Vallejo model air colour recommendations

[Guest]

Hi guys,

I bought a set 12 colours of vallejo model air paint. I could choose any colours.
So far I have chosen 3 colours - black, orange, glossy varnish. I need recommendations what are the most common ones that I should have if I am mostly painting cars.
Also do I need to buy vallejo thinner as well as I read some still add it even though the paint is ready from the bottle. Thanks in advance.

[PaulTRose]

it dosnt hurt to have thinners, so colours are a little 'thick' and a drop or two helps it flow

[Guest]

Hi!

Most important thing first - Yes, you need thinner! Even where it says "ready to airbrush" you add thinner! The only time you might not add thinner is if you brush small details, with a brush, but with airbrush you need thinner. I add between 70%-100% thinner to my paints, but I'm not using Vallejo Air so don't use those quantities, use ones recommended for your paints. (I use Tamiya paint which is very different)

Colours then... Well, every niche uses different colours but there are a few basic ones that are useful, especially when mixing your own and creating tonal variations.
I'm a "German tank guy" but I still keep bottles of red, blue and yellow in my paint collection to use when mixing. Apart from that you probably need to look at a car and think what colours you might need in order to paint a whole car? Some metallic paint for engine details and trim, and wheels?
I'd say buy primary colours that are useful for many things, not only when mixing, one metallic, a couple "car paint" colours that you like. White is also a must for me.
I'm not a car modeller so I can't be of more help than that, but this is how I think when I buy paint anyway - although my collection is heavy on greens, greys, blacks and some blues

I've also discovered that you can never have enough paint - and you never have all the colours you need for the next project...

Good luck and don't forget the thinner!

[Guest]

Agree with the others about thinning, especially as you are painting cars, the thinnest layer of paint you can get away with is the holy grail to try and achieve, plus, using well thinned paint will give you so much less grief with your airbrush. Also worth bearing in mind, if you are using Vallejo, you'll really want to prime your model, it'll make painting it easier, as pure acrylics don't stick to styrene so well really! Sadly this will add to your spend, but my opinion is. That it is essential with Model Air. Stynylrez is the one to go for (again, in my opinion) it's a bit pricey, but goes a long way and is unmatched in smoothness and ease of use. Plain old grey should suffice for most jobs. As for colours of paint, well, what colour do you want your cars? Buy as you need, in this case!

[Guest]

Thank you for suggestion. I have chosen the colours by looking at colour schemes for models that I am planing to buy in the future.
I have another question about vallejo model air paints. I read on their website that if you want to get glossy, satin or matt finish you need to buy separate varnishes. So straight from the bottle it is matt? Why to buy matt varnish then?
And also if I want to have glossy finish do I need to cover just the last coat with mix of glossy varnish or all the coats? Thanks.

[colin m]

Vallejo also do a medium retarder, very useful for acrylic paint. One 17ml bottle will last for ages.