Acrylic & Enamel Paint Question

[DS Operative]

I'm going to be detailing & weathering a kit soon and I've decided that I'm going to try using enamels for the first time. I want to see if I can play around with blending of colors to shade the cracks & crevices of the model, gradually using lighter shades. I've never used enamels before and I'm going to be trying some experimenting.

My question is: What should I use as a primer underneath the enamels? Should I use Acrylic? I'm going to put a few drops of enamel on the model, blend it and subtly drag it along the the deepest curves & crevices, and I anticipate using a lot of brush strokes & thinner to get the look just right. Or should I use an enamel based primer? (I am thinking that the enamel colors will dissolve the primer and ruin the undercoat).

When finished, what should I seal the model with-- enamel or acrylic clear coat?

Thanks for the help!

 

[Zombie_61]

My question is: What should I use as a primer underneath the enamels? Should I use Acrylic? I'm going to put a few drops of enamel on the model, blend it and subtly drag it along the the deepest curves & crevices, and I anticipate using a lot of brush strokes & thinner to get the look just right. Or should I use an enamel based primer? (I am thinking that the enamel colors will dissolve the primer and ruin the undercoat).

When finished, what should I seal the model with-- enamel or acrylic clear coat?

Thanks for the help!

Even if you use an enamel primer and enamel paint for a base coat, the thinner you use for washes and such will re-activate both if you're not careful; one or maybe two light passes with a brush (or whatever you're using for application) in one sitting will usually be okay, but anything more aggressive will result in removing your base coat and primer. If you're familiar with acrylic paints, you might try using an enamel primer and base coat, weather with acrylics, then seal with an enamel clear coat. If you're set on using enamels, be prepared to do it in stages; apply wash, brush lightly and briefly, let it dry/cure thoroughly, repeat.

One other word of caution--Testors' enamel "gloss" and "dullcote" will yellow over time, moreso if the item will be regularly exposed to direct sunlight (i.e., UV rays) and/or heat. Of course, if the item you're working on doesn't have any light colors that would be affected, it's not a concern. I've read many modelers use Testors' lacquer clear coats instead, as they do not yellow, but I think you would have to allow your paint work sufficient time to cure properly so that the lacquer won't affect the paints you use.

 

[DS Operative]

I'm planning on using Tamiya enamels, I hope they aren't susceptible to yellowing like the Testors brand. I'm prepared to take my time with them and allow several days between coats for drying time. Thanks for the tips!

 

[Gigatron]

Always shade and weather with a paint different from your base coat. If your base is acrylic, shade and weather with enamels and vise-versa.

Give the base coat plenty of time to cure. Acrylics dry faster, but take longer to fully cure. Enamels dry slower, but cure faster.

Seal with Future Floor Wax (goes by Pledge with Future shine). It's an acrylic sealant that dries crystal clear and doesn't yellow over time. It's water thin, so it doesn't leave brush marks, either.

-Fred

 

[ajones1138]

Always shade and weather with a paint different from your base coat. If your base is acrylic, shade and weather with enamels and vise-versa.

Give the base coat plenty of time to cure. Acrylics dry faster, but take longer to fully cure. Enamels dry slower, but cure faster.

Seal with Future Floor Wax (goes by Pledge with Future shine). It's an acrylic sealant that dries crystal clear and doesn't yellow over time. It's water thin, so it doesn't leave brush marks, either.

-Fred

The only thing about future is that it can take a few days to fully cure up- I've always given it at least 3 days before I do anything with it afterward.

Good Luck!

 

[darthwhitey]

A lot of great advice here! :thumbsup

I'm in the process of weathering my Han in Carbonite. I painted him with spray cans, the wood "box" with one color (Krylon for wood) and the Han panel with Tamiya spray paint made more for plastics.

From what you've said, I should weather with acrylic. Most guys do a black acrylic wash.

I plan on putting on a few coats of Krylon "Matte Finish" on both the wood box section and the resin (fast cast) Han panel....will that be OK?

I want to lock everything in and seal it up without any discoloration.

thanks!

brad

 

[Gigatron]

It should work just fine.

Just so you know, though; the krylon Matte Finish, isn't actually a sealant. It's just a canned, aerosol version of the flattening agent they add to paints.

The way paint works is this; "gloss" paints dry slower, "mattes" dry faster. Longer drying times allow the paint pigments time to settle and even out, givng them a more glass-like, reflective, final finish. Shorter drying times cause the paint to dry before they settle, causing the paint to have more of an ice-like, final finish. The pigments haven't lined up and face all different directions; this causes the light to scatter, instead of reflect, hence, the matte finish.

If you want a true sealer, use either the Future or an automotive gloss coat (what they spray on the car, after the final paint application).

Also be aware that sealant and matte/gloss finishes will sometimes overwhelm, subtle weathering. You sometimes have to over-do the weathering (more heavy handed), to account for the final top coat.

-Fred

 

[franz bolo]

I'm going to put a few drops of enamel on the model, blend it and subtly drag it along the the deepest curves & crevices, and I anticipate using a lot of brush strokes & thinner to get the look just right.

Sounds like oil paints would work better for this. You can work them for a while and they blend real well.

I've never had Dullcote yellow before. I use it on all my builds.

FB

 

[PepMaster]

Ok I have a paint question I don't have good enough money to chrome something out and the material I am wanting to chrome look is plastic, what would be the best spray paint to give it a chrome look?

 

[Gigatron]

Ok I have a paint question I don't have good enough money to chrome something out and the material I am wanting to chrome look is plastic, what would be the best spray paint to give it a chrome look?

Alclad II, but you need an airbrush to apply it. Nothing in a spray can will even come close. At least nothing that will be affordable.

-Fred

 

[falcondesigns]

Actually Killer Chrome System is the best chromeing I've seen from a spray can.Expensive but beautiful results.Also,I've never heard of Testors paint yellowing with age.They are made by RPM,one of the biggest paint manufactures in the world,ie:Rust-Oleum,is just one of their many brand names,including Testors.

 

[Zombie_61]

Also,I've never heard of Testors paint yellowing with age.They are made by RPM,one of the biggest paint manufactures in the world,ie:Rust-Oleum,is just one of their many brand names,including Testors.

Testors' paint, no. Testors' clearcoats, yes, particularly their gloss coat. It might take several years, maybe even a decade or two, but it will happen; I've seen it. I've read keeping your built and clearcoated kits out of direct sunlight will lessen the chances of this happening, but I still have a kit I built in the 70s that was never in direct sunlight--painted gloss white, decaled, and clear coated--that has yellowed considerably. And I've read this from several other modelers, so I'm not the only one who's seen it first-hand.

In all fairness, I don't know if their newer clearcoats still have this problem.