Proper brush job advice

[BBdave]

i am going to attempt my first proper brush job on my Tamiya 1/35 Mkiv tank I will use Vallejo acrylics because that's what I have and I have a selection of brushes, Do I prime the surface first and do you pe shade with brush painting, will I need to thin the paint?.


Dave

[Alan 45]

Yes it's best to thin the paint I couldn't tell you the % for Vallejo as I don't use it that often , I would use a primer for Vallejo as it will go on better , pre shade ? Well I wouldn't but it's a personal choice there's no Right or wrong way

[Guest]

Dave I'm an enamels user, but I have used Vallejo before & just at the moment I'm trying out Model Air for the first time.


IMHO priming is essential! If you don't, the paint won't grip the plastic half as well.


Pre-shading can be done with a brush, although I've only seen it done this way with oils. That takes longer while waiting for them to dry. Using an airbrush much quicker & easier.


So far I've enjoyed painting figures with Model Air. I use it neat for blocking out colours & with a few drops of flow enhancer for blending.

[BBdave]

OK thanks I'll prime it first as I normally do then go straight in with the colour .


Dave

[geegad]

Look forward to seeing your work been years since i brush painted a model good luck bud

[Neil]

I haven't got around to buying an airbrush yet so still the tried and tested brush with acrylics.


Now I'm no expert, but from experience, prime (halfords rattlecan works fine for me), you can get away with small pieces unprimed but not larger parts, the main colour just doesn't stick well.


I tried pre-shading and with thinned paints I think it has some effect but not as obvious as some of the examples on here with an air-brush. If you don't thin, pre-shading has no or at best a very limited effect. However, if you thin with more water to paint for different coats, again it has some limited effect.


You could always buy a cheap and cheerful kit and try on that first?

[takeslousyphotos]

Vallejo "Model Air" brushes superbly right out the bottle, dries without brush marks. Vallejo "Model Colour it a little thick and gloopy, if you use that, thin it a little first. I wouldn't bother with pre-shading. Modulating the colours on the panels with a thinned down (50/50) wash of lighter and darker shades works well....... and a thinned down, darker pin wash in the panel lines will bring out the detail, as will a darker wash on rivets, bolts etc............ Dry brushing different shades using a soft round brush is also an effective way to bring out details ........ It's amazing what results you can get when the brush is very dry. You think while you are doing it it's having no effect. But when you look at the model afterwards you can see the subtle changes.

[PhilJ]

Just a quick one, you can use Vallejo model air straight out of the bottle as people have said and I have done loads but I have been thinning mine with model air thinner whilst testing my new airbrush and it works beautifully when building up subtle layers and getting hair thin lines. I have also thinned 8 parts paint to 2 parts thinner to brush little pieces.


Phil

[BBdave]

I'll thin the standard model colour I guess it'll help to extend the drying time a little and allow brush marks out.


Dave