Never used Acrylics before, only enamels - whats different/better?

One primes with something that has very good adhesion. Some like flat gray/white enamel from a rattle can, others  use the specialty products like the Mr. Surfacer line.

I prime with Tamiya acrylic Sky Gray or Polly Scale, because they have excellent adhesion on clean surfaces—and as a former paint technologist, I have no problem with the idea of a clean surface. IMHO, that's a "given" regardless of the coating to be applied, enamel, lacquer, acrylic, whatever.

Cleaning before painting is easy: detergent and water (I like Simple Green), rinsed with distilled water, followed by an alcohol wipe (the last more for static control); or use a surfactant cleaner like 409 and no rinsing—just make sure it's dry. For that matter, cleaning the surface by wiping it down with Windex is about as simple and easy as it can get.

Cleanliness may or may not be next to godliness, but it is the one, true, right and only way to paint.

Thanks Andy. I couln't have asked for a better more thorough response. In fact, I only have 1 (one) follow up question. 

What does one prime with?

Other than that, very helpful and thought provoking!

Spotty wrote:

So. What should I know about trying acrlylics?

If you use the search feature, you'll find a lot of discussion threads on this very subject.

Spotty wrote:

1. Any special surface prep as opposed to washing with soap and water??

Tamiya acrylics adhere pretty well.  ModelMaster Acryls not so much, so you might need to prime.

Spotty wrote:

2. Do I have to "aftercoat" with something to 'protect' it??

No.  Any issues would be at the bond (or lack thereof) between the acrylic paint and the plastic.  Coating paint that has not adhered would not really help.

Spotty wrote:

3. Are my wife's acrylic folk art paints good for anything?

Maybe.  How nice is your wife's folk art?   Seriously, I suspect that they might not be too useful for painting models, but you could always experiment.  Even if they are useless on bare plastic, possibly they might be fine on a painted surface.

Spotty wrote:

4. Other than easier cleanup of my cheapo airbrush, why choose acrylics?

Actually cleanup is a bit more difficult with acrylics.  Enamels cleanup as easily with paint thinner as do acrylics with Windex.  Enamels have the benefit of taking longer to dry, and thus remaining more easily able to be cleaned up for a longer time.  This is particularly true when hand brushing.  Realistically, it's about six of one half-a-dozen of the other. 

Why choose acrylics:

Reduced toxicity of thinners: alcohol vs. mineral spirits. Reduced toxicity of cleaners: Windex vs. mineral spirits.

If you build armor and like the old 1970's Tamiya kits, acrylics bond much better to the vinyl tracks than do enamels.

I find that they do not spoil like enamels.  When enamel congeals into a gooey glob in the bottom of the bottle, I just have to throw it away.  With acrylics, I find that I can add some Tamiya acrylic thinner, stir, and it's good as new.  Same thing with saving thinned paint.  With enamels, if I save leftover paint from air-brushing, the paint will spoil within a week.  Acrylics seem to last indefinitely.

Why not to choose acrylics:

They don't adhere to plastic as well.  You have to be a lot more tedious about surface prep. Depending on you pain, you may need to always prime, and they still sometimes lift under masking tape.  So there is more of a frustration factor.      

Fast drying time.  Sounds really nice until you're trying to brush paint something.   

Why to us both enamels and acrylics: 

Actually, there's no reason to use acrylic or enamel exclusively.  Once either type of paint has cured, you can paint with the other kind right on top of it with out any problems.

You can get better color selection by leaving yourself open to either type.

When doing washes or brush painting, you might find it useful to use the other type of paint from what's underneath because neither will dissolve the other.  Whereas an acrylic wash can dissolve and lift underlying acrylic paint and an enamel was will do the same to underlying enamel paint, an acrylic wash will not lift enamels and an enamel wash will not lift acrylics.

Andy