I’m getting back into the hobby after a few years absence and a divorce. Bought an airbrush, with a stand, hose, cleaning station, micro hands (with the magnifying glass and alligator clips) glue, sprue cutters, knives, and other tools to get me started again.
I plan on doing mostly WW2 aircraft and some airliners. What color paints do you guys suggest as a good start? I have an Academy 1/72 F4F Wildcat. I prefer acrylics but will use enamels when I can.
AK Interactive, Ammo of Mig Jimenez, Vallejo, Tamiya, Model Master, the list goes on and on. I personally just started using the Ammo of Mig and really like how they airbrush. Smooth finish and can be sprayed directly out of the container. If you decide to try them, make sure that you put them down in light layers instead of one single thick layer.
I built models at the age of ten and stopped at or around twelve. I’ve been away for forty years from modeling. When I returned recently, as I am new here like you as well, I tried a slew of different paints. That’s something you must experiment with as I did.
I have asked the same question like you have and received this same answer that I stated above. Just for my own purpose, I went really old school and purchased the Testors enamel paints. I then sampled enamel and acrylic of which I’ve never used before of Model Master a Testors upscale product. I tried acrylic Vallejo paints. These paints were purchased at my local Hobby Lobby as well as my first comeback model kit.
Recently via EBay, I just purchased a lot of ten Tamiya acrylic paints due to my current project and I’m in love with the quality and the ease of use. My statement here suggests that every builder will agree that some paints are a standard which every builder has utilized and also this fact that every single builder will have their own specialty type paint brands that they swear by. Like me, have fun, enjoy the hobby, experiment, and keep asking questions about modeling on this forum. Everyone here has helped me grow step by step, and the forum members are the best individuals you’ll ever meet.
Toshi
I use mostly Vallejo Model Air acrylics. Easy to use, dry fast, look great and clean up very easily. I still use craft store acrylics and Model Masters enamels depending on the project.
Jim [cptn]
I really like the tamiya line of acrylic paint when used with an airbrush. They spray well and are pretty durable. The downside is often you need to mix custom colors.
Tamiya is real easy to use, very friendly paints. Gunge Mr Color Acrylics are my faves now but they take some getting used to. You’ll have to try different ones until you find something that works for your painting style and your eye for color. Welcome back.
BK
I’m just getting back into building again after a divorce as well. A lot of people really like Vallejo paint, their Vallejo Air line can allegedly be used straight out of the bottle without thinning and they have a nice dropper top I wish was standard for all paints. Personally I haven’t quite gotten the hang of airbrushing with Vallejo yet but it hasn’t stopped me from buying it.
You can start by purchasing the paints for each kit you build and go from there. They accumulate fast.
Cybermodeler has a good reference for military paint schemes:
A big wlecome to ya 7474 [snWcm]
There always seems to be and up side and a down side to these model paints. At first, I used whatever was available localy because I hate to add shipping to price of paints . Available here I have some Tamiya, Model Master acrylics and the old stanby Testor’s enamel in the little square bottles.
I have found acrylics to airbrush well, thinned about 30%, but hard to hand brush and the specific colors I need always seem to be missing from the store racks.
The old standard Testor’s enamel sprays and brushes on very well, are easliy availble as is the inexpensive mineral spirits thinner but takes a long time to dry.
Decisions, decisions, decisions [bnghead]
i like Model Master Acrylic it airbrushes and brush paints for small to medium areas well… Tamiya airbrushes nicely but is quite annoying to brush paint except for their metallic gray. i have been using Vallejo and Vallejo Air. i have airbrushed and brush painted with both, again brush painting small areas like an engine, not entire wings. i like the droppers and have been avle to easily lighten or darken a color by adding a couple of drops of another paint in the cup before spraying.
My big advice, spend the extra couple of dollars and buy the paint specific air brush thinner and cleaner. just a couple of variables you don’t need to initially worry about.
It all depends on what you prefer. Keep in mind, not all olive drabs and Navy blues are the same. Choose what you feel looks right for yourself.
Me myself, I have Model Master acrylics and enamels, Gunze, Vallejo, Aeromaster, Tamiya, and Lifecolor brands. Oh yeah, a small number of Pollyscale acrylics too. If you see any Pollyscale paints, pick them up no matter the color for they’re hard to come by nowadays. You never know when you’ll need them.