Considering a switch to Mr. Color paints

Thanks for the tips all.

I went ahead and picked up an assortment of Mr. Color paints yesterday and I can't wait to try them out. To reply to the questions on why I didn't go with MM, I really don't like how Model Master sprays or else I would have went with them. Vallejo would have also been a good choice put I can't get a good selection of them locally.

What's about real acrylics ? I'm using since several months only  VALLEJO Model Air:

71025 Dark Yellow (RAL 7028)

71011 Tank Green (RAL 6003)

71041 Tank brown (RAL 80179

very fine for use with airbrush, easy cleaning of yr. equipment and at least it doesn't smell ... and quick drying

I used Mr. Color paints on my Eduard 109E-7 and was rather impressed. Very similar spray and thinning characteristics to Tamiya + Lacquer thinner, but more forgiving on Tamiya problem areas like tip dry and dusting.

Personally I consider them slightly better than Tamiya for airbrushing. Useless for brush painting (where I prefer Vallejo or Lifecolor every time)

I was going to use them on my Spitfire WIP, but the heat in the garage this summer has been giving every paint I use headaches...enamels seem to play the best so I'm using Model Master on it.

I haven't used them on an actual model yet, haven't had time, but did order a few bottles of Mr Color a couple months ago. I couldn't resist thinning a couple of colors and shooting on some sheet styrene. I was immedidately impressed, but then, I do like lacquers and don't care if they smell. They must use very fine pigment because I didn't have any problems spraying them through a couple of sometimes finicky fine tipped airbrushes. In fact, I found that I had way over reduced and added a good bit of paint to the mix. Not related to the colors you asked about, I tried RAF Dark Green and Ocean Grey, but they looked good to me and had a nice semi-gloss sheen. I'm glad they're thick, means I can get a lot out of that little 10ml bottle.

Also got a bottle of Mr Surfacer 1200 and have used a little of it on my first track vehicle, a Mono M48A2. I like it, it sprays well and is fine but do believe that quart of DuPont automotive primer is just as good if not better.

Tony

Try Model Master Acrylics. They are usually easy to find and have an excellent selection.

Thanks for the tips guys.

Sounds like I'll just have to mix their dark yellow to the right shade like I already do with Tamiya paint. I think I'll try and follow Dragon's color call outs for now for the other colors. Any one reccomend a good Soviet green?

Erik

The best way to use it is to run it pretty lean (ie. very thin) and build up the colour depth in multiple passes. If you're accustomed to Tamiya acrylics, you probably paint this way already.

Insufficient thinning can cause (literally) cobweb-like strings between your airbrush and your model.

I haven't used the Mr Color Dark Yellow, but if it's the same as the Aqueous Dark Yellow, it may be too brown/green (significantly more so than Tamiya's) and too dark.

Mr Color is its own type of paint. It will not be thinned or cleaned by water, windex, or other common household cleaners. It is not like any acrylic out there. You can clean up and thin it with Lacquer thinner in addition to their own brand thinner. But I have yet to come across anything else that will work for those purposes. Straight out of the bottle it is very thick and does not handbrush well. On the plus side it has a wide selection of colors and aibrushes well. Even on to PE and resin without primer.