what are your paints of choice?

[kaysersoze]

i use the small tinlets from humbrol mainly, just because thats what ive grown up with, and that they are easier to come by here in south wales. when i (finally) get my new airbrush from hannants, as its a dual action i am thinking about trying out other alternatives, but i know that it will be an expensive process to restock my paint drawer, so i would love to have the opinions of all the people here to have as a basis.

i have had good results with thinning the paint to a sprayable mix, but i know there are some paints out there that dont need thinning.

so, what do you lot use as your weapon of choice? :)

[Guest Johnny]

I like model master enamels and acrylics..for one thats what my local hobby shop stocks and i use enamels to brush paint and the acrylics to airbrush but i am slowly crossing over to acrylics for everything... plus the acrylics need very little thinning to be sprayed a couple drops of water or some windshield washing fluid..

HTH

John

[MaRiO FDZ]

I like MM Enamels because they are in a Large variety of colors and because they're just about the easiset ones you can find here in Monterrey hehe

Take Care!!

[is it windy yet?]

I use arcrylics almost exclusively, the biggest exception being metalizers. I still have some enamels that I use for cockpit details. My favorite paint is polly scale , its easy to use great colour range. However not as available in my area as it once was. Tamiya is the best acrylic paint and is sold everywhere, but it has such a limited colour range for specific aircraft colours. I'm not big on mixing. Gunze is great too but isn't stocked in my town and therefore I never really got hooked on the stuff. The model master arcryl is good too but I was using polly scale first and really haven't had to try anything new.

Ron

[Godfrey]

Gunze Mr. Color line of paints because of the wide selection of colors, quick drying laquer based paint, does not peel off easily, can withstand heavy enamel washes, can be thinned up to 80/20 ratio thinner/paint without losing adhesive properties, can be sprayed from 12 to 30 psi without clogging the AB and lastly, the nearest on-line shop can deliver to my house within one week compared to 8 weeks for MM paints.

Tamiya paints because the local hobby shop stocks a lot of them. Sprays very well but not as durable as Gunze's or MM's.

MM, better than Tamiya but not easily accessible from where I am.

Godfrey

[Andy Mullen]

For now Im using Humbrol Enamels and Tamiya Acrylics due to the fact those are the only readily available from local stores. But saying that Ive been experimenting with Pollyscale an Xtracolor (only available by mail order) and their looking good so far.

[Old72s]

Primarily PollyScale and MM acrylics. MM airbrush much nicer but it's difficult to hand-paint with them. I prefer acrylics because of the water cleanup and less stink.

[smithery]

Most of my paints are Tamiya Acrylics, only becasue that's what I was using when I returned to the hobby, and couldn't cross-reference to save my life. They're now collecting dust for the most part, except when it comes time to do some detail painting. I really don't care for the Tamiya paints when it comes time to use the airbrush.

Since jumping into aircraft, I have started accumulating MM and Humbrol enamels. I have pretty much switched completely to enamels, as I appreciate covering ability, and they're easy to thin to a sprayable mix. I primarily don't mix paints at all, so when a color is called for that I don't have, a trip to the hobby shop is required.

For metallics, Alclad is used exclusively. These are the only paints I'll mix oddly enough.

I'm fortunate to have a choice of what to get, as pretty much all the ranges are carried by one shop or another here.

[Steve Filak]

For me, it's primarily MM enamels. Primarily, their availability was what caused me to use them almost exclusively, but I also like how they cover, and I've become so familiar with their properties over time that I've actually developed a lot of my painting techniques around the paint itself. It really is great stuff.

I also use Floquil, Tamiya, Humbrol, Alclad, and Xtracolor in various applications, but my primary paint of choice is Model Master.

[jungle]

I've spent a lot of money on paint over the last year or so and can honestly say that my favorite paint depends on the color and what I'm using it for.

For example, I love Tamiya Acryllics especially when airbrushing because they caan be thinned with alcohol and dry super quickly. However, I don't like their metallic paints.

Pollyscale makes outstanding acryllic paints also, especially when it comes to metallics. Silver, and Flat Aluminum are great!

I use model masters enamals when its convienent (when I have a complicated camo scheme and don't want to custom mix the colors, MM ussually makes the shade).

i've used a couple of paints from Humbrol and they seem OK but they smeel too bad!

[Stephen]

I've switched to acrylics with Pollyscale/Aeromaster (still got a few left)/lifecolor/Tamiya and my current fave Vallejo which are about the easiest paints I've ever used.I also have some Color of Eagles which I haven't tried yet.

Stephen

[dimsh2000]

I love my tamiya acrylic paints. They are really easy to mix. They are also very easy to airbrush and to clean off an airbrush. I wouldnt trade them for anything else. The only problem I have with them is that they caps always dry

[Old Blind Dog]

Water-based acryllics only, mainly Polly Scale (because it's easy to use either hand-brushed or air-brushed, comes in a wide variety of colors, and gives me the best consistent results). I also use Tamiya and Gunze acrylics regularly.

I use aqueous acrylics for the following reason:

1) They are easy to use and very easy to clean up

2) They are environmentally friendly (at least relative to solvent and oil-based paints)

3) They are safer to use and better with regard to health concerns

4) They are fast-drying, so I can work faster and don't have to put projects on hold to wait hours or even days for sub assemblies to dry.

5) Especially with Polly Scale, they cover well without obscuring details. . .I've applied sometimes as many as 15 coats of PS without losing small details. (Exception to this is some of the lighter colors, especially whites and yellows)

6) They tend to be more compatible with plastic. . .as some solvents will attack plastic without barrier/primer coats, and every coat you have to apply potentially obscures detail.

7) With the exception of metallic finishes, IMO, you can get results that are equal or superior to solvent based paints with considerably less fuss.

Old Blind Dog

[Keith Diamond]

I use MM because not only is it the most readily available to me, but also because that's what my dad had when he got me started on modeling. I like to stick with works for me.

[Guest Dog1]

Polly Scale-Spot on, correct colors.

Tamyia, when in a pinch

MM-only as a last result...

Acrylics only...

[tigercat]

I use Humbrol enamels. Thats what I started using when I first began modelling. They have a big range and are easily available. I use the odd Revell enamel, though not as good as Humbrol. I use Tamiya for tinting canopies.

[Mandrake]

Humbrol Enamels.

Like many, especially those in the UK, I have grown up with them and they are by far the most commonly available brand.

However despite trying a few other brands I have stuck with Humbrol simply because they work best for me, as a brushpainter they are ideal

:D

[Paul T]

I myself also use mostly MM enamels, started off using them ,know how they behave(usually ... :D

Then there is Alclad,the whole range,love the product.

Also have a tin or two of X-tra color,good also.

Really depends on what is being painted & the color scheme as well as FS # and their closest matches.

Paul T

[Thommo]

I started with Humbrol enamel, handbrushing them.

When I got an airbrush, I went to Tamyia acrylics because I wanted to be able to clean up with water.

Then the hobby shop had a clearance on Model Master pouch paints (Aus$0.50 each) so I stocked up on them, and continued with them until some mug offered them a price for the whole lot (probably 100 pouches) they could not refuse. I should have done that!

So now I am back to Tamyia ($2.75 each).

I have also got the odd pot of Gunze acrylics ($2.95 each) and one enamel and these are very good paints - perhaps better than Tamyia in my view.

Generally, the Tamyia acrylics work well for large areas when airbrushing, but some colours do seem to clog/spit more than others.

For handbrushing large areas, you can't go past enamels though.

Thommo

[madmike]

Humbrol enamels for hand brushing

Vallejo/Citadel for detail work

Aeromaster/Pollyscale/Gunze for airbrush work. I stay away from Tamiya acrylics mostly now as they are fragile oft times.

For BMF finishes, nothing betters Tamiya lacquer AS-12!

:D

MikeJ

[MikeV]

I have used Model Master enamels exclusively over the years, but have recently been experimenting with the Model Master Acryl line and have been fairly pleased with it.

Mike

[Guest Guest]

Model Master for me, I love the Acryl line, easy to use, easy to clean up and when airbrushing I can switch colors super fast...

[polo1112]

I use either Humbrol enamels (already available when I was a child) or Revell enamels(are cheap and easier to find in Germany) I'm living in France but the german boarder is one mile far and in Germany all the hobby products are cheaper. The germans have a 7% Vat rate and the french a 20.6 VAT rate. That's why!

But Revell enamels are very thick and have to be very more thinned than Humbrol when tou want to airbrush them.

Have a good day and :D Polo.

[messy60]

Almost the only thing i spray would be my Tamiya Acrylics. I love mixing paint, plus the fact that i can thin them down with alcohol, and that they dry so fast is awesome. Also, since I work at my local hobby shop, i get a good discount on them. Instead of 2.60 USD, i get them for 1.40 USD. I also love Alclad Lacquers. For detail work, Vallejo acrylics and Testor's Steel and Silver. Tire Black by Gunze for my tires, and Polly Scale for my flat coat. I have quite a collection of Vallejo ModelAir paints, but haven't used any yet. Same with my Aircraft Colors (distributed by Vallejo, but someone said they are the old Aeromaster paints or something?) Humbrol is hard to come by where i live, so i've almost never used them.

[Iwan Winarta]

Gunze Mr. Color line of paints because of the wide selection of colors, quick drying laquer based paint, does not peel off easily, can withstand heavy enamel washes, can be thinned up to 80/20 ratio thinner/paint without losing adhesive properties, can be sprayed from 12 to 30 psi without clogging the AB and lastly, the nearest on-line shop can deliver to my house within one week compared to 8 weeks for MM paints.

Tamiya paints because the local hobby shop stocks a lot of them. Sprays very well but not as durable as Gunze's or MM's.

MM, better than Tamiya but not easily accessible from where I am.

:D

Godfrey

Hey Godfrey,

where do you mailorder your Mr. Color ?

For me, the paint of choice is Humbrol enamels. Tried Tamiya acrylics for several years. After a lot of cursing and trying, I finally switch back to enamels.

Unfortunately, Humbrol and Testor MM are not as easily available as it used to be in my place. Have to use Tamiya Enamels more often.

Now we got Valejo in Jakarta, but I'm still not satisfied with the result, especially the lighter colours.

cheers