I thoroughly enjoyed JOSEPH MARRANCO,S article on how he uses craft acrylics .I do have a question though .Why go to all that trouble ? That is why I have always liked regular oil-based enamel .You want to airbrush ? Thin the paint to the consistency needed and spray .I always wondered why , When I owned some body-shops FORD went to a paint system that required hardener . I guess I am an anachronism . I believe in keeping it simple .I do have some acrylic paints , both craft and regular hobby stuff from TAMIYA and MR.COLOR . Different thinners and brush cleaners .What,s up with that ? YEARS ago I tried POLLY -S paints and was absolutely overjoyed that here was a paint that I could thin with distilled water and clean the brushes the same way .Then HUMBROL came into my life .HMMM. Here was an old fashioned paint that I could use and mix to my hearts content . Plus they had a specific group of colors for sailing and old steam ships .Now they don,t have a lot of those colors .They ,(HUMBROL ) had for instance a color called deck bleached teak .One drop of BERET GREEN and it looked like very old teak . This was great for old looking freighters and tankers . Now they don,t have it in their color line - up . They do have a very nice tan that I have been using and I added two drops of aircraft grey and one drop of BERET green and viola , I got my deck bleached teak back ! TAMIYA has a nice deck tan color BUT I find that TAMIYA brushes TERRIBLY ! There is where craft paint came in .It is made to be brushed (you can airbrush it too !) Now I do have a tan that I mixed that matches the TAMIYA color . This is what I mean . ACRYLICS make you spend to much time messing with paint . I am painting ,at present , a 1/700 KALININ russian Cruiser .I am using exclusively TESTORS modelmaster paints for this build . I actually enjoy using brush paint .Why , well if you get it right , it is nice to look at a model and see NO brush streaks and the color is right as well and it sticks ! I have an aircraft finished ,except decals (not something I look forward to . ) and it was painted with very expensive soft brushes and the paint was almost nothing but washes .One layer on top of another .The effect was more that I could,ve asked for .The plane looks well worn and aged .After the decals I will " CHIP " the finish and then take it to the show next week . Well , that,s it - ENAMELS (old style) still rule !! tankerbuilder
Agreed 100% TB [Y] Keep It Simple Stupid.[8-|]
While there are certain properties I do like about acrylics over enamels- particularly when time deadlines or washes over the base color are issues, enamels (Humbrol inparticular) are still my 1st choice where ever possible.
When I read the article I thought the same thing too. Way too much trouble. But the article is on Craft Acrylics, not model hobby acrylics. To me, nothing is simpler than dumping in tamiya in my airbrush, some alcohol or their thinner, either is easily available, and airbrush away…then dump excess in sink, rinse with water, clean with windex, no mess, no fumes…then 20 min. later, mask, touch, recoat…whatever have you…Enamels you Cant’ do that…so to ME, nothing is easier than acrylics for hobby paints…Now for the non-airbrush user…its a different story. But i do use some enamels, and each person has their likes and dislikes and there is no wrong or right way, but for me just the easy way.
Now industrial paints(automotive, aviation), are completely different, they require a hardener or catalyst to ensure tough, durable and a proper finish each time if mixed in accordance with its label. And it helps it dry fast for quick clear coating and repair work at the factory or shop.
If you’re having trouble locating pollyscale paints, try hobbylinc.com in the USA. They have what seems like every color(railroad and all others) still in stock.
I can’t use Enamels cause of a parrot that we have. The fumes alone can kill him. So acrylics are just easier for me to use.
There are times when it’s hard to find colors that you need that they have in enamels but that’s why you mix your own.
same here Medic
Enamels cause Anne to start to die
after 39 years of Enamels and Floquils,I had to switch to Acrylics, because I found the only woman of all the one’s I’ve met that actually supports my having this hobby
Paint choices too hard?,naw,I just finished switching from a “full set that Rex needed” of Enamels to Acrylics a year ago (without using Tamiya or Gunze),and then found out that those aren’t quite right for her breathing either,then, I switched again
I just completed switching to truly non smelly, non toxic Acrylic paint lines, with only a few bottles of one company’s Acrylic that I will have to spray out in a tiny shop,all the rest can be used next to her at the coffee table, if I really wanted to
so,not counting Tamiya and Gunze,there are Two full sets of model paint colors out there in Acrylics, in addition to Craft and Tubes,and my palette had to do all eras of USN, USMC, and Vietnam era USAF,140 total colors
it is doable (haha, around here,the line would be “if someone like Jarhead Rex can do it twice, surely a Smart person could do it ONCE”)
That,s why my work area is well isolated from the pets .I too have a bird. Did I say BIRD ? She,s more like a feathered clown. I got one of those INDIAN RING NECK PARAKEETS .Gees, I didn,t think parakeets got so big! She,s a lutino and that color (SAFFRON ) is just awesome .then there,s the QUAKER .Oh , well that,s it about birds .I have tried ALWAYS to keep my paints (because of the fumes) and stuff away from the kids and pets .Most folks don,t even give that a thought . I have breathing problems, so I do wear a mask when the time comes to paint . Man , those filters are getting expensive! Guess ,soon , it will be all acrylics for me .and odorless ones at that (craft types? ) thanks for your input. tankerbuilder
So what brand do you use now. I’ve been using Tamyia and Model Master Acryl lines. I do go out in the garage to use primer or Future just cause of the fumes. Once we buy a house, i’ll have a dedicated “man cave” that i’ll set up so I can use anything. Gonna have lots of ventilation.
Medic
the bulk of the paints are from Three paint companies
LifeColor,oderless enough and safe enough that Anne didn’t detect that I had one open at my PC (right next to her own desl) for an hour
Vallejo,some because of filling in missing colors, and some because I hit a sale just as I was switching
and Talon,I currently have only the Aluminum and Steel,but, they actually smell nice,so, I am going to fill in with all the other colors that I need
I had to go with a very limited number of PolyScale and Model Master,because I had them from the first switch, and because I hadn’t found all the matches,but, a very few of them will stay, and the rest will be upgraded to Vall or Life
the colors run from the Yellow wing era to the SuperHornet era in USN/USMC, the Gray and following SEA USAF, and Japan Air SDF Phanotms, Israeli Phantoms and Skyhawks, German Phantoms, and USAF trainers,edited,don’t forget the Aggressor/Adversary colors, lol
140 colors in all,with backup colors for almost each slot if I don’t like how they all finally turn out against the chips,and since I just did this from November until late January, I don’t have a bottle of “favorite” color,if it doesn’t please me,it will be demoted and replaced
I use the FS system because for me,it is second nature, and very easy,others may not like it because they think it is too hard,but, for me,I like the easy way,I hit enough hard spots in assembly to worry about paint color choices
I just realized that I have “guideline palettes” for a bunch of paint lines,I should gather those together and post them up on the Hangar Deck,might save someone a lot of digging for colors
Rex
Ok cool. I’ve never used any of those paints before. They’re not readily available to me unless I get them online.
And I use the FS system as well. So much easier that way.
…you know theres definetely material there for a comment…but I just wont go there…[whstl]
I would also like to see a simplification of the acrylics…too many thinners…too many options…not all interchangeable…it make you think twice about buying someones paints when its can ONLY be thinned with their product which is usually overpriced, [2cnts]
GRL
[dto:]
Love the ease of clean up.
Sometimes frustrating when you can’t find the colour your looking for, then to turn around at the enamel aisle and there it is. I’ve made it by so far…
With all due respect, enamels are rather anachronistic for many applications, but they have their uses. Yes, they brush easily; but they take forever to dry if you’re doing something like a car body, and they’re notoriously delicate if you’re using oil-based washes in Armor modeling.Enamels also need to “gas out” when curing, resulting in that “paint smell”. You can’t–or really shouldn’t, I should add–try to sand a car body that’s been painted in enamels for a few weeks to allow it to fully cure.
Incidentally, Tamiya paints are not true “acrylics” but are actually a lacquer-acrylic hybrid, and can be easily brushed by thinning them slightly with their specific thinner, or even lacquer thinner. (Better have a good primer underneath though! [;)])
Craft paint is not really meant for fine hobby painting, although I will occasionally use it. The problem with it is that its pigments are not ground finely enough, and its carrier is still a mystery to me. It’s not quite “acrylic”, but seems to be some sort of resinous oil-hybrid?
The real issue about painting coverage is your method of application. You may be happy with your brush painting for flat paints, but try to brush-cover something in a gloss white or yellow, and you’ll start saving your pennies for an airbrush. In that situation, you can’t beat an airbrush for paint coverage and adhesion.
I must have missed it what issue is the article in? Or is it an online extra one?
I have the shop in a jumble right now ,but ,it,s in the last issue I got ,which I believe is the FEB / MAR .issue. tankerbuilder
“Working with Craft Acrylics”
By Joseph Marranca
Pg. 22
Frankly, I use everything from craft acrylics and tempera to model enamels, laquers, and acrylics, to automotive-grade paints with catalysts, including touch-ups colors and hobby paint-pens-depending on what I wanna accomplish and what’s available…
But enamels were my first model paints (Testor’s and Practa 'Namel- cost .19 cents per 1/4 oz bottle) and that’s what I prefer working with…
'Tis all good…