Migrant wrote:What Nigel said ^ That really is superb brushwork, Chuck. Have you ever posted a tutorial?
Thanks for the kind comments chaps. Mike, I think I added some details on my workbench thread and the individual builds.
I do tend to use different paints for different jobs. I'll add a bit about them here.
I always start off with a single coat of Halfords Acrylic Grey Car Primer. A huge tin costs about £6.00 and will do dozens of models.
This has two functions. Firstly, it shows up any imperfections. Secondly, it gives a really good, matt base coat.
( I have some Matt Black primer, too but haven't tried this yet. )
When going for a white, or bright scheme, a usually use a single coat of white Halfords White Primer, over the Grey.
Once the primer has dried, I select which paint to use. I'm moving more to acrylics these days, but I do like Xtracolour for Sky on the FAA subjects. Use a soft, medium brush and work out along the wings. I usually paint details like radiator covers and wheel bays first. Run the brush along joint lines and then cover the wide areas. You can thin it easily and it will be ready for a second coat in about eight hours. Can't rush their colours. Their current paints tend to take a little longer than the old ones. Two coats gives the surface a nice solid colour and a decal ready finish. It will probably be best to paint camo patterns by butting the paints up to each other, or you get 4 coats, when 2 would do. When fully decalled and colour washed, if done, a coat of Kleer mixed with 20% Tamiya Flat Base gives a nice level matt surface. At this point, you can add your pastels and / or weathering powders. That's my sequence, anyway.
Now we have rattle cans. I love rattle cans for convenience. My super fast splash and dash method on a WWII Hurricane, let's say, would be a quick spray with the underside colour, say Sky. When this dry, I simply flip the model over and spray Dark Earth vertically onto it. No masking here, apart from cockpits and canopies. It really is surprising how the dark Earth just settles where you need it. Once dry, I stir up some Humbrol Acrylic Dark Earth and paint in the edges. I'm afraid I do it by eye, using the edge of the brush. I'm a lazy modeller. Now I add the acrylic Dark Green with a brush. I tend to use Humbrol Evoco brushes, as they are good value and easy to find. Sizes 2, 4, 6. When all is dry, I use a very soft Humbrol Flat Brush to apply a coat of Kleer. I tend to thin it with a drop of water. Our tap water is very good, so I just use that. Now I apply decals and coat them with 50/50 Kleer and water. This seems to have saved the silvering.
Acrylics that I use.
The current Humbrol paints are quite nice, but I always thin them with Humbrol Acrylic Thinners. If hand painting the whole model, I do two coats of each.
HATAKA Acrylics are becoming my favourites these days. The Blue packs are for hand brushing. I still use a little thinner in the mix to retard the drying time. ( They do Red and Orange Ranges too, for Airbrushing.)
I loved the Aeromaster Paint, but this is no longer available and I am down to my last few bottles. I have tried all the other brands, but Aeromaster is still tops for me, as a hairy stick painter.
It would appear that I will continue with HATAKA, which is the nearest range for my use, but will continue to buy Humbrol, Tamiya and Vallejo, as well.
I like Vallejo for all the odd colours that I use to use for little jobs. Details, figures, stuff like that. Their metallics are very nice, as are the Citadel ones. Humbrol acrylic silver is not good for me. The rattle can is OK, but not the pot. For washes I use Humbrol, Citadel and Vallejo. Also some oil paints. Those little bottles of Acrylic from Miniature Paints were great for so many uses, though they are slightly different these days. I wish I had a few bottles of their old Black Primer left. I still buy these. I think Ral Partha are the only people doing them now. Just basic paints, not factory matches authentic aircraft paint.
For some quick washes, I use Kleer with a tiny drop of acrylic matt black. This seems to tame over bright finishes and lends a little extra definition. This is at the pre-decal stage.
Paint is very much a personal preference, and we all have our favourites. The differences between the paints can often be a positive aspect, but the secret, in my opinion, is simply down to the thinning.
Well, that's about it. I hope that this was of some help.
Cheers, Chuck