What to use.

Hints here for painting, decalling, weathering and displaying your finished models.
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skiny
Series 3 and Beyond
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What to use.

Post by skiny »

After all the palava with trying to use airosols im going back to the brush.what i need to know is what i need to do this.OK OK i know it sound daft but its 40 plus years since i painted a model.then i had steady hands and a good eye,now i twitch like im being electricuted.what brushes /thinners/ paint do i need.
thanks in advance B
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iggie
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Re: What to use.

Post by iggie »

Difficult question to answer definitively as we all have our own preferences paint-wise....and even then I have three makes I use for brush painting, depending on what I need to do.
I would recommend using acrylic, Revell and/or Humbrol being relatively cheap and readily available. Avoid Tamiya for large areas unless you want to thin them considerably and apply several coats they dry too quickly out of the bottle.
Use thinners made by the paint manufacturer until you get used to the paints and then try your own combinations.
Paint brushes are perhaps an even greater matter for personal choice.....my two favourites are Revell starter kit brushes which start life as double ended cheapo efforts but I like the red part!
Best wishes

Jim
If you can walk away from a landing, it's a good landing. If you use the airplane the next day, it's an outstanding landing
"Never put off till tomorrow, what you can do the day after tomorrow"
chrism
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Re: What to use.

Post by chrism »

You will get a load of replies from different people depending on what they favour. I only brush paint my models. I tend if possible to use Revell Aqua paint, it thins nicely and I decant it into something and thin it with a drop or two of water flicked on from another brush then stir. Generally I apply 2 or 3 thin coats and get smooth clear finishes, with this paint, as it self levels as it dries so if I have an awkward piece to paint I do it in stages to favour drying times. Even in mid-winter in cold weather this paint is dry in 30-40 minutes.

I rarely use Tamiya paint with a brush as it needs thinning with their thinners and I don't like it for use on large flat areas

Humbrol acrylic is ok and I do now use some of their paints, but have found they dry out and go off a lot quicker than Revell, but sometimes they are necessary to get a colour I need without a lot of faffing and mixing.
Trying to Build kits and not Buy kits
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AndrewR
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Re: What to use.

Post by AndrewR »

For brush painting, I use Vallejo Model Colour acrylics, which brush very nicely, and can be thinned with water.
Up in the Great White North
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Stupot
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Re: What to use.

Post by Stupot »

I prefer Humbrol enamels, thinned (when necessary) with Humbrol thinner or white spirit. I have a wide variety of brushes in different shapes and sizes for different jobs. The flat ones are good for large surfaces. Preferred brushes are Winsor and Newton/Pro Arte. I always clean them afterwards with white spirit and to make sure they are properly clean I then wash in water with a drop or two of washing up liquid.

I also use Johnsons Klear before and after applying decals. It can be brushed easily and doesn't leave marks. To finish I prefer to brush Humbrol Mat/satin cote.

All the best

Stu
Old fashioned paint brush user.
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