Tamiya question

[Guest]

I bought Tamiya x18 tonight because its crossed over from humbrol 85. I noticed some paints are xf and some were just x. I wondered if the x paints could be airbrushed ok too.

Is the xf their Matt range or an airbrush range?

Thanks.

[Guest]

Just gloss X and matt XF (F is for flat) both airbrush very nicely

[Guest]

Thank you

[Guest]

Sorry if I'm high-jacking, but also started recently and have been using Tamiya and Humbrol enamel with brush painting. I notice a difference between the Tamiya flatt/matt and Humbrol flat/matt. The Tamiya final results seems more smoother than the Humbrol. For instance, in this pic attached of a swearing/spitting cheap Ju-88 I'm building, for the top, the dark green is Humbrol and the black green is Tamiya. The differences in the surfaces is surprising, where the Tamiya will almost start shining a bit, but the Humbrol won't, not as smooth. In the pic, you can see the light reflect more off the black green then the dark green.

Is this a general difference between the two brands regarding their flat/matt paints?

They are the main brands available on Hobby shops and on-line is South Africa, so have to make do with them.

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[stona]

I don't use Tamiya paints myself so can only comment on what I see in your photo. The way in which two different paint brands dry inevitably varies due to their different formulations. Two different types will typically have slightly different finishes or degrees of matt (or gloss). The matt finish on the two enamel paints I often use (WEM and Humbrol) is not exactly the same. I invariably finish my models with an appropriate varnish so these differences don't matter.

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

Steve has really hit the nail on the head so to speak. I have never understood the need for hunting down gloss or matt paints, some colours are only available in one or the other. The final finish on a mode should inevitably be varnish to protect the work done on it. To that end, a pot of gloss, satin and matt varnishes should give you the finish you desire.

As a further tip, I use Valejo almost exclusively now but other good ones can be seen by following the link. If you use acrylic shake the bottle to within an inch of your arm coming off. Failure to mix correctly can leave a dusty looking finish or even milky white. I also find that to get a really flat matt, only the thinnest dusting of a coat is needed. So what I tend to do is use a gloss varnish to build up a good protective layer and then just dust over it with satin or matt to get the look I want.

A real flat matt is only really desirable on cloth or fabrics, most vehicle paintwork has a certain amount of 'sheen' to it so if it looks a bit too flat, give it a gentle rub over with a duster or something just to lift it a bit.