Brush painting - What I've learned along the way!

[DSM-Mark]

Hey guys, just thought I'd write this to help out the new guys, and maybe also the old guys, and maybe if you participate you'll help me out too!

When you start out with modelling, you'll probably start out like most people, and brush paint everything (possibly even the body!!), while reserving spray painting only for the body. Quite possibly you'll use Testors Enamel paints (the little 7 mL jars) because they're cheap! You'll do very large surfaces with these paints, including chassis, interior, etc., and things will be going good, albeit with a few brush strokes here and there. Then somebody will tell you about Tamiya, and Tamiya acrylics. In my case, I bought one, X-11, I think, and loved it. Soon I had about 15 testors paints that saw no action, and about 25 Tamiya paints that I used for all my detailing. While I started using a lot of acrylics, I got into spraypainting all the interior components with Tamiya TS paints. I soon forgot how good enamel paints were. But I'll be honest. I'm lazy. And I don't like spraypainting. It stinks up the house, and requires a fair amount of prep work to spray something. So lately I've found myself brush painting more and more again. But my 25 Tamiya bottles weren't very good at covering large surfaces again! And consistent finishes with semigloss black and flat black with a brush are very difficult, at least for me. So I went looking for solutions again. My testors bottles were all dried up or lost by this time, but I'd heard some good things about Humbrol enamels on this board. My initial purchase in the Humbrol line was #85, Charcoal Black. And wow, was I surprised. A very nicely covering, evenly drying, semigloss black that could also be used to simulate leather. So I've tried some other Humbrols, and in general have been very happy with them. So now I use Humbrol paints for medium-large surfaces, and either Humbrol enamel or Tamiya acrylic as detailing paints. Tamiya acrylic paints right over Humbrol enamel with no issues.

What I'd like to do now, is compile a bit of a list of good out of the bottle brush paints. Any paint that you find really good you could add to the list...

Testors:
Flat Black - Still my favourite for a flat black. It's a little gray, but covers very evenly - very userfriendly.
Gloss Black - very easy to apply. Nice shine.
Steel - Colour unmatched anywhere else I've seen. Doesn't look like steel, really, but has a titanium like hue that is quite awesome.
Aluminum - staple colour. Very nice, easy to apply.

Humbrol:
#85 Charcoal Black - A very nicely covering, evenly drying, semigloss black that could also be used to simulate leather
#19 Gloss Red - Thinner than X-8, but covers more evenly, without pulling away from edges.
#21 Gloss Black - very easy to apply. Quite similar to testors gloss black, but you get more for your money in the Humbrol bottle!
#191 Chrome Silver (I think) - Similar to model master's Chrome Silver, but dries more completely. Quite shiny. It might not replace Alclad II, but it gets the job done for small details.

Tamiya:
The "Clear"s line (X-22 to 28 or so) - quite easy to apply with a brush, actually. Very few bubbles form when shaking or stirring (yes, I know you're supposed to stir, but I mentioned before I was lazy) and paint is truly clear with no metallic flakes as in 'turn signal amber' and 'stop light red' from Model Master.
Titanium Gold and Titanium Silver (X-31 and 32?) - Cover nicely, and easy to apply.
XF-16 and X-11 - There is no real apparent difference between these paints when brushed on, but both cover quite well. Out of the bottle, they are thicker than Testors aluminum, but can be thinned with Tamiya Acrylic Thinner with positive results.

Some paints I have yet to use are Mr. Color, Model Master Acryl and Humbrol Acrylics, as well as Warhammer Acrylic paints (although I was looking today...) If somebody wants to comment on them, please do.

Paints I have been disappointed with:
Tamiya:
X-18 and XF-1 - both hard to get a consistent semi-gloss and flat finish out of, respectively. Work well for small areas.


General Comments:
One of the major differences between acrylic paints and enamel paints is drying time. Enamels take a long time, but this seems to have the effect of allowing the surfaces to self-level much easier than acrylic paints, which dry quickly.

Tamiya enamels are not available in Canada, or most of the US! However, Rainbow Ten stocks them, and will ship them. I haven't gotten any though.


This has gotten long, and may be useless (although I hope not). Tell me what you think!

[willimo]

rThough I've never tried any Humbrol, I agree with you 100% (ok, well, replace your Testors Aluminum with Testors Silver and you got your 100%).

I know it's not your topic, but I think the same would go for sprays, I like Testors for black (and other flat colors) and metallic sprays, where Tamiya paints are better for colors, especially glossy ones.

And the only thing I can add is that Warhammer Acrylics, or RalPartha, or any miniature figure paints are only suitable for miniature figures. They don't thin very well at all, instead they tend to get lumpy, and they don't cover unless you have a primer with a lot of bite. And they tend to be very fragile, too, chipping and scratching very easily unless you cover them with some sort of clear. Anyway, that's all I can say.

[ProSStreet]

hey thanks!
quite helpfull

[SonyMobile]

Great, I have seen Humbrol (spelling) paints at the hobby shop I goto every weekend and I have been wondering about them, never heard anything about them or seen them used. so thanks, and ill have to try some of these paints out.

do you guys do alot of brushwork on your kits? I no I do most of my work with a brush, i spray the interior, body and undercarriage/chassis, but the brush painting is what I enjoy the most, i think it would really take away from building a kit if i airbrushed every peice.