How to do a good paintjob

[OfficialRyan]

Right

I've purchased another A380, the Revell kit.

However, i'm wondering if there is a way to get a seamless, good smooth coating whilst painting?

I'm using brushes, and wouldn't say no to spending some money, tops £25 though, as I don't do alot of modelling.

Any ideas?

[arnobiz]

Assuming you want to paint it in a single colour (white for ex.) I would simply go to the nearest DIY store and buy a can of spray paint. Spray it lightly with very thin coats and Bob's your uncle!

Good luck,

Arnaud

[Miccara]

This is my good-intentioned, well meaning, friendly advice...

If you have made the commitment to build then make the commitment to buy an airbrush. I recommend gravity fed dual action. There is going to be a lot of different opinions on this and you can make your own choice. Mine is dual action, gravity fed. You can get a decent one for $100 or less, of course now you need to buy a compressor. This is another story, cheap one $50 - $100. Good one, around $250. Save, save, save. They are worth it in the long run. If you plan on buying canned propellant to power your airbrush for the first few uses - well that I can understand. After that, if you are not saving for a compressor then you are a foolish person. Canned propellant is outrageously expensive, provides no control, and will run out at exactly the worst possible time. Compressor is (technically) FREE AIR, on-going, unrestricted, adjustable FREE air. Free air means cleaning your airbrush in 90 seconds.

No, you don’t need an airbrush to paint a model. You just need an airbrush to make it look the best it can. You can if you like hand paint it, and get a pretty good looking kit. It will never look as good as an airbrushed one does (angry emails coming my way now), but I understand your apprehension. Maybe it will help if I point out a few things.

(a) You do not need to be an artist or possess artist talent to use an airbrush successfully.

(B) They are not really that expensive

© It is easy to learn and use

(d) I’ll bet you’ll be happy with the results the first time you use it

(e) They are not messy

(f) They clean easily

The most important thing to come to grips with is; you do not need to be an artist or possess artist talent to use an airbrush successfully. It is just another tool in your toolbox, sitting there with your hammer and screwdriver or in this case, your art knife and glue. I am the most untalented artist in the world. I can’t draw stickmen with any believability. This doesn’t hinder my ability to airbrush a model. Really, you will never regret going that route.

[Don Wheeler]

I don't want to dissuade you from buying an airbrush, because I think it is a good investment in the long run. But, I would assume spraying an A380 a single color would be similar to spraying a car model. And, a lot of car modelers do just fine with spray cans. Here is a video you might want to watch. Just be sure to have plenty of ventilation.

Here is another video using a single action Paasche H that is worth watching. And, you can always polish and apply a clear coat like Future with a brush. Practice on some junk plastic.

Don

[Marty1967]

^^What the last 3 posters said.^^

Also, what works for Tweedledum may not work so well for Tweedledee... if you're more comfortable painting with acrylics than enamels, go with your preference... and feel free to fiddle with diluting or otherwise modifying your paints until you've doctored them up to a formula which works best for you.

Me, I usually get my paints home, let them settle, then remove 1/4-1/3 of the clear base with an eye dropper and replace it with airbrush thinner. This might not work for builders who are used to airbrushing with thicker paints.

[richter111]

One last thing that might help, lightly sand the paint job with a 2000 grit sandpaper when it is dry. The clean it off. It evens out the small highs and lows you get from the painting

[Neo]

If you wish to get a good hand brushed finish you need

Hight quality brushes (square angled ones for the main body color)

I use Humbrol paint(strait out the tin) had it really level nicely without brush strokes

Clean your brushes extremely well (after Thinner i wash them in Dawn dish washing soap)

i wash my models wiht rubbing alchool and wear glove when hadeling them to make sure i dont get finger grease anywhere

with some practice you should get you something like this