Kid's Water Color Paints

[WoodysWorkshop]

I'm about as poor as it gets.

I've got a couple project that requires colors gradually moving to lighter/darker shades.

Is there a reason the cheapo kids water color paints available at the dollar store won't work?

I would apply super sheen gloss over the top.

Thank You All Kindly

[fredk]

The things I don't like about those paints are. 1. the pigment is quite coarse, 2. they always remain water soluble. Even with several coats of sealer on top of them they can still be soluble to any water or moisture.

To improve their water resistance; add about 20% of 'Pledge with Future Shine' [aka, Future or Klear] floor polish which is not a polish at all but a very thin acrylic varnish. This turns the paints essentially to an acrylic paint which is not water soluble when dry. 

*I presume we are discussing the premixed paints. With tablet block paints; wet them with a mix of water and the 'Pledge. . . . '

[WoodysWorkshop]

I was discussing the block paints.

But my wife just gave me what I believe is water based poster paints which my son used at Halloween time. They are quite thick.

I will assume I should use the floor polish stuff to thin them with?

[fredk]

Thin them with water first, then some Pledge. 

I forgot to warn you, the Pledge will do two other things: 1. it'll speed up the drying quite a bit and 2. It'll make them glossy. 

I reckon you'll want the paints quite thinned so that the first coats soak into the leather before drying and building up the colours with more coats. The 20% is a maximum needed, I sometimes only use about 5% or 10% at most.

Also; if you shop about you can find similar products to Pledge at cheaper prices. Read the label on the back. Pledge recommends no more than 5 coats on a floor and 'remove with ammonia in water'. Cheaper products have the exact same properties. I'm in UK. When Pledge went off the market here for a while I found an alternative which is exactly the same except for added scent. Here Pledge costs about £4 to £7 for 500ml, my alternative costs £1 for 750ml. When you find this stuff, do not be put off by its milky appearance; thats to stop people drinking it as the original was as clear as water. It dries perfectly clear.