Paint: Vallejo vs. Tamiya - your pick is?

For ease of use Tamiya,I use their Lacquer thinner and its almost fool proof

For color range Vallejo,but not Model Air

They are tricky,but you need their thinner and flow improver,I have done okay with them

Take a look at Mission Models,they are decent.

For airbrushing, hands down Tamiya is superior. Their only shortcoming is color range & selection. For handbrushing Vallejo Model Color is superior. But for best results priming is pretty much a necessity. I did recently try airbrushing Vallejo Model Air on my last Aircraft build and was satisfied with the results. But I am not yet a covert to the line. 

You're going to find it difficult to stick to just one paint brand. Tamiya is good paint, but the color matching is lacking unless you're into WW2 Japanese subjects. Or when they do a new 1/32 aircraft; they usually do the needed colors for it. 

MiG, Hataka, AK, MRP, and many more. There's an embarrassment of color lines available today. You may want to consider AK's Real Colors line. Behaves similar to Tamiya, and has WW2 and modern color matching. Use their thinner, though, for best results. Also like Tamiya, not great for brushing, though, without a retarder added. 

Keep in mind that there is a Painting and Airbrushing forum  down below in the list of forums.

Some expert painters and airbrushing experts hang out there, and there are many good discussions on advantages of various paints and how to use them. Anyone painting models should check that forum periodically.

Don Stauffer

Keep in mind that there is a Painting and Airbrushing forum  down below in the list of forums.

Some expert painters and airbrushing experts hang out there, and there are many good discussions on advantages of various paints and how to use them. Anyone painting models should check that forum periodically.

Thanks Don - our moderators were kind enough to move this thread to the correct sub-forum.

Boris

I've been using Tamiya paints for a while now and I like them for airbrushing...not so much for handbrushing.

Vallejo Model Air I tried and hated.  It was a PITA to airbrush, and the colors I tried were just plain wrong.  I have a few bottles of their Model Color paints that I'll be trying for handbrushing soon though, since I've heard good things about them.

Recently tried MRP paints, and they are probably what I'll be using mostly from now on.  They airbrush extremely well, with no fuss, and the colors I have tried so far are accurate.  Their main line is airbrush only, but they also have an "Aqua" line that can be handbrushed, and has counterparts for most of the airbrush only stuff.  Not sure how well the aqua line paints work for handbrushing, since I haven't tried them yet.  Have a couple of bottles of aqua line paints that I'll also be trying for handbrushing soon.

I only use Tamiya.  For airbrushing, they are just perfect and the acrylic is very low odor, so much nicer to use in the basement.

Colour selection could be better, but the rare time I need a specific colour, I'll mix and keep in a Tamiya jar.  No big deal for me.  For example, I am starting the Millenium Falcon, and I need a Light Ghost Grey and Dark Ghost Grey.  I researched the paint mix ratios, and mixed it up and put in a full tamiya jar.  Ratio is written on a blank label on the cap, and I'm good to go.  Took all of 5 minutes.  

For brush painting, I add a drop of their retarder, and they brush on perfectly.  

For car bodies/motorcyle bodies I will use their lacquer paint (new LP paints in a jar).  For any other factory colour I need (for muscle cars, etc) I will use Scalefinishes.  

I just love Tamiya paints because of their consistancy.  I mix a 2-1 (paint to thinner) ratio for airbrushing, and it works perfectly every time.  

Just a side note on the Millennium Falcon regarding Tamiya paint.  Their AS-20 spray is perfect for that.  Airbrushed this with decanted AS-20 spray.

No question in my mind Tamiya is the far better choice for airbrushing.  I have some Vallejo model color that I mix with a bit of water and that has proven successful for hand brushing .  A better choice for me is Testors enamels for hand brushing but Vallejo is a quality option.

In a recent thread we recently discussed all the paints available.  Experiment some.  I do like Tamiya but I'm going MRP more and more. 

Eaglecash867

Just a side note on the Millennium Falcon regarding Tamiya paint.  Their AS-20 spray is perfect for that.  Airbrushed this with decanted AS-20 spray.

 

Thanks for that! I am using a light ghost grey, but I'm finding it a bit too dark.  I might try the insignia white.

Thanks again

MJames70

You're going to find it difficult to stick to just one paint brand. Tamiya is good paint, but the color matching is lacking unless you're into WW2 Japanese subjects. Or when they do a new 1/32 aircraft; they usually do the needed colors for it. 

MiG, Hataka, AK, MRP, and many more. There's an embarrassment of color lines available today. You may want to consider AK's Real Colors line. Behaves similar to Tamiya, and has WW2 and modern color matching. Use their thinner, though, for best results. Also like Tamiya, not great for brushing, though, without a retarder added. 

 

I have been using only Tamiya and AK interactive WW2 paint sets. with Tamiya mixing with their brand thinner at about 50/50 makes airbrushing perfect. by far best resulting for airbrushing thus far. AK paints have been hit or miss with me for airbrushing. I bought the Ak brand thinner to thin them and at first tried 50/50 and it was way to thin. the paint came out super runny and made a mess of the model I was painting. I tried thinning a few different mixtures all the way to 90% paint and 10% thinner and it was better, but still super thin. 

There is a guy I follow on youtube that tests paints and he was airbrushing AK straight from the bottle. I recently tried that method, AK paint straight from bottle to airbrush with much more success. Just thoroughly cleaning the airbrush immediatelty after painting. But i do that regardless.

I've been using a bit of Reaper MSP colors recently.  They are acrylic and come in dropper bottles like Vallejo.   Reaper is nominally a fantasy figure brand, but their colors work well either hand brush or airbrush They have a wide selection of colors - but they don't call them typical military-like names

The neat thing about Reaper is that they have laid out their paint line in groups of three   These triads define colors as light tone, mid tone, and dark tone    Example their Misty gray, Cloudy Gray, and Stormy Gray   Preshade with the Stormy,  fill in with Cloudy, and panel highlight with the Misty  

I use products from both companies.

I use Tamiya acrylics primarily for airbrushing-for which they are formulated, and for hand-brushing.  In both cases, I use Tamiya's acrylic thinner to thin the paints.  I have also used generic lacquer thinner to thin them.  They make the flats come out absolute, dead-flat matte.

I also use Tamiya's Fine Surface Primer in gray and light gray (almost white), and their rattle-can products, the AS line of airplane colors, and the TS line of general colors for plastic models.

I use Vallejo's Model Color water-based acrylics on figures.  But I also use Andrea water-based acrylics, and craft-store brands like Apple Barrel, Americana, and Folk Art.

I don't buy sets; I'll mix colors as necessary.  And Vallejo's sets are a little too expensive for my taste.  I understand the appeal of a set for a particular subject, though; it eliminates guesswork.

As far as results are concerned, I don't find that one brand produces better results than the other.  That is, I've painted models with an airbrushed Tamiya acrylic base color coat, and then with hand-brushed Vallejo colors applied over it, and the finish looks uniform.