Paint a car with paint brush.

[Gena1410]

Hello guys,
Im new to all the modeling car kits and im sure this hobby really interesting and fun to do but also sometimes really hard.
I ordered 2 modern cars to start with: Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X and Lamborghini murcielago.
In my country there isnt much hobby stores which sells models equipment so I ordered enamel basic paints set from eBay and paint brushe set.(spary cans can not be send).

Now sorry for the long introduction
My question is: Can I paint the cars with the enamel paint and the paint brushes?

Thanks in advance!

[MerlinPro]

Welcome Gena,
The simple answer is 'yes' you can but it is difficult to get smooth, even paint that way.
A good and cheap method is to practice first.
Be sure to buy enamel paint thinner and thin your paint by about 40% and also to clean your brushes. Then buy a package of inexpensive plastic spoons and plastic cups like are used at parties.
Use them to test the coats of paint you apply and practice on them until you get smooth results. Keep your brushes clean at all times. When you paint a spoon or cup, cover it with a small box (like a shoe box) to keep dust from settling into the paint-enamel takes several days to dry thoroughly.
Post your questions and results here-many good modelers will help you and teach you tricks.
Hope you can get spray cans soon-we can all help with that too.
Cheers!

[Gena1410]

Originally Posted by MerlinPro

Welcome Gena,
The simple answer is 'yes' you can but it is difficult to get smooth, even paint that way.
A good and cheap method is to practice first.
Be sure to buy enamel paint thinner and thin your paint by about 40% and also to clean your brushes. Then buy a package of inexpensive plastic spoons and plastic cups like are used at parties.
Use them to test the coats of paint you apply and practice on them until you get smooth results. Keep your brushes clean at all times. When you paint a spoon or cup, cover it with a small box (like a shoe box) to keep dust from settling into the paint-enamel takes several days to dry thoroughly.
Post your questions and results here-many good modelers will help you and teach you tricks.
Hope you can get spray cans soon-we can all help with that too.
Cheers!

Thank you Merlin for your tips,really helped me.
Can you tell me please, how much paint thinner I need to add? How do I know that its the right amount? Do I mix the thinner inside the small paint bottle or in some small metal cup?

Thanks!

[ScratchBuilt]

Hello Gena,

I haven't used enamel paints myself for many years, but I do nearly all of my painting with brushes rather than by spraying. I use water-based Citadel paints with my brushes, so they dry much quicker and avoid the dust problem Merlin mentioned. You shouldn't have any trouble painting the underbody details on any car model by brush, but it's going to be a challenge getting a 'perfect' paint finish on the outer shell! However, you may find a technique that gives you good results, so give it a try.

I'm not really a kit-builder myself, but if you have a look at some of the WIP threads and 'How-to' guides here on the forum, you'll get a good idea of what you should be aiming for. If you're new to modelling (of any sort), there's lots of basic things you can do which will all help to improve the final result - and that's before you start painting anything!

All the best,

SB

[MerlinPro]

Originally Posted by Gena1410

Thank you Merlin for your tips,really helped me.
Can you tell me please, how much paint thinner I need to add? How do I know that its the right amount? Do I mix the thinner inside the small paint bottle or in some small metal cup?

Thanks!

It is a process of trial and error but not at all too hard.

First, acquire some bottles or small cups about the size of your paint bottles. Get a few extras so you don't have to clean just one mixing bottle over and over.

To this (clean!) bottle add about 1/3 paint, then 1/3 thinner. This will be a 50% mix and leave you room in the bottle. You need the room in case you must add more thinner or more paint. Stir that mixture with a craft stick or drink stirrer until it's evenly mixed. Then dip your brush (just a bit of the tip) in and coat it out on a spoon or plastic cup described above.

If it's smooth and even you're good at that 50% ratio; if still too thick for smooth finish with too much brush strokes, add a bit more thinner.

If too thin to start, add a bit more paint. You must experiment until you get the right consistency of paint for coverage without streaks. On the model, first brush on everything a flat gray or white as a primer. This will help the color coats have a stronger, even finish.

Don't get discouraged, just keep trying and you will quickly learn the right method.

As SB said, when you are comfortable, you can do a good job on the whole underbody, engine and engine compartment with a brush. Use flat finish or metalizer paints for the various parts. If you don't have flat, you can add small amounts of talcum powder to the paint mix and it will dry somewhat flat. Experiment!

Don't rush and do all this experimenting on spoons or cups, use mixing bottles and keep the brushes clean. When finished with a color, clean your mixing bottles with thinner carefully so they're ready for the next job. It's supposed to be fun so don't stress yourself.

SB is correct, acrylics are excellent for brush painting because they thin with water (or isopropyl), dry fast and clean up easily. But you already spent the money on enamels,,,

[Helico]

Have you tried spray cans from hardware stores or auto shops? Those will probably give you better finish than brushes.

[hd221813]

Painting a car by brush?!? Use Rust-Oleum and a roller:

http://www.rickwrench.com/50dollarpaint.html

http://rolledon.forummotion.com/projects-f2/

[Gena1410]

Thanks everybody! learned a lot of the responses of you all!
I heard that enamel have better final results than acrylic paint that's why I bought enamel. Is it true?
Where should I mix the color for? in some cup or little plate? any tips...

Thanks!

P.S: in-case you didn't understand me in my first comment, I'm going to paint the whole body of the car, not just the parts.

[ianc911]

If you can't find or import hobby spray paints suitable for your needs, think about an airbrush. This will allow you to spray virtually any color you can get in a bottle, and you're almost guaranteed to get better results than brush painting on large flat surfaces like a car body. Do a little searching here for material on starting out with an airbrush - get a gravity feed badger or iwata and a cheap compressor and you're off and running with a little practice. Good luck,

ianc

[andybmw7272]

Welcome!!!!
There is so much here to learn at AF!

If you are going to paint with brushes, thin it like merlin said.

Enamels might be tough as they always tend to dry slow and tacky for me.
Put it on too thick with a brush and you might be in for some long days, but give it a try.
It all seems to vary with technique and the actual paint.


For bodies where you want that perfect paint...
See if you can find some 2000 grit sandpaper and you can smooth out the paint that you brush.
Get something like 3M Perfect It III to smooth out your paint once sanded.
I bet it would work great with a little practice.
I would actually bet with the right technique you can get as good as the best airbrush paint jobs with the right sandpaper and polishing compounds.

Get some nice brushes too. By nice I dont mean expensive.
I have a ton of House of Kolor brushes from years ago that were cheap and are so smooth.

It is all a little trial and error with the mindset and intention of getting better and learning.


Krylon and an airbrush.
If you went the airbrush route, as mentioned by others, you dont need hobby paints per se.
I am spraying some Krylon paint thinned with cheap Walmart lacquer thinner through my airbrush now on a Ferrari.
It works fine.

Practice and I bet you can make it work great!
Andy

[andybmw7272]

Interesting!
You always have such useful and pertinent posts!
Seriously.

Originally Posted by hd221813

Painting a car by brush?!? Use Rust-Oleum and a roller:

http://www.rickwrench.com/50dollarpaint.html

http://rolledon.forummotion.com/projects-f2/

[hd221813]

Originally Posted by andybmw7272

Interesting!
You always have such useful and pertinent posts!
Seriously.

[Gena1410]

Thank you all for the support! first I was nervous about painting the car but now
I cant wait to paint already!
I'm just waiting for the shipment to arrive and then I'll start to build. hope it comes out good.

[ale-o]

Reading trough the advice others give you i am amazed how everyone encourages you to just give it a go.. To answer your question, you can obviously paint the body with a brush by hand and enamel paints are more suitable for bigger surfaces, but if you have any standards you will never be satisfied with the finish. Just buy the desired paint in a spray can, it’s cheap and if used correctly it should give you a nice result

[andybmw7272]

I am serious.
Serious.

Originally Posted by hd221813