I’m having a really difficult time dry-brushing a T-34 with Tamiya acrylics. It feels as though the paint is drying on the brush before I can apply it to the model. I’ve experimented with a few things, like thinning the paint down a bit, but either I get brush streaks on the model, or no paint at all.
I’ve limited myself to Acrylics for all my painting because it’s much easier to clean and its safer for the environment, but the mess on the T-34 is making me consider enamels.
Is there a way to be as eco-friendly with enamels as it is with Acrylics? Are there less toxic thinners I can use?
If not, what’s the correct, safest way to handle enamel paints? How do you properly dispose of left over paint?
Are there any good online resources about this?
Thanks,
Nat
The paint IS drying on the brush before it gets to the model. That’s one of the drawbacks of hand brushing acrylics.
Two things you can try:
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The type of thinner used will dramatically affect the drying time. Thinners that evaporate quickly, such as alcohol, allow the paint to dry much quicker. Water is sometimes better, but for Tamiya paints I recommend their thinner. I normally use 90% isopropyl alky to thin for airbrushing, but if I have to brush paint it (which is only for detailing) I use Tamiya’s thinner. It is primarily alcohol, I think, but appears to contain some retarder since it will realls slow down the drying time.
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Pour a little paint out (don’t paint straight from the bottle since the whole bottle is drying up the whole time it’s open!) and add a couple of drops of acrylic retarder. It is available at most art supply stores and will slow the drying time significantly without thinning the paint very much.