I realize this topic has probably been discussed to death on this forum, but…
I am returning to model building after an almost 20 year hiatus and have discovered that my beloved Model Master enamel paints have been severely curtailed. Seems like acrylics are the wave of the future. Can anybody direct me to some good tutorials on using Model Master and Vallejo acrylics for both brush painting and air brushing? Info such as thinning mediums and ratios, etc.
A general search of the forums turns up an overwhelming amount of articles. Unfortunately, I don’t really have the time to sift through 8000+ hits looking for basic information. Books, magzine articles, videos… any leads would be greatly appreciated.
Vallejo and Model Master are two different animals to thin.
I thin Model Master acrylics to the consisency of skim milk. You just have to experiment with it until you get the idea what works best. Do use their brand acrylic thinners. There are going to be folks that hate MM acrylics. Personally, I’ve had zero issues with them. Maybe it’s because I use their brand acrylic thinners.
I tend to do a lot of experimenting with paints and other finishes. I am also in the problem of learning how to use acrylics because of the fear of losing my beloved enamels.
I found that Michaels house line of acrylics are cheap and have lots of colors. It is thicker than the acrylics sold for model use, but I found it a good exercise working with the Michaels stuff. I even ended up using it as the main color on one of my models!
Even if I see other folks thinning ratios for various paints, I always like to try it myself on scrap or a junk product before trying it on a good model. Craft store paints are cheap- have some fun experimenting.
Cab …5 high here . I found that Vallejo airbrush thinner works with modelmaster acrylics. Here in Prince George bc it’s hard to get the m.m appropriate acrylic thinners ( just enamel thinners) also Vallejo flowimprover works too …just a drop or two …works for me …just don’t mix Vallejo with tamiya …just ask how that whent
I’ve just started using Vallejo paints as a safer alternative to Humbrol and MM enamels (which I used for years). Never tried airbrushing them, but in my experience they hand brush quite nicely IF thinned and mixed properly. The Matte and Gloss base additives work well to obtain flat and semi-gloss finishes. I use tap water to thin. Seems to work ok.
On the negative, they seem quite fragile compared to enamels, as edges will scuff and chip very easily, so handling should be kept to a minimum. The other issue I’ve found, is that they don’t adhere well to bare styrene. Priming is almost a prerequisite. For these reasons, I would be hesitant to use as an undercoat if you were going to weather over them. I don’t build armour anymore, so it’s not an issue for me.