Tamiya acrylics

[nismo kid]

Does anyone else find these paints hard to use with a brush? It usually dries too quickly and turns into a paste on the model. Is it my technique?

[daggerlee]

Does anyone else find these paints hard to use with a brush? It usually dries too quickly and turns into a paste on the model. Is it my technique?

Yup, Tamiya acrylics are formulated for airbrushing, not handbrushing. The isopropyl alcohol thinner evaporates very fast, if you're not careful. Not very good for painting large areas unless you're painting it very thick. A trick I have heard is to thin with isopropyl alcohol (simple rubbing alcohol), and the extra thinner retards the drying process. Make sure the mixing is done outside of the paint bottle! Use eyedroppers.

Enamels usually handbrush very well, but they can cover up small details due to their thick nature, take a long time to dry, an even longer time to cure, and their fumes are very harmful.

I have heard that Gunze Sangyo acrylics are formulated for handbrushing (they have self-levelling properties) but take a long time to dry.

One technique that you might use, is to first give one coat of paint painting horizontally. If brushstrokes show, apply a second coat painted vertically - the crosshatch pattern should help eliminate the brushstrokes.

Hope this helps!

[nismo kid]

Ok, thanks. I just wish they sold tamiya enamels here, I'm too lazy to mix the humbrol ones that I have, and I'm too lazy to use my airbrush, too much hassle trying to clean it. [hmm, is there a lazy smiley?] I only just found out about tamiya enamels the other day. I thought that they only did the acrylics.

[primera man]

Originally posted by nismo kid
Does anyone else find these paints hard to use with a brush? It usually dries too quickly and turns into a paste on the model. Is it my technique?

Daggerlee has given you a good answer.
I only use enamels due to there better finish. As they take longer to dry it gives you a bit more time to paint larger areas with a brush and you are not "pulling" the paint off as it dries

[flyonthewall]

Yeah ive had exactly the same problems and its been the cause of much swearing in my earlier days of model making. The frustrating thing was i never knew the reason why this was until recently so i always thought i was doing something wrong.