Tamiya vs Valejo Acrylics

i used both n love them both the difference is the vallejo model air is already thinned down ready to airbrush  tamiya u gota thin it down with thinners  but its up to u what u feel better with vallejo dries pretty quick if u have a double action airbrush u can paint then cut to air to dry it of  samething with tamiya paints 

Hi Mike,

Both Tamiya and Vallejo (both Model Color and Model Air) airbrush very nicely. For general airbrushing, I usually use Tamiya, simply because I'm more familiar with its properties. I airbrush Vallejo on occasion, when I need a specific colour. When airbrushing Vallejo, I would recommend a primer coat as it doesn't stick to bare plastic very well when suitably thinned, and can be fragile when dry (without a primer).

Whilst it's said to be "airbrush ready", the "Model Air" range may still need to be tweaked in terms of "thinness" to suit individual equipment setups and personal preferences. Model Air paints can still be hand brushed if required.

If you are looking for a multi-purpose paint which can be both airbrushed and hand brushed with good results,  use Vallejo's "Model Color" range (keeping in mind that a primer is recommended).

Tamiya's acrylics airbrush very well, but hand brush less so. Arguably, the colour range is a little limited. The metal flakes in some of their metallic range are quite coarse and settle quickly when the paint is suitably thinned for airbrushing and may cause clogging, particularly if your airbrush has a fine nozzle.

i have used both and have totally fallen in love with vallejo paints because of there ease of use,because there already thinned(model air paints) you only have to put as much as your going to use into the bowl.

i still like tamiya but i tend to only brush paint with those now and when there gone i will replace them with vallejo model colour.

i have a couple "rules" though... 

1) always use a primer(i use tamiya fine grey)as they dont "grip" onto plastic that well without one.

2) i nearly always use the vallejo retarder when spraying,especially in hot weather.

3) let the paints dry totally before masking another colour etc.

any more questions ask away.

they really are very good.

paul

p.s. there matt,satin and gloss spray cans work really well.

My experience is limited with Vallejo paints and I only used one color (black) in the sample test I did a year or two back. The paint did not have as good of adhesion to the plastic as the Tamiya paints do if memory serves me but then again this was quite a while back and they may have improved adhesion since then. I need to do some more tests in the future and see as I also like the color selection and bottle design which makes it easy to put a couple drops in the airbrush and paint something quick.

The bottle design seems to be a major plus, I would assume it also means less likelihood of clumps like you can get from Tamiya bottles (less exposed paint on edges to dry out)

Yep, just remember to wipe any excess/spillage off the tip before putting the cap back on.