Tamiya acrylics aren’t ideal for brush-painting, but they can do a good job if properly thinned. I’d recommend using their own X-20A thinner, since it contains a bit of their retarder as well, or you can add a drop of two of the retarder separately.
Most important is to lay down as even a coat as possible, and not to try to go back over areas you’ve already covered. It takes patience: it will take a minimum of 2-3 coats to get good coverage – let each one fully set up, and resist the temptation to ‘scrub’ or do anything other than essentially let the paint flow onto the surface. Also be careful to keep the edges thin…it’s natural to want to lay down a ‘solid’ outline to then fill in, but it will look lumpy when dry if you get it too thick.
Last, if you’ve never brush-painted Tamiya before, it might be a good idea to practice on some non-critical surface first, just to get an idea of what level of ‘thinned’ works best.
I think the main problem would be getting the feathered edge to the camo. There are a number of photos of 251’s of the 5th SS Pz Div at this time, including 222, though i can’t find it on line right now. But this is a good example.
Absolutely agree. Most “hard edge” camo like USAF SEA isn’t actually that sharply defined on a real airplane. Getting the transition right on a small model is tricky. Even airbrushing requires some planning to avoid edges if you use tape to mask. I’ve tried various methods from tape to detacked tape to non-adhesive masks to putty with varying degrees of success on any given project. OTOH: Freehand camo doesn’t look right for that type either. Must be related to the moon phase when I’m painting.
I know some fantastic brush painters, but it takes awhile to acquire the skill. I’d say it takes even more experience than good airbrushing skills. How do you acquire the skill? It is like the old joke on getting to Carnagie hall.
