I see strokes and darker, lighter spots, am I doing something wrong?

[Guest]

I would recommend pretty much what the posts above me already said: yellow is difficult to paint, especially by brush, and needs either a light undercoat (preferably white, is my experience) or a sand colour that’s fairly close to the yellow you want. Even then, you’re going to need multiple layers, so paint it on thin.

Generally, though, it will be far easier and neater to spray it. Put on a coat of white primer and then use an airbrush or a spraying can for the yellow. This way it should cover evenly in just one or two coats.

[Guest]

Thanks for the advice!

I am using a Deep Yellow (70.915) and a Flat Red (70.957) paints. I've used a Tamiya Surface Primer Spray Paint
I didn't use an agitator. I tried to get all air out of the bottle and had been squeezing the bottle for around 5 minutes

Do different colours adhere to the plastic in a different manner? Should I expect different behavior from a black paint and, say, a red one?
I am concerned if the paint could be bad. I have bought a Sky Blue (70.961) and it just refused to confirm to the surface at all. I then bought the same paint but from a different vendor and it was adhering well without the localized build ups.

Did any of you have faced a similar issue?

[Guest]

I tried to get all air out of the bottle and had been squeezing the bottle for around 5 minutes

This might be your issue. You need to vigorously shake the bottle to make sure the solids are emulsified.
When left the paint will separate with the solids sinking to the bottom.

[Steve Brodie]

like everyone has said, yellow and to a degree red are really hard to hand paint. Airbrushing they cover a lot better but that's not what you are asking. You need a white coat under the yellow as its a very translucent colour, build it up with thin coats of paint, but don't load the brush, else you will get pooling on the plastic. Tamiya paints are pigs to brush paint, unless you thin them down a bit (Airbrush beautifully though) and their yellow just takes ages to get any density. Vallejos Yellows are the ones I go to for brush painting.

As an example the yellow on the chameleons back is made from about 7 coats!


Hope this helps a bit.

[Neil Merryweather]

I feel your pain Pavleeto.
the life vest on my Luftwaffe pilot took about 7 coats of Vallejo Modelair Medium Yellow over a sand coloured base
I had pre-shaded it as well and I just couldn't reduce the contrast with any less.
But it's less noticeable on this sculptural surface than on your dead flat surface, so I guess I got away with it.
good luck
N

[Guest]

I have bought a Sky Blue (70.961) and it just refused to confirm to the surface at all. I then bought the same paint but from a different vendor and it was adhering well without the localized build ups.

Do you mean the paint forms droplets on the surface of the plastic, with bare plastic between them, like water might? If it does that, you need to put a different paint underneath that does cover properly. Almost certainly, the first paint will then go on properly after that.

[spanner570]

Pavlo, painting yellow, red whatever, on with a brush is no more difficult than with a A.B. I think you are using the wrong size and type of brush.
You should have no problem brushing on any colour, providing you....

Clean the plastic thoroughly with soapy water.
For large areas use as wide a flat headed brush as is practical.
Mix the paints really well. The yellow definitely hasn't been mixed enough.

Don't over thin your paints.

i would suggest the brush you used for the green was far too small and the wrong shape, use a large, flat headed brush.
You will need more than one, two or even three coats to get a uniform coverage, particularly trying to cover a darker colour. Don't be tempted to thicken your paints for subsequent coats.
I use Vallejo paints and usually leave my stuff covered and outside to dry for around 2 hours or so, then I can apply a second coat with no fear of the previous coat dragging.

I hope the above is of some help to you.

Ron