What’s the opinion on Hobby Lobby acrylic paint brands? Or stick with Testors? I like to buy them in person. Not a huge fan of buying the paint online but also I can be impatient. I don’t have a LHS where I live so that is why I mention HL. Also I usually buy paint 1 or 2 at a time since I am just getting back into the hobby.
I use a lot of the Americana brand at Hobby Lobby. To make it adhere, I usually need to primer my plastic and then use saline solution (what I use to store contacts) as a thinner to airbrush it. But for under a buck a bottle and a million colors, I learned to use it. I also clear coated it with acrylics, enamels, and laquers and never had any problems with it reacting.
I agree about buying paint on line. My problem is that buying it on line in the winter, I have had it freeze on my front door step if I forgot that I was getting a delivery.
I’d stick with acrylics specifically use for model kits. I wouldn’t take a chance on some store brand like Hobby Lobby brand since they’re most likely used for artwork, not plastic kits.
Why not just buy from the scale model section of HL? They sell Model Masters and Vallejo paints.
I know they sell Testors. I will check to see what else they sell. I don’t remember seeing anything else.
You should be able to find Testors acrylic in the multi packs hanging next to the paint racks. There’s also their 1/2 oz Model Master jars in the rack, along with Vallejo in the same aisle. Some folks do very well with craft paints, I’ve used them from time to time, I prime before I use them.
They also sell Vallejo as well.
Is Vallejo a better brand than Testors or Model Masters? Or is that opinion based? Also can Vallejo paint be used for brush painting?
Vallejo takes some getting used to,need to use their thinner and flow improver for airbrushing.Their Model Color and Panzer Aces lines are excellent for brush painting.
As far as being better or worse then another brand,its all personal opinion.
What he said…
I have not tried the HL acrylics, but I have used the house brand from Michaels. I had to thin it a bit more than the popular model acrylics, but it worked fine. They have an awesome range of colors for when you cannot find the color you want in a model paint.
The popular model paints have a lot of colors for actual ships and planes, but not sci-fi subjects. I needed some sixties pastels for the Trek Enterprise bridge, and found just what I was looking for.