I am a relative newbie to the world of AFV modelling, but have often heard the mantra “paint with acrylics and weather with enamels.” Could someone tell me the reasons for this? I have just finished my first kit and did both painting and weathering in enamel. To my untrained eye, the results are better than I had ever hoped they would be. Would I have been able to produce better reults if I had painted in acrylic? I guess the only issue that I had was when working with thinner (applying a wash and blending a few rust streaks) I had to be careful not to remove the underlying base coat of paint. Is this the reason for the “mantra” (i.e., are acrylics unaffected by the thinners used with enamals)? As I want to become a better modeler, I would be grateful for any replies.
That’s the reason.
However, allowing either type paint to dry thoughroughly should not result in a problem using the same type paint for base and weathering. Further, if you avoid the "sludge wash’ where thinned paint is smeared all over a painted kit and the excess is rubbed/wiped off, you should not have any problems.
The important thing is to find something that works for YOU. Don’t get caught up in the “This Is Better Than That” game. It’s mostly personal preferance and in many cases is only someone’s personal perception of one thing being better than another. Some people swear by oil washes, some by enamel, and some by acrylic. It’s the results that count so find something YOU are comfortable with and go with it.
Thank you for the replies. I apologize for the delay in extending my gratitude, but I’ve been away from the computer for a couple of days. Anyway, it seems like since I was happy with the results that I got, there is no real compelling reason to change horses. So much to learn… But it wouldn’t be much fun if it were all simple.
