Hello, this is my first ever post so i hope its in the right place.
Im very new to modeling and i use tamiya acrylics to brush paint. I read about it a lot and from what i see it isnt exactly great for brush painting. I could make it work personally (maybe because my standards are low), but the issue is i run out of paints very quickly. My local hobby stores only sell 10ml jars. I nearly ran out of olive drab after painting tamiya’s 1/35 m41 walker bulldog. I heard these paints last people a long time if they know how to use it. I thin my paints with alchol based thinners. Painting with tamiya feels fun when i load my brush generously, but maybe thats why i run out of paints so quickly. It looks like its going to get really pricey if i go at this pace. I also ran out of tamiya sky gray after painting 1/144 boeing 737’s wings and belly section and wheel wells (maybe not the best color choice). I have made just 2 models yet, 737 and m41.
Sorry for the wall of text, im just wondering if its on me to eat through tamiya paints this quick. Thank you all in advance!
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Welcome to the forum Coffeeman! I use Tamiya also, but I save the brush painting for small parts and touchups. I don’t have an air brush so I use rattle cans. As an example, if there’s a large part that’s supposed to be glossy black, I spray it with TS-14 then touch up as needed with X-1. It gives much better coverage and saves on replacing all those little bottles too quickly.
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Thank you AntiqueTroy! It makes sense to do that and ill definitely keep that in mind. However id like the liberty of freely mixing paints to get a tone i like. Plus brush painting is genuinely fun 
Cheers!
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I’m in a similar situation to Troy but I do use an airbrush sometimes. You can mix paints with that. However that would still be using the acrylics. It probably saves paint though.
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Tamiya paints can brush very nicely, most colours anyway. I’ve successfully brush painted up to 1/48 helicopters with them. They smooth out very nicely as long as you don’t keep going over the same spots multiple times and have them thinned properly. One bottle should go a long way.
They are slightly thick from the jar, so definitely need a bit of thinning for best results. I would recommend against thinning in the jar as that can lead to consistency issues at a later date. I tend to put some paint into a palette or small cup, add thinner to that to get the consistency I like.
Then use the correct brush, cheap hobby brushes won’t transfer the paint well. A thicker, wider brush for large areas, leave a patch of paint that looks thin, but wet. If it’s drying as you put it on, you need to add some retarder. Above all, as these paints dry, don’t go over them again, that will cause paint on the model to gum up and stick to the brush and you’ll definitely get brush strokes.
You want a consistent layer of wet paint to be left on the model, it may not cover perfectly, but you can do another coat once it’s dry. With the second coat, same rules, consistent layer, wet, don’t go over it more than once or twice this coat otherwise the paint below gets gummy again.
Tamiya and other similar acrylics like Mr Color / Gunze, etc can be brushed well with patience and practice. Try different brands (a few colours each), see what you like and what works for you. There are almost as many options as there are colour choices.
Edit - forgot to add that the flat / matt colours are a bit trickier as they dry faster upon application.
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Thank you for the well put answer Frozin.
I really agree that tamiya is a very brushable paint. I guess i dont use my brush to smear paint in brush strokes on the model but rather dip and deposit the paint onto the plastic and create small floods to paint it. I found that easier to do, it self levels and evaporates anyways. But maybe thats why my paints dont last me long. Maybe i should thin it more? Or maybe im not using the brush like a brush should normally be used 
What do you think? Also, tamiya paint retarder is very hard to find, can i use mr color leveling thinner? Thank you in advance, im still trying to figure this out
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Im definitely thinking of investing money to get an airbrush as well, @S.Hollowell . Im just a student so ill start saving up for it bit by bit.
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The airbrush is a big investment, not just because of the airbrush, but you also need some type of compressed air system. Plus hoses, and an air regulator, plus a moisture trap. I love the airbrush, though. And I only brush the very small parts. With an airbrush, thinned correctly, you can make a jar of paint last a while.
Welcome to the forum, seems like you are enjoying it a lot, which is the most important thing. Good luck to you!
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Thank you! I didnt know about the moisture trap so thats good to know
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