Adding a little toch of color to foam?

[Benjo]

How do you make a wash for foam that maybe you would paint on with a little brush? I want to add irregular accents to some foam flies. Want to make orange more muted with hints of black, yellow more brown ect... I'm going to try a few things tonight but am wondering if anyone has experience.

[Benjo]

that was supposed to say "touch of color"

[biot midge]

Benjo,
I use Prismacolor markers to color foam. They come in a plethora of colors and they have both a wide and a fine tip.
Steve

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"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went"-Will Rogers

Benjo,

What bm said. Any permanent marker with a fine tip.

Allan

[G-man]

There is a blending prismatic marker that makes some pretty cool effects
G

[Buddy Sanders]

Benjo,

If what you want is 'irregular' or maybe even 'subtle', try using acrylic 'craft' paints (you can get them in the craft section at WalMart). Buy some of the colors you want and a bottle of the clear. Use a pallet (old piece of clean cardboard works, or even better, a paper plate) to mix the colors into the clear. Don't 'blend' them, just get them streaked through. A very little color goes a long way. Apply them with a 'dry' brush (dip into the paint mix them paint most of it off on a paper towel before applying to the lure) and you'll get irregular streaks and such on the foam.

If you want to thin it way down to the very subtle stage, keep a small cup of water handy and add some as needed with the brush to 'thin' the colors out.

You can also apply the colors 'full strength' then 'wash' them with a wet brush (or a water soaked Q-tip). This will leave more color in the indentations, less on the raised portions. Time is a factor, the sooner you 'wash', the more color will be removed. (you can get a similar effect with markers and acetone, just be sure the acetone won't harm any other portion of the fly)

Another option is to use a double action airbrush. You can get some great effects, but it requires some skill to get adept at it.

After applying the acrylic coloring to the foam, let it cure then add one coat of the clear over it all. This adds depth to the colors and make the fly more durable.

Good Luck!

Buddy

[Benjo]

Thanks everyone. Buddy, that is the kind of thing I was thinking of.

[mickporter]

Surely permenant markers are the way to go. Available now in all colours, including special shades for flytyers. So easy and saves a fortunes sometimes buying many colours of materials.

You can colour threads, foam, shellbacks etc etc, just with the dab of a pen.

You can buy ones with two sizes of tips, in fact pentone make one with three sizes of tips. I now use the permenant washable fabric marker pens. They are available in hundreds of colours and are much cheaper than the ones sold especially for flytyers.