Thanks for the input. I didn't have a specific style in mind other than keeping it simple for the first try - ie, minimal mixing shading, etc.
Do you use the paint right out of the container or put some on a palette of some sort and add thinner?
Do you use gray or white primer and spray or brush it on?
Hi, Zach!
I do both, paint from the jar or lid, paint from a palette, depending on the paint I'm using. When I'm painting toy soldiers, I use gloss enamels, mostly Testor's, but with some other brands. With those, I don't usually thin them. They do go on a little thick, but they're self-leveling, and when they cure, they show the details of the casting ok. I'll dip the brush right into the paint, or pick up paint from the lid, and then apply it.
I also use acrylics, such as Tamiya, Andrea, Vallejo, and even craft store acrylics, like Apple Barrel or Americana (from Michael's, AC Moore, HobbyLobby, etc). Those, I thin, using a ceramic palette:
You can use almost anything as a palette, but I prefer ceramic, because I will at times thin enamels or oils, and the solvents are a little harsh to use on a plastic palette. I used to use an old plain saucer, before I bought that palette.
I came to thin acrylics through my experience with Tamiya's paints. I used to paint them right out of the jar, too, but I found that generally, the paint would dry too quickly on the brush, clump up on the brush and on the figure, and when I would apply a second coat, it would lift the first coat. I picked up tips on various forums, the first one, that Tamiya paints are formulated for airbrushing, and therefore, they are
meant to be thinned for use. Then I experimented with different thinners. My Dutchy senses failed me, because I thought, "I'm not paying the price for Tamiya's thinner", but after trying water, then ispropyl, I broke down and bought a bottle of Tamiya's own acrylic thinner. And I wished that I had before, because it worked perfectly. Not only do I get a good finish with the airbrush, but I found that if I thinned the paint, I can get a finish painting by hand, that
looks like it went on with the airbrush. Here's an example of a model I'm painting, that I have painted by hand, using Tamiya paints:
Tamiya's acrylics can also be thinned with lacquer thinner, but I would only do this for airbrushing. They cure to an absolute matte finish, thinned this way, but if you are applying the paint by hand, the lacquer thinner is so "hot" that you can lift off any paint under the coat you're applying.
Andrea and Vallejo acrylics are also meant to be thinned for application, but they can be thinned with water or isopropyl. If you get any Vallejo airbrush paints, though, do buy the thinner from that line, for the best results.
Craft store acrylics are best thinned, in my opinion, because they are so thick right out of the bottle, and it is possible to lay them on too thick, leaving brush marks. They have relatively coarsely-ground pigments, too, which impacts the finish. But they can be thinned with water, and they can even be airbrushed. I tend to use them most for weathering effects on scale models, but you can get as good a finish with them, as with more expensive paints, if you practice. I have seen the results.
For priming, I use medium gray and a very light gray, depending on the finish colors. The color of the primer can affect the shade of the finish colors, especially if the finish layers are relatively thin. A dark undercoat will tend to make later coats darker, especially light colors, like white, yellow or red. A light undercoat will tend to make them lighter. In fact, it's common for guys building airplanes to prime an area that will later get red or yellow, like the cowling on a P-47, say, with flat white, because that will brighten the top coat and make it look more natural.
I have used automotive primers, usually Walmart's house brand, as well as Rustoleum and Krylon, but I've been using Tamiya's fine surface primer more and more, especially for my scale models, but even for metal figures. The automotive primers can be a little coarse when cured, which provides a good tooth, but sometimes needs to be sanded out a little. But I stopped using them, when the quality of the cans went down. I was getting more rattlecans that would clog--not the nozzle itself, but inside the valve at the top of the can, where the nozzle inserts. I also had tried the Tamiya primer on some airplane models, found it to cover well, provide a good tooth for finish coats, and to go a relatively long distance, despite the smaller can. So I switched to using that on all my models and toy soldiers. It comes in a medium gray and in a very light gray.
I have also used a red-brown rust color, and a matte black, as an undercoat for specific effects (black for chipping on armor, for example).
And I've used Tamiya's flat medium grey as a primer, applied with the brush or with the airbrush, depending on the project.
I always clean the piece first, to remove any oils or grease. I use warm water with a couple drops of the automotive de-greaser SuperClean in it. You could use dishwashing liquid, too; the goal is to get as grease-free a surface as possible, to get the best paint adhesion.
I hope that helps! It's a lot of experience from trial-and-error, and it works for me.
Prost!
Brad
