paint selection

[masterKamera]

How does one go about selecting the right paint..

I know, i havent dealt with paint in many years, and well, i never actually painted the models i built in my youth. Having to paint 1 model with low quality NON MODEL water based paint made me just enjoy bare plastic.

I am considering quality acrylic, but im not sure if the water thinned kind is better then the alcohol thinned kind.

[Bughunter]

There are many different preferences in this area! So that is hard to tell you your preferences. Ask 10 people and you will get 11 different answers.
I strongly suggest to see the completed section and follow the build reports for the models you like. Most builders tell you what they use so you can take a big profit from those build reports. And to tell such things those reports are done.

Cheers,
Frank

[macsporran]

And we keep changing our minds! Currently I favour MRP via airbrush, but that follows preferences for Tamiya, AK, Vallejo, Mr Paint, etc, etc...
Hate to think how much I've spent on drawers full of these, as well as Humbrol, Revell, Alcad.....
Sandy

[Dave W]

Hi MasterKamera

I think paint choice is like models- it's very much an individual choice. Some like enamels, others acrylics. Most modellers seem to airbrush but quite a few ( myself included) are brush painters so paint choice is again defined by how we work.

Depending on where you live your paint choice may also be influenced by what's available to you from the shops versus having to mail order everything.

Speaking only for myself as a brush painter I like Humbrol acrylic, Citadel and Vallejo Model Color and am currently evaluating the new Australian brushable acrylic range Infinite Colour from the Scale Modellers Supply.

However the best advice I can offer is try some paints and settle on the ones that you like to work with.

cheers

Dave Wilson
Gold Coast
Australia

[masterKamera]

well i dont have a model shop in driving distance, and the ones that do show up on google maps, are a 4 hour round trip to go to a hobby lobby store, and a few places that sell "trading cards, sports memorabilia, and war gaming supplies".

Testors is the company that sells the air in a can that hooks to the actual air brush.

but i dont really KNOW what brand i like, etc. The only model paint i have ever used was in a small amount, testors enamel and i was never able to use the entire 2ml bottle kit up. Smelled to bad, and i was never allowed to use the solvent to clean my brushes.

Ideally id like something that is low on smell, but has the ability to be brushed by hand and air brush.. Im still picking on what supplies i need for the models i have in the mail

airfix eindecker
airfix bristol bulldog
eduard dual niuport 17 kit
Roden junkers D.1 early

aside from the review on the eduard dual kit, im not sure what colors i need as id like to get consistently used colors. Best to spend 15$ on a puck of shaving soap that lasts over a year of every other day use that gives a good shave, versus buying a new 15-20$ soap every month desperately trying to find someting that works..

[Dirigible-Al]

I started using enamels mainly and have moved almost entirely to acrylics. This is mainly because of ease of use. To thin the Humbrol and Revell enamels I needed to use thinners that were both expensive and stank the room out. Cleaning the brushes with white spirit each time did the same to a lesser extent. I have mainly Citadel and Revell acrylics with a few pots of Tamiya chucked in. I have never used acrylic thinners, to thin the paint I use either water with a tiny bit of soap added, Future (surface cleaner/polish, this has different names depending where you get it and Astonish make similar stuff) or a combination of both.
Hope this helps, Alan.

[RAGIII]

Depending on where you are in the world some lines May be easier to get than others  so consider this as a "qualified" answer. I use mostly two lines of Paint. I like how Tamiya acrylics airbrush using their X20A thinner. Not too bad on the odor but can be smelled. Although some can, I have Never mastered hand brushing the Tamiya paints. The other brand I frequently use is Valejo. I tend to use their Airbrush thinner when I have some on hand but have also used distilled water and Future ( Now Discontinued under all of its various Names). Valejo does make two lines, Valejo Model Color and Valejo Air( supposed to be airbrush ready but I thin it further.)  I use both for hand brushing and the airbrush. Some Modelers don't like Valejo but that of course comes down to personal preference.

As for specific colors The standard black, white, silver/aluminum, steel etc. are necessary. Olive Drab, khaki, (sand, beige, and various greys such as German RLM 02 are also handy, especially for the Eindecker)
I Hope this helps,
RAGIII

[masterKamera]

Depending on where you are in the world some lines May be easier to get than others  so consider this as a "qualified" answer. I use mostly two lines of Paint. I like how Tamiya acrylics airbrush using their X20A thinner. Not too bad on the odor but can be smelled. Although some can, I have Never mastered hand brushing the Tamiya paints. The other brand I frequently use is Valejo. I tend to use their Airbrush thinner when I have some on hand but have also used distilled water and Future ( Now Discontinued under all of its various Names). Valejo does make two lines, Valejo Model Color and Valejo Air( supposed to be airbrush ready but I thin it further.)  I use both for hand brushing and the airbrush. Some Modelers don't like Valejo but that of course comes down to personal preference.

As for specific colors The standard black, white, silver/aluminum, steel etc. are necessary. Olive Drab, khaki, (sand, beige, and various greys such as German RLM 02 are also handy, especially for the Eindecker)
I Hope this helps,
RAGIII

Valejo makes some interesting paint...  their equivalency guide seems to be awful useful, but i have to ask..

a 17 piece paint kit for ww1 fighters, is that going to be enough to keep both sides nicely painted, or will i still need to shell out for random colors? 

Painting is getting to be more involved and costly then what i experienced when i first started getting into genuine vintage double edged, single edged, and injector shaving razors.,

[WD]

Depending on where you are in the world some lines May be easier to get than others  so consider this as a "qualified" answer. I use mostly two lines of Paint. I like how Tamiya acrylics airbrush using their X20A thinner. Not too bad on the odor but can be smelled. Although some can, I have Never mastered hand brushing the Tamiya paints. The other brand I frequently use is Valejo. I tend to use their Airbrush thinner when I have some on hand but have also used distilled water and Future ( Now Discontinued under all of its various Names). Valejo does make two lines, Valejo Model Color and Valejo Air( supposed to be airbrush ready but I thin it further.)  I use both for hand brushing and the airbrush. Some Modelers don't like Valejo but that of course comes down to personal preference.

As for specific colors The standard black, white, silver/aluminum, steel etc. are necessary. Olive Drab, khaki, (sand, beige, and various greys such as German RLM 02 are also handy, especially for the Eindecker)
I Hope this helps,
RAGIII

Valejo makes some interesting paint...  their equivalency guide seems to be awful useful, but i have to ask..

a 17 piece paint kit for ww1 fighters, is that going to be enough to keep both sides nicely painted, or will i still need to shell out for random colors? 

Painting is getting to be more involved and costly then what i experienced when i first started getting into genuine vintage double edged, single edged, and injector shaving razors.,

It's WAY more involved now. I bet I'm safe in saying that, like me, the last time you bought model paint it was either Pactra, Testors, or Floquil, and that covered 90% of the hobby world, right?  Now, there are umpteen different paint brands, and the terminology, for me at least, gets confusing. I used to think that acrylic meant water-based, and at one time it did, but no more.

WD

[masterKamera]

Depending on where you are in the world some lines May be easier to get than others  so consider this as a "qualified" answer. I use mostly two lines of Paint. I like how Tamiya acrylics airbrush using their X20A thinner. Not too bad on the odor but can be smelled. Although some can, I have Never mastered hand brushing the Tamiya paints. The other brand I frequently use is Valejo. I tend to use their Airbrush thinner when I have some on hand but have also used distilled water and Future ( Now Discontinued under all of its various Names). Valejo does make two lines, Valejo Model Color and Valejo Air( supposed to be airbrush ready but I thin it further.)  I use both for hand brushing and the airbrush. Some Modelers don't like Valejo but that of course comes down to personal preference.

As for specific colors The standard black, white, silver/aluminum, steel etc. are necessary. Olive Drab, khaki, (sand, beige, and various greys such as German RLM 02 are also handy, especially for the Eindecker)
I Hope this helps,
RAGIII

Valejo makes some interesting paint...  their equivalency guide seems to be awful useful, but i have to ask..

a 17 piece paint kit for ww1 fighters, is that going to be enough to keep both sides nicely painted, or will i still need to shell out for random colors? 

Painting is getting to be more involved and costly then what i experienced when i first started getting into genuine vintage double edged, single edged, and injector shaving razors.,

It's WAY more involved now. I bet I'm safe in saying that, like me, the last time you bought model paint it was either Pactra, Testors, or Floquil, and that covered 90% of the hobby world, right?  Now, there are umpteen different paint brands, and the terminology, for me at least, gets confusing. I used to think that acrylic meant water-based, and at one time it did, but no more.

WD

I also did not enjoy going to the valejo website and seeing 56 different versions of BLUE.....  going to be a major undertaking as far to many plans call out for 1 or 2 postage stamp size spots that need a specific color..

[macsporran]

When starting off, don't bother about too many shades of blue for postage stamp sized areas of the model. You're brush painting, so just buy black and white and add a dab of either to your blue colour to use for these areas. Once you've decided on your preferences, you can start to invest in all the minor shades.
Sandy

[WD]

When starting off, don't bother about too many shades of blue for postage stamp sized areas of the model. You're brush painting, so just buy black and white and add a dab of either to your blue colour to use for these areas. Once you've decided on your preferences, you can start to invest in all the minor shades.
Sandy

OR alternatively, buy a color wheel and educate yourself on color theory. I have a modeling friend who went to art school. He only keeps a handful of different colors on hand. Why?  He mixes his own, and recommends others do as well. I'm sure there are a gob of free websites explaining color theory, etc. I know that your time, like mine, is valuable, BUT you'll be rewarded by not having to have a gorillion bottles of paint around.

WD

PS: How much is a gorillion?  Enough to drive you bananas. 

[masterKamera]

When starting off, don't bother about too many shades of blue for postage stamp sized areas of the model. You're brush painting, so just buy black and white and add a dab of either to your blue colour to use for these areas. Once you've decided on your preferences, you can start to invest in all the minor shades.
Sandy

OR alternatively, buy a color wheel and educate yourself on color theory. I have a modeling friend who went to art school. He only keeps a handful of different colors on hand. Why?  He mixes his own, and recommends others do as well. I'm sure there are a gob of free websites explaining color theory, etc. I know that your time, like mine, is valuable, BUT you'll be rewarded by not having to have a gorillion bottles of paint around.

WD

PS: How much is a gorillion?  Enough to drive you bananas. 

Mixing my own would require the proper type of light. I cant afford that set up, and i would need actual paint chips to compare to under said lights.

[WD]

masterKamera,
                        If mixing to a chip exactly is your jam, and makes you happy, then go for it. Rock on donkey kong.

However, I'll offer up two things to keep in mind:

- WWI a/c colors are anything but an exact science. I don't know about you, but that was one thing, among many, that attracted me to it. This corner of the hobby isn't inhabited by the Farb Polezei. You know the types. Why?  The atmosphere over here is too rarified for them to breathe in because so little is known or so little exists to make solid statements of "this is exactly what it is" insofar as color is concerned. A lot of times we can say what something isn't, but seldom can we say with any certainty what it is. Color Nazi's will show up every once in a while, but they don't last long.

- My friend that mixes all of his colors doesn't have a particular light set up and doesn't own any paint chips, yet he's an award-winning modeler that has been featured on the covers of modeling magazines, etc. He mixes until HE thinks it looks right. Some of the best modelers here on this board do the same thing. As a case in point, my old WWI Modeling List pard Rick is working on an S.E.5, and he hand mixed his PC 10 by eyeball, he did it until it looked right for him, and no one else. Know what?  It looks great!  The best we can do over here is ballpark this stuff.

WD