Cheaper paint for weathering?

Weathering is accomplished by using pigments, washes, filters etc. The same paint used as a top coat can be used in a fading effect by adding a few drops of a lighter shade to dial down the tone.

Craft paints are very affordable but I have found that a solvent type primer needs to be used for the craft paint to properly "bite" into the surface, otherwise it has a tendency to lift when masking tape is removed. Some folks use them but I'm personally not a fan of any acrylic.

The amount of paint used in weathering is usually pretty minimal.  Even the main paint pales in contrast to the cost of kits these days.  I think it is false economy to worry about trying to save money on paints, especially those used in weathering.

I agree with Don. After all the hours of assembly. But for washes and filters, I have a set of "beginner" oil artist paints, I think it was $ 18.00 for ten tubes of the usual suspects. I use those thinned way down with Turpenoid over a clear coat of Future and I like the results.

For washes I have a Reeves artist Oil Paint set that I grabbed at Hobby Lobby a while back with a 40% coupon that came out to under $15 and having about 20 tubes. I can make just about any wash color using turpentine. 

Compared to kits, paints are dirt cheap.  Plus, you'll use an iota of paint for weathering.  Buy some earth tone oil colors and pigments, and they'll last forever.

Remember, a wash uses an extremely thin paint mixture.  In drybrushing you are putting almost no paint on the brush, so either of these two weathering techniques are very sparing of paint.

Ok thanks guys. I figured it was probably a waste to worry about this aspect. I have had issues with my MM acrylics coming up with both blue painters tape or tamiya tape when applied directly to the plastic. I think it may have even pulled up the primer AND the acrylic paint one time..... I just had this happen after I taped off around the rear beds on a B-29 I am working on, and detail/brush painted them, then the tape took the green chromate paint off that was the base, and some of the other two colors nearest the tape. Seems like a PITA to have to prime EVERYTHING... But it may have to be the way its done with these acrylics.

Thanks for the help and input everyone....  Rudy

i prime everything, usually with ACE Hardware NOW and never had a lift off with any acrylics including Vallejo using painters tape or silly putty. i weather with ComArt acrylics,  acrylic washes, oils, powders, pastels, real dirt and charcoal ash. artist oils are inexpensive; get the medium grade and look for craft store sales and coupons.

 one thing i rarely do is put a barrier between my paint and washes; no future, no flat coays, and have not had a problem with removing paint.

  Rudy;

   I have used all the different paints there is I think . From M.M. to Oils , Acrylics etc .The cost is minimal . And , you don't really have to change Unless you want to .

It all works well And , it's the most minimal when used for weathering . I have a wash I made over a span of two years and I still have over half left .      T.B.

I will never understand why people will risk cheaping out on a kit they spend money and hours on. Supplies are a small investment. People will buy more kits than they will ever build but wont spend on supplies.

 I'd recommend MM enamels to do your washes. Just thin them out when you need them. One bottle will last a long time. I don't like oils because they take forever to dry and cheap artist oils (the offbrands at Hobby Lobby like Thomas Kinkade) will cause problems with fogging and never completely drying.

RudyOnWheels

Thanks guys. I forgot how long the Oils take to dry....

 

CheesyMeatBurrito

I don't like oils because they take forever to dry and cheap artist oils (the offbrands at Hobby Lobby like Thomas Kinkade) will cause problems with fogging and never completely drying.

 

Oil washes completely dry within 48 hours if you remove some linseed oil from oil colors or use MIG oil colors.  Works perfect for me.  Due to their slow drying time, I never screw up oil washes.  It's so easy to fine-tune details or correct errors.

What do you thin the oil washes with? Regular hardware store lacquer thinner?

Thanks!

Rudy

I use  turpentine for the oil wash and I also use  pastel chalks on a gloss finish

RudyOnWheels

What do you thin the oil washes with? Regular hardware store lacquer thinner?

Thanks!

Rudy

 

Do Not use LT! It will dissolve your freshly painted finish. I use this turp from Home Depot/Lowes.

Thanks guys!!! Sorry, I have no experience with turpentine. To be honest, until now I kinda put it in the same catergory as LT!!!! But I can see the LT eating the model alive!

  Thanks !

Rudy

Rudy, pleae see this page and post:

http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/3/t/164179.aspx?page=3

This is a tank that I weathered mostly with cheap craft store paints from AC Moore's. The kind that are like, $.99 cents a piece. The explanation of how I did it is in that post. You can DEFINITELY do impressive weathering with any old cheap paint if you experiment and learn from people who know how to do it.

Now painting acrylics over primer is also definitely a good idea, but not necessarily necessary if you're not going to be masking with tape over it. Model Master is notoriosuly fragile when masking; I would use Tamiya paint for that; it is actually an acrylic-lacquer blend, and it "bites" into the plastic more.

You can save money by finding alternative thinners than the ones sold by the paint manufacturers