Mixing Paint

Not much of a brush painter myself, but a Paasche H airbrush is a good way to eliminate most problems associated with brush painting.  

Do you paint from a palette should be able to avoid the bubbles or break then up with your brush as you go along.

I do use a pallete but still get them.  Do you just break them up with the brush?

Martyhh

I usually brush paint my models.  I find that when I thin the paint, I wind up with lots of air bubbles in the paint, which then get painted on to the plastic.  Also the paint goes on very streaky.  Suggestions? 

I think you're thinning your paint too much.  I'll get bubbles in my paint when I have thinned them too much.  I find, though, that I can pass the brush over the area again and release the bubbles while the paint levels.

I don't use any additives, but you could also try adding a leveling medium to your paint.

What kind of paint are you using, too?  Water-based acrylics? Other types of acrylics? Enamels? Lacquers?*  That can have a bearing on how much they should be thinned.

99.99% of my hand-brushing is on figures, and mostly with water-based acrylics, like Andrea, Vallejo Model Color, and craft store brands like Americana, Folk Art, and Apple Barrel.  I use a wet palette and it provides just the right consistency for my use.

I have painted models by hand, just to see.  I found that I could lay down coats as thin as if I had airbrushed them.  Two coats, applied at right angles to help hide any brush strokes.

I also use Tamiya acrylics, thinned with their proprietary thinner.  With those, I use a ceramic palette, or even just the jar lid. I'll pick up color on the brush, dip it lightly in a jar of the thinner, then apply it to the piece.  Again, it's just the right consistency for my use.

But it all comes back to consistency. When I see air bubbles in the paint on the piece, I know my paint is too thin.  That's what I would check-try thinning the paint to a slightly thicker consistency than you're using.

Hope that helps!

Best regards,

Brad

*Yes, guys, lacquers can be hand-brushed, it's a technique. It's popular with Japanese modelers.

Try putting just the paint on the palette, then dip your brush in thinner before the paint. Grab some paint with the wet brush and apply. You may have to experiment a little for each type paint and thinner you use but it becomes natural soon enough.

With some acrylics I only use retarder on the brush, fwiw. Like Tamiya for instance, retarder is what Tamiya suggests using with their acrylic paints.

Martyhh

I do use a pallete but still get them.  Do you just break them up with the brush?

 

Yes,you should be able to as others have said.

Hi:

 I do a lot of Brush painting. Just recently noticed and obtained two little pans for painting and two metal stir sticks. The sticks had a spoon on one end and a flat oar like blade on the other. I have, since I got those things, painted a boat deck and revived twelve bottles of Testors paint from my garage. It's amazing what a wee inexpensive find will do to making painting easier. Remember now, don't thin too much, the durned bubbles will plague you!