Beginner doubt(s)

[adityeah]

Hi,
I have recently joined this forum. I am new to the hobby.

I read a lot of stuff here and I understood that using an airbrush is the ideal way to do the paint. However, there are a couple of things - In India this thing (airbrush + compressor) is not exactly cheap - at least not for a hobby starter. Also considering that I am a beginner, I have decided to go with paint-brushing.

Now with paint-brushing, of course, the doubts revolve around acrylic vs enamel. I think looking at availability etc, acrylic should be the way forward. Do I need to use a primer there? Anything else?

Also, the Airfix Mitsubishi Zero kit I bought came with a few paints (acrylic I assume). I think there are four small plastic boxes and a paintbrush. While I am sure that I will need to buy a few brushes - do I also need to buy a set of acrylic tubes? Or is what I have enough?

Any tips, comments appreciated!
Thanks,
Aditya

[TobyC]

When using an acrylic paint always prime first as it makes the paint take to the kit.

[AndrewR]

When you are starting, brush painting is a good idea. Paint choice enamel or acrylic depends on several things. Local availability being important. Enamels will give better coverage and you may not need to prime the model. You will need solvents to clean the brushes and there is the smell of paint to think about.
Acrylics can be water or solvent based. I use water based Vallejo acrylics. They need a primer as they do not bond as well to the plastic as enamels. They dry more quickly than enamels.
The acrylics in the starter set will give you a basic set of colours, but probably not all that you need, especially if you paint the pilot. They are not always high quality acrylics either. Get a wide flat brush to paint large areas. Use several thin coats, it will probably not cover everything on the first coat.


Cheers

Andrew

[JohnRatzenberger]

Start brush painting; get the hang of colors and such - brush painting, and care of brushes, etc, is something you will always need, even if just for details. Save the airbrush for when you are looking to step up to the next level - or don't, there are a number of people here who always brush paint. Remember, it's your model and what do you want. Any brush vs spray discussion you see remember that it is barely one step away from being a religious/political discussion, so judge accordingly.

As to acrylic - enamel there are a number threads here on both subjects and either-or. In general enamels brush better, but there are differences within ranges - and they have the air quality problem. Acrylics are "cleaner" but some (Tamiya) don't brush well. As suggested, a primer is usually advisable - sometimes you can find a rattle-can primer friendly to plastic in an auto/hardware store and that saves having to also brush the primer. Then it's learning how to thin, properly brush, etc ....

You are best not to test/practice on the actual model until you know what the paints will do. If you really make a mess, you can either strip the paint (look for threads here) or just turn it into a test/practice thing.

You'll want good brushes and learn to keep them clean and fresh.
There are a number of enamel - acrylic threads here.

[adityeah]

Hello all,
Thank you for your replies.
Re: The Primer - do you think it is absolutely necessary? I do realize why it is required - it helps the paint (especially if its Acrylic) to get a grip on the surface. But I read somewhere here that scrubbing the plastic surface with a bit of sandpaper could also do. Is that so?

But no, nothing against the primer. So in case I have to buy one, its usually the white colour, right?

As of the Enamel vs Acrylic discussion - well as Andrew mentioned above - the local availability is indeed a factor. I doubt we get Enamels (for art) here in India. They only use it in large quantities. Actually I really wanted to start with airbrushing but the whole kit (airbrush + compressor) is way out of range, at least for now.

[AndrewR]

Do you have any local shops which have paint supplies?
Many people use a spray primer used for cars, so if you have a car accessory shop around, then get a light grey (colour neutral and shows up any gaps to fill).

Cheers

Andrew

[adityeah]

Hi all,
I checked the local stores here today. Small sized enamel boxes are available but the colour choice is very limited (standard shades of white, black, red, and maybe blue). Honestly, I don't think that'd suffice.

So, if I go with acrylics - here in my country the Camlin range is best (and affordable). Can you please take a look here? The colour range is not exhaustive but I guess I will have to mix and match.

The last thing I wanted to ask is about the primer. Not much luck with the spray can grey shade, that Andrew mentioned. I'm getting a regular white metal primer. Will that do?

Actually I am still open to enamels. But please advise. Also keep in mind that this will be my first model :-)

Thanks!
aditya

[AndrewR]

Those acrylics look like they would work. You'll have to see how much you need to thin them.

You need to be careful with the primer - try spraying a piece of sprue first. If the solvent in the primer is too strong it might dissolve the plastic. Hopefully it will be okay!

Just relax and enjoy building. Most of us started out just building and not even painting our kits when we were children. It's all a question of practice, so build the first kit, then aim to improve on the next one.

Good luck


Andrew

[adityeah]

Thanks Andrew.
Maybe my last few questions:
1. For a primer, can I use an enamel based primer and then use the acrylic paints? Or do I need to buy a specific primer for acrylics?
2. Once the paint is done, can I use this (transparent gloss lacquer) for the gloss (before I apply the decals)?
3. I also came across thisaircraft panel lines tutorial. Is this something that is common?

Sorry for my many doubts - most of them stem from the fact that we don't have much people doing this in India. Appreciate all your help on this!

Thanks
Aditya
ps: I need to go shop for this stuff so please, anyone, do reply soon!

[BlohmWolf]

I got here a little bit late, but some more help:

1: Sometimes you can used some enamel based primer and put some acrylics on top, if the enamel is left for good amount of drying time and the acrylics like the enamel and stick to it.

2. That looks to be a interesting varnish, I don't think any of us have come across it. If you want to test if it would work well, paint a piece of plastic (Like a sprue) and then spray the sprue with that varnish (making sure no parts are left on)

3. Sure! Giving panel lines a wash is what many modellers do, it makes the panel lines look more like they are really there and gives a whole new way to look at a model. It can be sometimes a bit tricky, but with varnish, thinned down paint, a fine paint brush and some cleaning pads or Q-tips, it shouldn't be a bother.