Hi there
I am just back into the hobby and have bought acrylic paints but find them watery and need to aply 2-3 coats to get solid colour. This can be frustrating when painting small parts.
Should I change over to enamels and would this give me a one coat colour option?
Awaiting your opinions!
Dodger,
Probably depends on the brand and color.
I have been a die-hard enamel user for all of my modeling life. Testors, regular and Model Master, brush and rattle can. Some colors can give me one coat coverage, and others not. I have tried airbrushing enamel with my single-action, siphon-feed airbrush and got mixed results. Plus a lot of messy, smelly, clean-up.
Just recently a friend let me try some of his Vallejo Model Air. Wow! Not watery, one coat coverage for the most part. I loved them so much I went out and bought a brand new double-action, gravity-feed air brush and a couple of Vallejo Model Air sets.
Also, a good primer can help greatly with reducing the number of color coats you’ll need.
Paul
Short compatibility matrix (thanks to Masataka Narita)
| ____________ Over coat Under Coat___________ |
Acrylic | Enamel | Lacquer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acrylic | OK | Maybe | NO |
| Enamel | OK | OK | NO |
| Lacquer | OK | OK | OK |
The L E A (Lacquer Enamel Acrylic) Rule: Lacquers, enamels & acrylics can safety cover base lacquers. Enamels & acrylics can cover enamels (but not lacquers!). Base coat acrylics can only be covered by more acrylics.
one advantage that Acrylics have over Lacquers and Enamels (and the Japanese Acrylic Lacquers),is that Acrylics don’t “melt into” an undercoat when you paint on a second coat or when you paint another color over your main color
a second coat of the same or different color with Enamels will soften the first coat, and blend them
Red Enamel brushed onto a White coat of paint is the quickest way to create Pink,Red Acrylic over White Acrylic is just a good way to make your Red pop better (no melting, so, no Pinking)
Rex
For me enamels are sticky, stinky, messy and take too long to cure (not to mention I always “hear about it” from the wife whenever I use them) Perhaps acrylics require just a bit more prep and finesse but I find it’s worth it. Rarely do I use enamels anymore.
I use enamels almost exclusively, mostly Model Master and Humbrol. I did use acrylic paint on one model because I wanted to experiment with a weathering/chipping technique. I often read comments about how messy enamels are or what a pain clean up might be. I guess I just don’t understand those complaints. Changing color in my Paasche H is a snap, quick and simple. As for the odors, well, as a former professional painter, I have to admit that I never notice the smell. [:D] As for my family and their tender sensibilities, they grew up around the smells of paint, lacquer, putty and caulk. Lol, they don’t notice a little model paint I assure you.
Gary
shrug, mine just had her third cancer surgery, she gets headaches from the enamel fumes I used for over 4 decades, but, she can’t be left alone in the house while I build in a separate shop
so, I converted to the true “odorless” Acrylics, so I could watch over her, and still have a hobby
that is also why I don’t take the advice about priming with an Enamel or Lacquer product,I searched around and found workable Acrylic primers
Rex
Best wishes for your wife’s full recovery Rex. My son has just recovered from surgery for colon cancer. I know it’s hard. Again, good luck to you and her!
Gary
not to derail the thread completely, but, congrats to your son Gary
back to paint subjects, though,I do admit that I didn’t just convert from my Dio-Sol and Hot MM Airbrush thinner habit on a whim,I was very comfortable with how all the chemicals worked together and laying down a nice coat of paint and the clears
but, I think that if I can figure out this Acrylic thing,then anyone can,and to tell you the truth, once you get all of it down, it is not any more work than the Enamel Path
the one big gripe is airbrush tip dry,but, even that can be worked through with some Liquitex or Medea
sometimes it doesn’t quite feel like I am “actually modeling” though,I got used to the smells, lol
Rex
I am a die hard enamel fan. The one problem I agree with is the long drying time. However, I built myself a drying box. It still takes a few hours, but at least not a few days! If anyone is interested, I can post a diagram of the box. I use a 40W incandescent light bulb as a heat source.
The slow drying time contributes to a big advantage of enamels if you are painting things that require gloss paints- civil aircraft, cars, etc. I find a good glossy finish is much easier with enamels.
i have been using enamels and i have had no problems. i recently got a double action airbrush and it comes out fine. just alittle blobs here cause i guess the ratio but besides that its awesome. i prefer enamel.
i grew up on enamels, however since i do all my work in my office in my house, and when my daughter was born…i just didn’t want to take the chance. so i got a little paint booth and airbrush Vallejo model air, or tamiya acrylics. Certain colors may need a few extra coats, but all in all…i’m happy with the outcome.
i do all my work in the garage, cause my parents dont want over spray in my room. i under stand that but the lighting is so horrid. oh well
If there is an electrical outlet you should be able to use some sort of lamp. In my opinion one of the most important tools to a good paint job is a good, repositionable light. If you lighting is bad, so will your paint jobs be.
yeah, i can see what im doing but it cast a shadow on certain parts, but when i open the garage door its fine. but i gotta sell a airbursh gun that i dont need, then i may buy one
I would love to see a diagram of your “drying box”-does it have 2 levels(with light underneath) with a shelf?
Hi Rex. Can you tell me what Liquitex or Medea are? I’ve not heard of them before. Also, any suggestions about how to keep acrylics from drying so quickly? I have heard that a drop of Dawn in the mix does it. Thanks for your thoughts.
Frank
Liquitex is a Flow Aid,it helps with keeping the paint from drying on your airbrush tip,you make a mixture according to the directions, then add tiny amounts to your paint and thinner mixture, just before you spray,you stir this stuff, never shake it
Medea is an airbrush cleaner,it is gentle on your airbrush, but, can be used to soak Acrylic paints out of it if they dried in place www.iwata-medea.com/…/cleaners-and-lubes
and to slow drying time,Liquitex makes a Slow Dri,it retards the drying time of Acrylic paints, brush or airbrush
www.liquitex.com/slowdrifluidretarder
you need to use these somewhat sparingly, experiments show that only a small amount does the job,and if you “flood” too much of these into your paint, you thin it too far,and just like water, you can break the paint down too far,there is another product for this problem, or to add “more Acrylic-ness” to any Acrylic paint
it is Golden GAC mediums www.goldenpaints.com/…/gac100s.php
some use the GAC-100, but I use the GAC-200 mixed with an Acrylic primer to make a harder drying primer that sticks better to plastic (scroll down the page for GAC-100 and 200 info)
all of these seem like a lot of work,but, if you use them correctly it is actually easier than getting the wrong generic paint thinner for an enamel paint,and I am not an “enamel hater”,I used enamels for over 40 years myself
Rex
liquitex and medea are brand names, they have dozens of products among them to help with painting
yes they are, and I provided a link to each and every one of the Liquitex, Medea and Golden products I have been talking about, by specific product name and number
did I do it wrong, somehow?