Altering FAQ by BAM





Hello everyone! After being a member of the Reddit MtGaltered page for less than a year, I have already seen several people asking for tips on what supplies to use, how to prep their cards, and several other topics. Instead of trying to answer every single post, I decided that typing this up as a reference tool would be better. So here it goes, I hope this helps! :)





Q: What kind of paint should I use?





A: When I first started altering I tried using paints from Walmart . Afterall , I had read that alterists such as Sandreline and Card Kitty used acrylics such as Golden, so how much better could they really be? Well, the answer is MILES better. Don’t sacrifice quality. I bit the bullet and invested around $40 in 5 bottles of Golden Fluid Acrylic 1 ounce bottles and have never regretted it. I swear by these paints and they are the only thing I use (along with Eric Klug, Eric Claar and others). You can find them at your local Michael’s Arts and Crafts store and Amazon. On average they will cost you $5-10 for the 1 ounce bottles.









Q: What kind of brushes should I use?





A: Again I will stress, don’t sacrifice on quality. If you want cheap looking results and poor looking work, then buy cheap materials. Even if you are a beginner I suggest buying good materials because you will progress in your abilities quicker and easier. With that being said, the brushes I have had the most success with (and longevity) are LaCorne i lle golden taklon brushes. The shape/sizes I use the most are round, sizes 0-2. These brushes will cost you in the area of $4-6 a piece but are well worth the investment. Just make sure you take care of them and they WILL last!









Q: Should I use an artist’s eraser to erase the original art, or just put down a base coat?





A: Personally, I have never used the erasing method on any of the alters I have done in my time altering cards. I won’t say that it is wrong. What I will say is that if you use the proper paints, using a base coat won’t add any thickness to the card. You can actually add several layers and it will still be very smooth. A technique I use to help with this (while putting down the base coat) is to lightly pat down the paint with my fingertips. This helps with building up several coats because the next coat fills in the recessed areas of paint. So to sum it up, if you have tried the eraser and it works for you, then go for it. But I would recommend for starters to go with a base coat.





Q: How do you do your lines? With paint or a pen?





A: This was a question asked to me directly recently. For my alters involving cartoon characters or fine line work, I use Micron Pigment pens that you can find online or in the scrapbooking section at Michael’s. I use size .005 for the finest lines possible, and then larger sizes for thicker lines. (Sort of self explanatory here.) One other tip if you use these pens: you MUST let the paint dry for 30 minutes to an hour before using your pens on it. Otherwise they will dry up very quick. My own impatience has ruined several of my own. These pens will run you around $3 a piece and are available in multiple colors.



