Vallejo pros-cons

Tamiya is not really made for handbrushing unless you use a product like Liquitex SloDri to extend thedrying time, otherwise it just dries quicly on the brush as the alcohol based sovent dries.

I use a lot of Reaper paints which are very similar to Vallejo. I thin with a few drops of tap water (actually from my filtered water tap) and add a drop or two of the Slo Dri. It stays in the paint well ( i use those cheap white plastic paint tray things from Walmart)  for quite awhile even under hot lights.  I apply the paint with a brush that has been dipped, and then wiped dry. You will still have residual paint that will apply when you lay on the brush. Try it! it works great, you have control over your layers and you will get more subtle gradiations.

You can thin Vallejo for airbrushing with thier glaze medium, which thins the paint for airbrushing without actually degrading the opacity of the paint.

HTH

David 

Gun Tech wrote:

Well, you got me convinced Goat Monkey    Vallejo is my choice. Gotta wait in April before having the money to order though.......  but I'm sure it will be worth it

actually if you have a place around that sells the gunze paints and don't mind messing with droppers to dose out paint, i'd go with those.  a good part of why i use the valejo's is that i almost always end up mixing up colors instead of just using what's in the can so the dropper tip is a BIG plus for me but i don't know if you have that particular kind of insanity  

sorry to sound like i'm flip-flopping, i just don't want you to end up with a whole bunch of the mor expensive paint all at once and be unhappy with it.  definitely give them a try though. 

Gun Tech wrote:

MaxPower wrote: Have you tried Pollyscale? No I haven't. I was using Testor Enamel a few years ago. Switched to Tamiya a couple years ago without doing any kind of detailled painted until recently. I just read a lot of good things about Vallejo, and I know that their color selection is quite diversified. You prefer Pollyscale over Vallejo? I'll be really interrested to know why as I haven't bought anything yet Cheers Max!

 polyscale makes my favorite clear coats:  they're sprayable directly from the bottle and hard to over-do.  the only problem with polyscale is that the paint tends to lump up into a rubbery stringy mess in my experience.  

i switched to gunze sungyo after polyscale (except for the clears) and used those until i discovered valeijo.  they have a great selection of colors which is actually referred to in painting instructions on kit and are very easy to spray, plus they're a bit cheaper than valeijo but that advantage of the dispenser bottle just outweighs the price for me which is why i use valeijo. 

MaxPower wrote:

Have you tried Pollyscale?

No I haven't. I was using Testor Enamel a few years ago. Switched to Tamiya a couple years ago without doing any kind of detailled painted until recently. I just read a lot of good things about Vallejo, and I know that their color selection is quite diversified.

You prefer Pollyscale over Vallejo? I'll be really interrested to know why as I haven't bought anything yet

Cheers Max!

Gun Tech wrote:

tabascojunkie wrote: Thinning Vallejo Model Colors and most other water based acrylics with Windex works well. Use the original formula Windex and start at about 2 to 1 paint to thinner. That makes me think of another question.....     Can you get Vallejo off easily if you make mistakes?

My only experience with removing Vallejos is on pewter miniatures, and Winsor & Newton brush cleaner does a quick job of that. But I understand it'll also quickly destroy plastic, so I wouldn't try it on a model kit.

Maybe a soak in Windex with a scrap part would find out if it'll work for it after it's dried. 

goat monkey wrote:

tabascojunkie wrote: Thinning Vallejo Model Colors and most other water based acrylics with Windex works well. Use the original formula Windex and start at about 2 to 1 paint to thinner. do you end up with a slight blue-ish tint on all the paints? don't forget you can get a box of acrylic retarder at michael's.  add a drop to the paint and get a smoother stronger finish.

tabascojunkie wrote:

Thinning Vallejo Model Colors and most other water based acrylics with Windex works well. Use the original formula Windex and start at about 2 to 1 paint to thinner.

That makes me think of another question.....     Can you get Vallejo off easily if you make mistakes?

tabascojunkie wrote:

Thinning Vallejo Model Colors and most other water based acrylics with Windex works well. Use the original formula Windex and start at about 2 to 1 paint to thinner.

do you end up with a slight blue-ish tint on all the paints?

don't forget you can get a box of acrylic retarder at michael's.  add a drop to the paint and get a smoother stronger finish. 

I have both Model Color and Model Air Color.  I haven't had to much luck with fine lines with the Model Air Color, but it works great for general coverage.  The Model Color is great for hand brushing and you can airbrush it if you like by mixing it 50/50 with distilled water.  You can order it online at a few places.  Here are some links:

http://www.coloradominiatures.com/index.asp

http://store.valueweb.com/servlet/darksondesigns/StoreFront

http://store.usacomicbooks.com/

I have used Colorado Minatures and have been very happy with their service.  Take care.

Rob 

So Vallejo it will be. 

I know a Hobby Shop online in Canada where I can order (that's where I buy most of my kits).  I don't really care about the price....  after all, after building and detailling a model for a few months, I want a good looking paint and finish to go on it. 

Thanks a lot guys!   Cheers!

i always thought it was great for airbrushing.  cut it 50/50 with plain tap water and blast away.  dries to the touch in a minute if you don't hose it on. 

there's at least 2 dealers in new england:  shop here in CT has the whole line (both vanilla and airbrush varieties) in store constantly. 

the pros is that they work great, are easy to mix, come in good variety of colors (which i never take advantage of anyway) and come in bottles with dropper tips so they're easy to handle.  the downside is that if you're going to use them for airbrushing you have to expect a clog every now and then since they're not "airbrush grade" (but this never makes me lose any sleep) and that they're a bit more expensive. 

The only real disadvantage is that it's hard to find. Only one dealer in Massachusetts carries the full line. He may be the only person in New England, for that matter.

It does take a bit of time to learn how to use it, but once you get used to it, you'll wonder why nayone would use any other acrylic paint. Remember to use well thinned coats to build up the color. You can apply additional coats minutes after the previous coat has been laid down with no lifting of the previous layers.

IMO

Advantages: Goes on very evenly, and very "brush friendly" with a lot of colors available

Disadvantages: When applied to resin, you MUST clean the piece very well, I've had some problems with the paint not adhereing.  Expensive and does not thin for airbrusing very well (I know there is a "series" for airbrushing)

Drying time depends on the enviroment, but it cures in about 24 hours.  By cures I mean it's completey dried!