oil or waterbased paint

There really is no difference as it regards application or color differences. The only real difference is in the vehicle used to get the pigment to the surface to be painted. Acrylics (acrylic enamels) use water/water soluble solvents such as alcohols and glycol ethers; enamels (and lacquers, too) use organic solvents such as methyl ethyl ketone, acetone, and toluene. Whether you use an acrylic or enamel is entirely personal choice. the only rule about when and when not to use one is when you're mixing media--there are paint incompatibilities. For example you may not want to put a lacquer over an acrylic.

When you thin the paints, you need to use the right type of thinning material: alcohol/water for acrylics, and organic sovents (such as mineral spirits) for enamels; lacquer thinners should be used for lacquers. All the paint types can be readily airbrushed or brush applied, as well as found in spray cans ("rattle cans").

There is one last difference that may sway you, and that is the issue of the relative toxicologies of the paints. And without getting into the nuts and bolts, I'll just say that acrylics are relatively less toxic than enamels, and enamels than lacquers.
Hope this helps.
Gip Winecoff

One more difference (that's somewhat relative depending on the type and amount used of thinners). In general, Lacquers dry the fastest, acrylics the next fastest, enamels next, an oils the slowest.

Good luck

Bill

Styrene!

That was an elegant answer. You should be a teacher!

I use both acrylics and enamels, sometimes artist's oils if I want a very slow drying time.... Also, I use each for different things, but will 'mix up' the application (for example, I don't always do an enamel camo scheme, sometimes its acrylic... all depends on what I feel like! However, I usually use enamel as base coats and primary colors)

Ron.