Acrylic paints is there a best paint

In acrylics,Tamiya is very easy for airbrushing,it's tough and lays down nicely.I mix it with their X-20A thinner.

For enamels I really like Modelmaster

One advantage to hobby shop paints is reduced need for mixing.  They follow popular kit mfgs and subjects, and release colors fairly accurate to modeling subjects. If you use general purpose paints, you may need to do a lot of mixing to get proper colors.

Some modelers do not like mixing paints, others don't mind.  So the use of hobby shop paints may hinge on how much you like mixing paints.  BTW, there are some good, inexpensive books on mixing colors aimed at beginning art painting.

Hi,

I use craft acrylics almost exclusively -not really because of their cost but because they're readily available to me. WalMart and Michaels are close, the nearest hobby shop is over an hours drive and has poor paint selection. To thin them, I use a variety of  things - windshield washer fluid, Tamyia X20A, Future, Airbrush medium, home brew thinner, and even just water. I always add a couple of drops of GAC200 to my paint cup to help with adhesion. I sometimes add a little Flow Aid or a small drop of Dawn dish detergent if I'm spraying a larger area (1/48 scale). As Don says, you do have to mix them to get the color you want but for me that's just part of the process. They do require thinning much more than pre-made AB paints. For cleaning my AB after a session I just use Windex or Fantastic Window Cleaner. If you do let the paint dry in the airbrush, acetone will remove dried acrylic. More concentrated ammonia will also work for many but I don't like to use that in my AB. As far as how much to thin, 1:1 at a minimum but depending on AB nozzle size you might go to 2:1 thinner to paint. I use several light coats rather than trying to cover in one pass. Personally I don't use enamels because of the very long drying (curing) time and my impatience.

When I first started using acrylics years ago, I found through experience that the el-cheapo craft paints from Wal-Mart, etc were suitable for hand brushing on figurines, but not for air brushing on airplanes, etc.  I now use only Tamiya brand with their X-20A thinner and have no problems.  Pick one brand that works best for you, and stick with it.

I agree with Tojo, Tamiya for acrylic and Model master for enamel. I've tried several of the other acrylics, overall Tamiya just works better for me.

Don's points are all spot on, mixing your own colors can be a real chore. If a paint works well for, off the shelf can be a real blessing.

Bick has it nailed, he has found what works for him. My choice of Tamiya is based partly on that's the only acrylic my one hobby shop carries, all other brands I have to order on line. But as Bick says, the craft paints are plentiful, inexpensive and work perfectly. I use them for all solid colors that aren't military specifications, a little experimenting for thinning requirements and you're dialed in.

Unlike enamels, acrylics open a whole world of additives that are needed in order to adjust flow, drying and preventing tip dry. Cleaning after use is a good bit more demanding as well, but not terribly so if you don't put it off.

Might be a good idea to go with the craft paints and just spray away, in order to get familiar and comfortable with their use. Best of luck with it.

Patrick

The more cheaper brands like from walmart, i think its cracker barrel, there is more colors to chose from. Yes if i had a choice(cost and availability being equal) i like to go with them. The brands like Tamyia, and testors and or the ones they sell at the hobby shops just seem to cost more and more. Even brush paint, those are going up. So if i have a choice, i will try to make do with lesser brand.. Thanks everyone, i will look for better paints in the future, see if one works better then others. Like the ideas with the thinners.

Cadet Chuck

When I first started using acrylics years ago, I found through experience that the el-cheapo craft paints from Wal-Mart, etc were suitable for hand brushing on figurines, but not for air brushing on airplanes, etc.  <snip>  Pick one brand that works best for you, and stick with it

Cadet Chuck,

It may be that I do something different but I find craft acrylics fine for airbrushing. Here are a couple of pics. The silver fuselage on the Goshawk is Testors Acryl but everything else on both models is craft acrylic. Forget quality of build but do you think one could tell what paint I used (the green, red and yellow on the Gashawk are straight craft acrylics, the whole of the FW190 is craft acrylics that I mixed to get what I wanted including the RLM??  skyblue on the bottom which you can't see.)

I haven't found a silver in craft acrylics that's useful for me for models.

really nice, i am not saying i am all in for acrylics 100%, i just find them more available and yes cheaper. I will still use enamel's. I just like to learn the best way to use it

Now you're talking, Bick. Both models look just great, the finishes have what I try to achieve, smooth, even coverage and glossy. The grainiest craft acrylic I tried was still not all that bad, a slight bit of sanding with 12000 grit in preparation for clear coat and it looked good. I'm not so good at color matching, so for FS code paint I buy Tamiya, but nearly all others are craft acrylics.

You gave me the tip for them a couple of years ago here on the forum, I was a bit skeptical but tried them, now I'm sold. Thanks for saving me quite a few bucks. My favorite one works very well with 91% ISO, adjusted with whatever amount of Liquitex Flow Aid is needed.

Didn't mean to hijack your post, Billmc, but I do hope you find this useful. Best of luck.

Patrick

nope no problem i love to read feed back, everyone adds to it.  I did my weathering on a couple of vehicles and it came out pretty good. I did do it with Acrylics and was pretty impressed with my self, thinning it and getting a nice color. I am going to dust it with a light rust color(trying to fegurie that mixture for that color) color. From my building to my painting i work to a happy medium,  its not the best and maybe not the right color but i have fun and enjoy it. I think if i push my self anymore i might not enjoy it.

I have found the " Martha Stewart " craft paints are the best , you can buy them in sets on Amazon for cheap, use a good airbrush medium such as golden or liqutex to thin them and your set

so up date,Try my Iwata eclipse with the acrylic paints and it work great. It did a way better paint then master lot better shooting the acrylic..

so up date,Try my Iwata eclipse with the acrylic paints and it work great. It did a way better paint then master lot better shooting the acrylic..

I shoot almost acrylics almost exclusively.  I use Tamiya, Model Master, and Vallejo - which one depends almost entirely on the color availability and how well each brand matches it.  Regardless of the brand, I thin all acrylics with Tamiya acrylic thinner and have had great luck.  Certain colors seem to shoot better than others in Tamiya vs MM vs Vallejo and when I notice one lays down better, or matches the FS closer I stick with that brand (MM semi-gloss black is a good example, it lays down beautifully and is super easy to work with so now I shoot that paint exclusively when shooting a SG black).  Trial and error is a good thing (albeit and expensive thing).  Vallejo model air line (pre-thinned) is really nice for shooting too.  Just drop some in the paint cup and go (however, the colors in that line are pretty limited).

Thanks, ya the trial and error is a great point. I am still using the wall mart brands, i buy them in bulk when ever i am at Wall mart.. There prices are just to good to pass up. I have started ti use Vallejo and Tamyia for weathering and base colors for Military builds. They have a better selection when it comes to those colors.Plus i am not beating my self up for not having the ezact color combinations and even free lancing my colors now. LOL now the purest out there may not agree with that but it gives it a part of me in my builds.

I started using them back when I did car models... They worked great on the cheap Testors lp airbrush I got at Wal-Mart. (Hey, I was on a budget: read broke). I think they work great for your general colors. Black, red, yellow, etc...

Most important part is to find what works for you.  I personally hate mixing colors, but if you've got a knack for it and it works - go for it.  Modelling isn't about impressing other people, its about having fun - so use the system that you get the most enjoyment out of.

I love the mixing, it lets me explore my creativity. I have found out the Acrylics are way better to mix  then enamels. I am learning better ways to thin the Acrylics for airbrushing, plus I use less paint to. I am also using it more for detail work to. Its so nice, for the price you pay, you get so much more then the small bottles of enamels. I still use the enamels, testor and i like master, for now i use it for high light colors, and when i want to bring out small detail.