I have been out of the hobby for about 30 years. I want to start up again. What are good acrylic paints to use that are easy to use?
4 Likes
I think it’s a personal preference but I recommend Vallejo model air for airbrushing and model colour for paint brush, good thing about Vallejo is it’s very low odour and easy to spray.
Most people use Tamiya acrylics which are good paints with lots of colour choice but do have a strong odour.
I have just switched over to Ammo Atom as I’ve heard good things about this paint,it drys fast and doesn’t smell plus Self-leveling.
If you’re looking for a primer then I recommend VMS no-peel surface primer,this primer is the king of primers.
4 Likes
As already has been said, it is personal preference - and probably down to easy available for you. AKs 3rd Gen paints are worth to have a look at as well. Like Vallejo Model Color these are quite thick and need a lot more thinning for airbrushing, while Vallejo Model Air and Atom are almost pre-thinned. All three spray lovely, if you use the brands own thinner - although Vallejo needs additional retarder to get it more user-friendly. All three are fantastic for brush painting as well. And all three brands have a wide range, which means you avoid mixing to get the base color you need - it does not matter if you are into aircraft, armor, figures etc.
2 Likes
It’s important to note that “acrylic” doesn’t mean “water-soluable”. Rather, it describes the chemical makeup of the paint’s binder. The brands everyone has mentioned so far use a water-soluable acrylic binder, and can be used with water or isopropyl to thin and clean. Other brands use lacquer-based acrylics, and can be thinned and cleaned up with lacquer thinner. Tamiya’s acrylic X/XF paints use an alcohol-based acrylic resin as their binder. So know the brand and check the label when you buy them.
Having said that, I use mostly water-based acrylics, and I use a wet palette with them. I recommend a wet palette very highly. Andrea, Vallejo Model Color, Lifecolor, and craft store brands Apple Barrel, Folk Art, and Americana. If I am not mistaken, the brands sold to the fantasy painters are water-based as well, like Warhammer’s paints or Citadel, but I haven’t used any of those brands.
I use Tamiya acrylics, too, but with Tamiya proprietary acrylic thinner.
Hope that helps!
Best regards,
Brad
4 Likes
As the Baron points out just because it’s acrylic doesn’t mean water soluble. Found that out the hard way.
Anyways, I do almost all aircraft. I use an airbrush 95% of the time. So being able to be thinned to go through an airbrush but yet remain opaque is a high priority to me.
I find Tamiya acrylics to my liking and preferred choice. A close second is definitely Vallejo. For Tamiya I use their thinner and for Vallejo, water works.
AK is super finicky. It’s very thick and and using their thinner it just doesn’t want to thin enough to go on smooth or when it does it loses its opacity. I’ve Also experiementd with ATOM. It thins with water and isn’t bad. But not a huge selection of colors. YMMV
1 Like
Please tell me about airbrushing the Atom Line,I have a couple of colors I picked up.Do you think Vallejo thinner will work?
1 Like
3 Likes
I understand you’re asking about what acrylic paints are easy to use. But in order for people to give you advice, we need a bit more information from you.
Your original post is pretty vague.
Do you airbrush, paint brush, or use spray cans?
What types of models do you build or plan to build?
Are you looking for accuracy of colors?
I stopped using TAMIYA paints years ago due to the smell. I only Vallejo Model Air paints now. They’re made for airbrushing, but they can be hand brushed as well. Though some colors might need more than one coat, specifically lighter colors.
Now if you want “accurate” shades of colors for aircraft, tanks, etc., I’d suggest ScaleColors airbrushing paints from the Squadron website. Be warned though that ScaleColors paints are not recommended for hand brushing except when doing tiny touchups and/or in hard to reach areas.
2 Likes
Very informative,I will 1st try my go to, Mr Leveling Thinner.
1 Like
Embarrassed to admit I’ve not used the ATOM thinner, but it works with water…
1 Like