wait!! There is!!! I use Magic Rub erasers to rub out my Magic cards.

Nothing does well against the CMD 2013 cards but everything else works fine. It takes some labor but once it starts to pull it's not too bad .

That I don't know. I've used Charpak, PrismaColor, and Copic but I really never found any that did anything special. Just knowing that you need to erase the whole thing before you start sucks.

I've never used one. I just use Tupperware lids, don't use much paint, and work quickly.

Quote from MasterOfEtherium

So, I just started doing alters, and like the ignorant artist I am, I got a set of Reeves paints. Unfortunately, I also won't be able to afford a set of Golden Acrylics for about a week and a half or so. How bad is it to use the Reeves? They've worked fine for the first two I've done so far, despite being a tad thick, but they certainly aren't amazing. Should I not do any painting until I can get better paints?

It's up to you, but Reeves is notoriously bad amongst people who want to control their process. Reeves are great for someone looking to play with paint a little but not spend money. I'd personally just wait.

Quote from Tanro

I've been using these kinds of acrylic. http://shop.hobbylobby.com/products/the-fine-touch-primary-yellow-acrylic-paint-476838/ I am correct in assuming this is not liquid acrylic? If so is this the reason I have been getting a highly textured finish? Should I change brands or find some labled as "Liquid acrylic"

Those are really low quality "Heavy Body" acrylic paints - they aren't going to lay flat without some serious work and the pigment load is so low that you'll need lots of layers (or thick layers) to get any coverage. I work with Heavy Body acrylics for most of my stuff, but there is enough actual color in the paints that I can get by using hardly any paint at all. That leads to smoother finished and better blends. The Liquid Acrylics are great, but they aren't necessarily the silver bullet that makes yours cards smooth. I think you will have a much better time with good paints regardless of the viscosity of the paints - you need more pigment per ounce!

I forgot to check back on this, but yes, your paint is not helping. Those paints have a really low pigment load so their coverage isn't that good. You can get some Golden brand Titanium White in a small tube and you should notice a huge difference right away. Golden Heavy Body is what I use for most stuff but others use the Fluid Acrylics with great results. My really dark colors are actually their Airbrush Acrylics since they are super watery with a high pigment density but that's more "advanced" stuff... a.k.a.: me using materials wrong because 15 years ago I was cheap, lazy, or stupid and I got the wrong stuff and just taught myself to use what I had. Now I am used to it and can control it better than anything else

When I was in college learning to paint we learned that adding black was bad because it dulled colors down as well as darkened them. If you painted shadows they looked like you painted charcoal onto whatever it was you were painting and not like shadows. I took that knowledge into my career and avoided black like the plague. But, when I started painting cards it completely changed. Cards are printed with black and in order to color match I actually need black now. It can be a beast though, but if you are aware of it you can work with it fine. The big thing with black is that it dries with a surface vastly different than the printed card. So, you can fight that or just use a spray coat to unify the sheen of the surface.

Yes, those paints use a lot of filler and have a very low pigment load. I would say that you want it to be "Elmer's Glue in viscosoty" not milk. My paint dries enough to work with after 15 minutes... can you post a picture of the paints? That sounds really odd.

Oooooh, I thought you were talking about Sharpie Alters. If you are painting, just use a gray primer coat that you lay down really thin. You shouldn't need to erase. The quality of paint matters a lot too, but if you use a good black and a good white to make that gray you can water it down a little and still get good coverage, but smooth too.

Spray? Why?

Acetone will go under the tape if you aren't really careful and go pretty dry with whatever you are wiping with (:kank:). Erasing takes longer but it isn't nearly as risky.

Quote from firebrandhands

Quick question for all you professional artists: What's a good smooth medium for painting on with acrylics and fluid acrylics? The grains on canvas drive me insane.

Thank you much!

I used to use hot press watercolor paper glued to the canvas with gel medium when I wanted things smooth. Then, I gesso with a few thin layers, sand it down, gesso again, and lightly sand. You aren't talking about cards though are you?