I have just started building model aircraft (I have done cars in the past) and was just wondering if you guys have a preference for brush painting paints. what is the overall best brand, best type (acrylic, laquer, etc). I am after something that will go on fairly smooth with no brush marks. Also, is using primer really necessary? if so, what one would be best, I have heard Tamiya make good primer? and regarding primer, can you get primer in a tin so you can brush it rather than spraying? and what would be a goon one? any help would be much appreciated.
I used to get quite smooth results with Humbrol paints, but that was decades ago, so they’ve probably been long surpassed by now.
What’s your aversion to spraying? Is it your location (flat or similar), or are you asthmatic or something?
Mike, there are more reasons then that to not spray such as the costs of AB’s and the complexity of using them.
My best results with brushpainting are with Humbrol enamels. When thinned properly and brushed in thin coats, very good results can be achieved!
Granted airbrushes are expensive & frightening when you first start using them (I should know!), but rattle can primers are relatively cheap & easy to use. That’s why I ignored those options.
Interesting to see that Humbrol enamels are still good. Do they still suffer terribly from settling of the pigments over time? That used to be the bane of my life in my previous life as a modeller - Getting the pigment evently mixed! I ended up making an electric stirrer from meccano, which yielded pretty smooth paint after a short time. Think I gave up modelling fairly soon afterwards though.
I have a AB now, but I used to brushpaint with Humbrol and Revell enamels without any problems.
Cheers,
Jürgen
Testors, Testors Model Master and Humbrol enamels all go on very well with a brush. But to me, there are some additional items that will make or break your paint job. First, you need to thin your paint - unthinned paint out of a newly opened bottle doesn’t flow together well, leaving you with streaks and/or an uneven surface which is visible after it dries. When I open a new bottle of paint I always add 3 or 4 drops of enamel reducer and mix it in. And you’ll get a better paint job (especially with lighter colors) if you apply several thin coats of paint rather than 1 or 2 heavy coats. And lastly, buy, use and take care of some really good paint brushes. Although they get somewhat expensive (I once figured out that I was averaging about 7 bucks a brush) they will last 100 times longer than the el cheapo brushes if you take care of them.
Polly scale paints are the way IMHO I always brush paint my models because yes i’m ashmatic.and Polly S actualy leave no brush streaks whatsoever. I give one 1st coat let dry about three hr’s thea a 2nd coat let dry another three hr’s then a THIN coat of clear laquer and let it dry 24hr’s before handling after assembly is done and decals are in place a coat of Dullcoat goes on. always results in a pretty darn good finish[:)]
By the way: why shouldn’t asmatic people use AB’s?
I am asmatic but I use the proper safety precautions such as a spray booth and respirator.
I never had any problems related to using an AB.
Before I bought an AB, I painted all my models with Polly Scale acrylics. Enamels are good, but I could almost never thin it right. I used the enamels for small details.
fobius Humbrol brushes on very well and is a somewhat forgiving paint with mistakes. My LHS does not carry Humbrol anymore[banghead] Now I use MM, Gunze, and Tamiya. Really you should consider a cheap starter airbrush if you are serious about the finish on you models. IMHO[8-]
Long ago I swore by Humbrol and probably used it on 150 models. After I finally started using my airbrush, I settled on Polly S because it seemed to work great and have far fewer clean-up issues than some of the others. Plus, if I had to touchup (yes, I have forgotten tail wheel wells), it was very smooth. I think thinned Polly S brushes on great.
So are tamiya paints worth their weight in brand name>?
Hi guys, thanks for all the great tips. I think I will give the Polly S a go. I prefer to brush paint because it doesnt take much space, is not as costly as AB, and imo can provide just as good results as an AB. I have to do all my painting in the bathroom, lol, as dont have a shed or spare room, and my parents hate the fumes. I have been using Humbrol enamels on my cars for years with good results, and rattle cans for body work, but I was wondering if there was anything better. I might even use a combination, humbrol for smaller details, and the Polly S for larger areas
I aways use PS acrylic’s and i don’t thin them.
I`ve used humbrol for years. sometimes I try other brands, but always returns to good old humbrol
I use Tamiya paints a lot, mostly for airbrushing. for brush painting, most colours seem a bit thick out of the jar. although i guess you could look at it as a savings, since once you thin them out, you get like twice the amount of paint! I’ve had much better results with mm acryl paints for brush painting. and really, they are great for airbrushing too, and you gotta love the fs colours.
But, the shop in town here has either tamiya acrylics, or mm enamels, and since i cant stand the odor and drying times of enamels, im satisfied with tamiya.
Power to the brushers out there![tup] I too brush my models. I use thinned Testors enamels … I have a few model master enamels, but only 2-3. I thin my paint and put on several coats. 3-5 depending on the color … but i seem to play it by ear … a few drops of thinner, 1-2 brushfulls of paint. I see some of u have some good experience with brushing enamels and i was simply curious, do you have a specific ratio? my models are coming out very nice with brush so far, but id like to get it “down to a science” as they say. anything would be appreciated and remember, dont convert to airbrush if you dont want to, theres nothing wrong with good old fashioned brushing!!
(except for the 9hours of work required to keep redoing ur camo scheme [soapbox][banghead] )
-Kevin
It seems that enamel is preferred over acrylic. What makes enamel better for brush painting?
what do you use to thin out the polly s and how much??
i don’t own an airbrush. i only mostly use tamiya acrylics, thinned. i tried using Tamiya high-grade brushes, but my paintjob was a miserable failure because there was too much “brush” in the paintbrush, causing thick trails of paint. so now i only use my el cheapo flat brushes with acceptable results (to me).