Tamiya acrylics have been my main paints for models but recently I’ve experimented with Vallejo which didn’t turn out well. I’m looking for a good paint line for brush painting that doesn’t dry too fast. I have the Tamiya paint retarder but don’t want to have to use it each time I paint. What do you think of GSI/Mr. Hobby Acqueous and Acrysion? I see that Acrysion works with their Mr. Color lacquers but not the Acqueous. Should I invest in Acrysion for brush painting?
Vallejo Model Color for me, hands down.
What sort of trouble are you having with it?
Hi
After doing tests with them with and without primer I concluded that they require primer to not peel. The Vallejo paints peeled even from regular handling even when I wasn’t masking them. The Tamiya performed a lot better. I bought a lot of Vallejo paints too but probably will not invest more in them.
In my opinion, GSI Creos Acrysion paints are awful for any kind of painting. Bought a whole bunch of different ones for the Bandai Millennium Falcon I’m building since all the paint codes in the instructions were for Acrysion. I reached the end of my patience after experimenting with them and finding that every single chemical I tried as a thinner/reducer nearly instantly turned the Acrysion paint into a hard blob. Ended up just winging it with the Tamiya acrylics I already have. Maybe someone else has had success with Acrysion, but I won’t be messing with them anymore.
That’s right. And it’s advisable to use a proper primer like Tamiya Surface Primer, Stynylrez surface primer, Gunze Mr Surfacer, etc.
Water-based acrylics don’t bite very well, as you have already figured out.
Humbrol enamels. For brush painting nothing gives a better finish.
I like humbrol and model master enamels. My future is not bright.
I’m with Stikpusher and Keavdog - Humbrol. Mainly their enamels, but the Humbrol acrylics I’ve tried brush-paint well, too. I’ve tried with Tamiya acrylics and Vallejo Model Air, but they need stirring/shaking frequently, go on very thin (esp the Tamiya), and collect around details like a wash, building up around the edges. I haven’t tried any others.
Hutch.
Vallejo Model Color is the easiest to use, IMPO. Thin with water or their thinner or Windex. Excellent for details and figures. Larger areas I would use the retarder.
BK
That’s the nature of acrylics but they stick real well to primer and primer to plastic. Tamiya acrylic is a hybrid acrylic lacquer thus the difference. But even that sticks all the better with primer first, I’ve done the scratch tests. And Tamiya is my least favorite to brush paint but is a great airbrush paint since that’s what it was designed for.
If you’re gonna brush acrylics you gotta follow the program. But even enamels do best with a touch of thinner in them. Good flow off the brush is part of the program with any paint. With enamel I use a bit of mineral spirits, with acrylic a bit of my own thinner I make up.
I’m glad you asked this question. I struggle with brush painting. I’ve had some success with Model Master enamels.
Are Humbrol enamels hard to find or going extinct?
You should be fine just thinning the MM a little bit with some odorless mineral spirits. should brush great.
Humbrol is around though, probably be an internet order thing.
Thanks for the tip. I’ll try odorless mineral spirits with MM.
Unlike Model Master, Humbrol enamels are not going extinct. But availability can be a challenge.
Vallejo Model Color
Vallejo Panzer Aces
also Citadel Games Workshop.
Yep, just make sure it’s really MM enamel and not acrylic. You don’t need a lot of MS, maybe start around 25% and see what that does and adjust from there. Once you get used to it, you will mix the stuff almost unconsciously.
It will work fine in the regular Testors enamels too.
I use Tamiya acrylics exclusively for brush painting and airbrush. I find with 1 drop of their retarder and they brush perfectly for me. I only brush paint small parts, so for that, they work just fine.
I have a building kit which only has Acrysion codes for the paint. I saw this video on youtube with a guy painting with Acrysion and thinning it with water, after 5 coats the navy blue looks pretty good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2_tzvR3w5M
Maybe use the dedicated mrhobby color Acrysion thinner T302? But you didnt get this result?
For hand brushed acrylics, these are growing on me. Having to learn new methods for best results, and priming is a must with them… but I am switching over.