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Thinning revell enamel paint for brush?

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  • Member since
    October 2014
Posted by TomZ on Sunday, April 12, 2015 1:58 PM

I am almost exclusively a brush painter, using mostly Testors and Model Master paint. I generally thin the paint about 60% paint to 40% enamel thinner. I've found that thicker tends to leave brush marks. Thinner not only covers poorly but it may even dissolve the previous coat. Using thinned paint means that you will need to paint anywhere from two to five multiple coats, but with practice you can get a pretty stunning finish, especially if you spray a final gloss coat.

Do NOT thin any more paint than you intend to use at that time. Thinned paint goes bad for some reason. Craft stores sell small mixing palettes with several shallow dishes that work perfectly. They wipe out cleanly with thinner.

As for mixing the paint, you can get 0.2ml pipette droppers on eBay for absurdly reasonable prices. They come from China and take a few weeks to get. They are only a couple of cents each and easy to discard with a clear conscience.

Buy quality (expensive) brushes and use a flat brush any time you're painting a flat surface. I've also found that I get better results if I use the next size larger brush than I am inclined to use. Apply the paint with even strokes towards the paint you've already applied and never try to fix a thin spot, leave it for the next coat.

Others may have different approaches, but this has worked well for me.

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Sunday, April 12, 2015 12:05 PM

Yes, it is very much a thin as or if needed when hand brushing paints. Some paints are too thick from the bottle or tin, often due to age or batch. Those need thinning. I use an artist pallet or sometimes the rim area of the paint tin. You do not want to store thinned paints as they tend to have a short shelf life once thinned. Some colors (especially yellows) are best not thinned due to their tendency to be translucent even at full strength when hand brushed. So in a nutshell it is very much a trial and error process each time you thin your paint for hand brushing. I only have a few Revell paints, and that particular brand of enamels does usually work better when hand brushed with a bit of thinner added.

 

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  • Member since
    January 2013
Posted by BlackSheepTwoOneFour on Sunday, April 12, 2015 11:29 AM

I don't thin my enamels for hand brushing but some folks do. If you do, do it n a small dish - not straight from the bottle. The last thing you want to do is thin the paint in the bottle.

  • Member since
    April 2015
Thinning revell enamel paint for brush?
Posted by Lachyos on Sunday, April 12, 2015 5:51 AM
Hello,

I've been making model planes for a few months now but i'vre read a few times that you should always thin your paint, but that was mostly on topics about airbrushing..
But i still paint by hand and intend to do so for a while until i get the hang of painting by hand.
So, do i have to thin revell enamel paint? If so, what ratio? And can i prethin all my paints and put them in little glass jars so i can use em without thinning before i need them?
Greetings.
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