From Enamel to Acrylic, Humbrol to Vallejo - Let's talk about my experiences with PAINTS!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 มิ.ย. 2021
- I get asked quite often what my opinions are on certain brands of paints. Whilst I do tend to talk about the paints I use during any particular build video, I realised that I didn't have a stand-alone video where I discuss my current experiences and favourite brands!
So here it is!
Join me in this video as I talk about my experiences with model paints, ranging from acrylic to enamel and various different brands I've used, highlighting what I think are the strengths and weaknessess of each of them.
Whilst I haven't used that many brands so far, I do primarily talk about Humbrol, Vallejo, Hataka and Tamiya (with some Kcolors, Citadel (Games Workshop) and Revell thrown in). I also give examples of some of the plastic model kits that I have painted with these specific paints - including my first kit the Airfix Hawker Hurricane, a Heller P51D Mustang, and an Airfix Curtiss Warhawk all in 1/72 scale.
See the my thoughts on my first ever model, the Airfix Hawker Hurricane MkI/IIb in 1/72 scale here:
• Airfix Hurricane MkI/I...
I do have a bit of a cold in this video which is why the audio (my voice) sounds a little different, and the image quality might look a little different as I connected my camera directly to the PC for recording this one (was testing to see if it could work for possible future livestreams . . .watch this space I guess) but normal service should resume soon!
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This video is intended for adult scale model enthusiasts.
Model Minutes holds no responsibility for any accidents, damage or injury that could occur as a result of attempting to replicate any steps depicted in this video.
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#modelkit #scalemodel #paints - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
Never in the field of scale modelling was so much made available by so many (brands) to so few (modellers).
very true!
We shall paint them on the workbenches, and on the kitchen tables, and In the living room . . .
@@ModelMinutes we shall never surrender ( our pots)
The opening of Aces High starts playing.
and even if which I do not for a moment believe this island or a large part of pigment was subjugated and blocking and the finish beyond the seas armed and guarded by the varnish would carry on the struggle until in gods good time the new paint with all its power and might steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the model
-winston Churchill
@@ModelMinutes I think this is the best thread ever
Thank you this is probably the best paint guide on TH-cam I've seen
I’m glad you think so…. It was just me talking about my experiences. I could probably edit something better with more information in the future
That's interesting stuff Matt, all the kinds of paints for kits models.
I'm glad you enjoyed it :D
Looking forward matt👍👍
Thanks 👍
Nice one, Matt. It'll be good to see your view on each.
:D
Thanks for answering my question during the premier.
No worries, thanks for being there :D
Alclad II metallics are superb and come in a wide range and shades. They are the most realistic metallic that I’ve used.
Great summary of the paints available.
Tamiya and Vallejo are my primary brands but I’ve a little of everything !
All the best, Ian
Thanks for the info!
Proud to listen the best englisch spoken from a real Englisch voice
haha thanks :D
@@ModelMinutes please: it' s not a joke! Airfix, stay together since I was six year old and during the night i fright the dark.myfirst Airfix box was CSA infantry...during the night they Watch my room...old contemptibles
I enjoyed this video I’d love to see this type of video for other modelling tools
Thanks! I could certainly see about doing something else like this
Man, that sucks you caught a summer cold; get well soon Matt! On the subject at hand, I have used a few paint brands motioned in this video (like Vallejo, Tamiya, Humbrol Enamel). And a few other acrylic brands not seen in the video (like Citadel, The Army Painter, Italeri and Scale 75). Long story short, I love acrylic paint….and try to avoid enamels.
Like you Matt, I started out on the Humbrol enamels as a kid. And had to clean my brushes in turpentine. Wish I had access to odourless thinner to clean back then. The late great Bob Ross was right when he said “Be sure to use odourless paint thinner. If it's not odourless, you'll find yourself working alone very, very quick” ………no one wanted to be around when I had to clean my brushes!
I love acrylic paint since its much less toxic to work with (since I don’t have to use the turps!). Vallejo Model Color & Vallejo Color is my go-to. But sadly, there I can’t always get the colours I want. So, I’ve used Italeri Paints (which are meant to be repacked Vallejo Colors), Citadel, The Army Painter, and one or two Scale 75 paints. Which is very brush friendly.
I like Tamiya paints, (love the metallic colours) but in order for them to work with a paint brush. You need to add a few drops of Tamiya Paint Retarder. Since in certain room temperatures, they will dry out too fast. Tamiya acrylics are more for airbrushing. Anyway great video Matt!
Thanks! Those are some very good points :D
Hey Matt, thanks for sharing ur thoughts with us. For me as an airbrush painter the Vallejo colors are consider to be a option in the future. Actually I tried the ak real colors and I m very impressed. These colours are drying so fast, I can't believe it.
I think AK are Lacquers and having tried the SMS lacquers they do dry really fast :)
Just started using an air brush, this is so helpful, very tempted with the Vallejo range, many thanks 👍
Glad it was helpful! I enjoy the model air range from vallejo for airbrushing, but on occasion they may require a little extra thinning
@@ModelMinutes That’s useful to know, many thanks, love the channel
As a brush painter I have tried all the paints on your video and more besides. They all have their pros and cons but for me Humbrol enamel is the best overall, it covers well and leaves less brush marks.
Yeah, thanks to that long drying time. I’ve found that acrylic paint correctly thinned can be just as good too 😊
Never had problems airbrushing Humbrol, always use Humbrol thinner with it.
@@ModelMinutes hello.Do you know how to thinn tamiya’s acrylic for no brush marks?
use tamiya acrylic thinner and when applying it just make sure it self levels on the model before it dries
@@ModelMinutes very,very big thank you!I was looking for answer,and i finally found it)))
Interesting opinion Matt! I respect it! Tbh I would use enamels for vehicles a lot of the time, however I would use acrylics (AK, Vallejo, Revell) for figures! And I would use a bit of both on dioramas! Once again, interesting video and I met some new paints and manufactures in this! Cheers 🍻
Awesome!
Thanks for the information. Get well soon!
Thank you!
Thanks for the great video.
The older Humbrol pots (the screw top one you showed is an example) went to rubbish. They were made in China, and many people I know gave up on them during that era. The taller, newer bottle (where you describe them being better) was the new UK made stuff, and is much better, same with the paint in their new dropper bottle range.
I myself started with Humbrol enamels too, and still use them for most of my projects (along with Revell, Colourcoats and Tamiya enamels). I know them extremely well by now, and can get the best out of them. That being said, I flirt with acrylics, and enjoy using them for interiors, figures and so on. I almost converted to acrylic fully once, but was stopped by circumstance.
When I found Polly Scale acrylics, I couldn't believe how good they were, and started buying and using them for everything. If anyone has used these here, they will know what I am talking about, and this is during the days when Humbrol enamel was still incredible paint (I still use Humbrol enamel, and I know how to get good results from them, but seriously, they aren't a patch on the ancient stuff, lord only knows why). Pollyscale could be brushed over bare plastic, left nary a brush stroke, covered brilliantly, and stuck like something nasty to a blanket. Of course in the modelling paint world, if something is awesome, it inevitably gets killed off. Testors bought Polly scale and then quickly killed off the line so that is couldn't be a competitor to their own paints (which were inferior).
Acrylics I have since tried; Revell Aqua (excellent once thinned, but poor range), Humbrol (original ones that started in the 80s and went till the late 90s/early 2000s were pretty good. The new ones at first sucked, but came ok once the new tall pot and dropper bottle paints came out), Vallejo MC (great range, fairly good to brush, separating issues, bubble issues, weak adherence to the model), Model Master Acrylic (like a somewhat crappier Polly scale. Pretty good with a brush, but weaker coverage and poor range), Tamiya (good paints, good coverage, easy enough to avoid brush strokes, adhere well, poorish range, let them dry enough before painting the second coat, and don't over brush otherwise the bottom layer can re activate and lift off), Citadel (good paint and brushes well. Range is terrible for historical models. Price is skyhigh), there are a few others, but none worth mentioning really. If only Polly scale returned, everything would be perfect in paint world again...
Thanks for the fantastic info! Yes, new humbrol paints are much better than the old ones
Thank you for mentioning Polly Scale. Those were the first acrylics that I truly liked. A shame they’re no longer around.
Can't wait for it - I need some input on my penn central u25c scheme
:D
very useful thanks. You saved me a lot of money.
Glad I could help
Great video, Matt! Your P-40 looks fantastic! My favorite paints at the moment are MRP and Hataka Orange range (both laquers). For acrylic brush painting I'm still using Pactra Acrylic enamels, which is a water based paint that was bought out by Testors and then discontinued. These paints are from the late 80s and are still going strong. I also like Model Color for figure painting, but haven't tried Model Air yet. I like the Tamiya paint and if I'm going to do chipping, I thin with X-20A. If it's something I need to be more durable, I thin with Mr. Leveling Thinner. The only newer paint I didn't get along with is Mission Models. Really was not happy with how it airbrushed, even after following the recommended mixing ratios and using their thinners. Too much faffing for my liking. It does brush paint wonderfully, though, so I'll use up the few bottles I have using it for brush painting.
Thanks for the info! I'll have to keep these points in mind
Great video. I got back into scale modeling about twelve years ago, and started miniature painting (for wargaming) about two years ago (I also make 28mm terrain, buildings and vehicles). More or less the same journey as described in this video. I prime and/or base coat with rattle cans, and only brush paint. I stopped using enamels after about a year, due to clean up, drying times and the smell! I do like Tamiya, and have lots of their pots. I find Humbrol's quality patchy, too.
Two great brands not mentioned are Mr. Hobby, and Xtracrylix. The former can be tough to find, but are worth it for brush painters who model post W.W.II aircraft, like, erm...me. :) Xtracrylix are available from Hannants in the U.K., being their own brand, and are pretty much a go to option for me. Their Panzer Grey is great for early war German vehicles, for example. Vallejo is great for the Brits! By the way, I use a lot of Citadel/G.W. for minis, and wholeheartedly recommend their washes and metalics for any scale model project. Just subbed to this channel. Cheers!
Thanks for watching! I have used one Xtracylix paint and it was ok, but not really enough experience to judge the whole range lol
New subscriber here, love your style of model making video, it has inspired me to get a few models and give them a proper go after the few abominations I attempted as a kid 20-30 years ago. It's a great time to be into model building with all the free and easily available information as well as now being an adult I actually have money to spend on this stuff!
I do have one question though, where or how do you display all of your finished kits? It would be great to see an overview video of your finished models.
Cheers mate keep up the awesome work!
Currently, space is a problem. Some of my kits are displayed on a shelf whilst others are sadly in storage :(
@@ModelMinutes ah well, just like being away from the mrs for a while, it’d be fun to see them again!
Hello thanks for the review....I use Vallejo paints...and prime with tamiya fine primer
Good to know! Thanks for watching :D
Yes mate.. Hataka all the way.. Incredible paints
Apparently so!
Hataka lacquer 🥰 or Tamiya XF with levelling thinners, also 🥰
@@definitelymabe2311 please don’t spam your questions, I’ve already answered this on the first video you commented it on
@@ModelMinutes thank you for your help
No
I made my first model aircraft, the Airfix Walrus, in 1970. The only paints then were enamels, and I hated using them - I still do, except for the metallic colours. Then acrylics came along, and I've stuck by them ever since. I mainly use Citadel, as if you can ignore the weird names, then they are great paints - 'Mithril Silver', for instance - it's a perfect match for the alumimised dope used on inter-war RAF biplanes. Including an Airfix Walrus, I made a few months back.
Awesome! Thanks for the info!
Great video.............I wouldn't be surprised that Humbrol and Tamiya in those pots are made at the same factory. I think Humbrol acrylic and enamel are pretty good paints.
Could be, thanks for watching
Interesting comparison. It is easy to say brand x is better than y but really does depend on what you are doing and if they suit your style of painting. The Vallejo range are pretty good and the box sets good value especially the basic colour set. I really like Tamiya lacquers for both brushing and airbrushing.
Yeah, that’s why at the beginning I do say this is just my opinion, I’m not trying to convince anyone to swap brands, just commenting on my experiences so far with them
Hi Matt, another great review, I at one time only used enamel and it was mainly Humbrol, and now I have changed over to using acrylics, either Tamiya or Vallejo and all through the airbrush. With the Tamiya paint I get two jars and thin one down, and Vallejo I will put a little thinner in first, I prefer Tamiya but their range is not as big as Vallejo, at time I do use Tamiya rattle can to undercoat/prime, take care and keep safe.
Great to hear! I do enjoy the odd spray can as well :)
Exactly what I do and thought.
Thanks, this is very helpful.
30 years ago when I last build models I used revell enamels mostly.
Hated those tin jars, you'd lose most of the paint cleaning those damn things.
I can imagine! I'm glad you found it helpful
I grew up with Humbrol, then the occasional Testors (all that was available in South Africa in the 60s and 70s), but since returning to the hobby about seven years ago, my go-to paints have been Vallejo, then Tamiya and after that GSI Creos (Mr Color and Hobby Color) and I really like the latter two. I have a few AK paints which are also good, and MRP which is fantastic, but they are lacquer based and smelly and expensive, but absolutely amazing.
thanks for sharing!
I haven't used Tamiya paints, but I have found Testors, Revell and Vallejo quite good and never had any real issues with them. I have used Humbrol in the past, and I found that their gloss white turns a shade of yellow over time (that was some time in the 1980s, don't know whether that is different now). But it is an interesting video highlighting the different brands on the market and your experiences with them.
Yes, their gloss does yellow sadly
AK Interactive paints are actually pretty good. I recently bought the MERDC set, and I'm pretty impressed (coming from using Testor's (Model Master), Tamiya, and Academy paints.) Vallejo paints are good, but fairly expensive here in the states (20 USD for 3 paints in a set.) If Rustoluem hadn't discontinued the Testor's and Model Master paints, I'd probably still use them, however.
Good to know!
Rustoleum is still producing testors paints, they just discontinued Model Master
Interesting to hear your opinions on all of these - I never ventured far into enamel paints myself but did start with diddy Humbrol pots from starter sets. Funny that you didn't mention Revell aqua as I love brush painting with those paints. A little bit of water helps them go down level.
I’ve only used a couple of the Revell acrylics so don’t really have much of an opinion on them at the moment
@@ModelMinutes as someone who does a lot of brush painting too, I'd recommend them.
I've been very impressed with my results using Vallejo acrylics (airbrushed).
Good to know!
My most recent kit I used Vallejo Model Colour paints on and was reasonably impressed and it wasn't overly expensive either. I normally use Humbrol paints, mostly because I know and am comfortable with the colour range and get results I'm happy with, but I do try to keep an open mind. I've found enamels thinned with white spirit do airbrush really nicely (At least from the perspective of a relative beginner).
Tamiya paints I avoid as they seem to not go with primers/thinners/lacquers that aren't also Tamiya and I use mostly Halfords rattle cans for that kind of thing.
thanks for the info! I really enjoy my Vallejo paints at the moment
Nice video Matt. I've never liked Humbrol at all, I've always found them way too grainy and here in Australia are just as expensive as other brands. Of all the paints I've used I find Mr Hobby lacquers to be the best but the fumes and clean up are a huge downside to them so I find myself using Vallejo quite a lot. I even spray Vallejo model color through the airbrush from time to time with pleasing results.
Thanks for sharing!
What ho, I'm new, I caught one of your videos by chance and thought it very easy to watch and listen so here i am! Anywho I am a Vallejo fan although I can still find a use for good ol' Humbrol. But being an authenticity freak I do find it a tad disturbing with colour converter sites being woefully misleading and have a few pots that at best will be used to mix in with others (hopefully). Nice video and am about to watch some more. Cheers.
Thanks and welcome :)
I've come back into scale modelling after some 37 years, I built literally hundreds of them when I was a kid.
Back then I used revell enamels, didn't know what acrylics were.
On my return I purchased a bunch of Vallejo acrylics and they are quite nice but I found myself drawn back to Revell enamels and so I am looking to use those for large surfaces and use the acrylics for the smaller surfaces and quick touch up work.
Though I can still use the enamels for this, detail work I do not need to thin the paint and can work right out of the pot, still it is so much more convenient to just use a drop of the Vallejo and close the cap and not have to worry about it drying out.
Or accidentally tipping it over and spilling everything👀
I only use brushes so,at the end of the day, it's not pro work and it doesn't matter what type of paint you use so long as you use it efficiently.
thanks for the info!
Storing the paint tins upside down allows paint to dry in any gaps to the thinners do not evaporate. Just doing 200+ 'knights and knaves' and getting fed up with having to go over them where the acrylics have not given a solid coat, so Humbrol enamels are my go to for toy soldiers! I find that acrylics seem to give a slight satin finish, not as flat mat as the enamels. I just tried some motor car spray paint for some 'desert' tanks and the results were fine, much faster than brush painting. The motorcar aluminium wheel paint from the pound shop gives a very nice silver finish, I used it for some flying saucers and it might be worth looking at for WW2 US bombers (but practice before applying it to an expensive kit).
interesting idea!
I think that Humbrol super enamels were super easy to use, gave very good results with just basic preparation. Good for begginers.
Totally agree!
I wish I'd found this video before I tried Tamiya paint on the model I'm brush painting right now. I didn't thin it and had to sand the area back and repaint it because it was really clumpy and rough. Saying that, I'm glad I got back into the hobby during the TH-cam era because the number of mistakes I've made due to a lack of knowledge is so much lower than when I was building models in my teens. I did, however, bite off slightly more than I could chew by trying to light a model as well. Hopefully it'll work out.
yeah, tamiya paints are alcohol based and need thinning with an alcohol based thinner for best results - otherwise they will clump
The thing ive found with tamiya (my favorite paint) if you use like 90% isopropyl alcohol it dries extremely fast. I stick with their x20A thinner these days as it seems to help the paint level itself and dries smoother. Great video
I also quite like using X-20A, seems to have the right balance of thinning and drying time
Nice summary of some of the basic paint ranges available in the UK 👍
I like the Vallejo ranges, both model and air, since the local Antics in town carries them.
One question... Do/will you build helicopters? I got the 1/48 Hind from Antics last time I was there and it looks lovely, I'm not too bothered by the "lack of details"
I've got some helicopters in the stash (check out my shash video to see which ones) that I wholeheartedly intend on building . . .eventually
Vallejo all the way, cost, convenience, range and most go down well. An all round great product!
I am quite happy with vallejo so far
Being hairy stick devoted . I would recommend the blue line serries from hataka as they are designed for brush . Top video as normal.
Thanks! Yes, I would be interested in checking them out at some point
Hi, I like Hataka Blue Line too but can't find a stockist who sells individual bottles rather than sets. They seem to be hard to get hold of. Any ideas? Thanks
Hello Matt, maybe someone already mentioned it, after all I haven't read every single reaction. But it is possible to use the Vallejo brushpaint in an airbrush, I do it all the time, you just have to thin it enought (their own thinner works better than water for airbrush). Also, some of the Vallejo Air colors need a few drops of "flow enhancer" to prevent dry-tip.
yeah, i use normal vallejo paints in the airbrush
Better than my first kit
just keep going, you'll get there :D
I don't like buying paints online because they look different on screen, so after my last local model store closed down my only choice was Citadel paints from Game Workshop. Very thick straight from the pot and I found that thinning with water gave inconsistent results, but then they added Lahmian Medium to their range which for me was a total game-changer. I suddenly felt the paint worked for me rather than against me... I just find this combination an utter joy to use for brush painting and the results are fantastic. Yes Citadel paints are very expensive, but they use very good quality pigments, so one pot of paint will go a very long way when thinned with Lahmian Medium. Usually I just need to buy the medium, it's pretty uncommon that I actually run out of a colour. Not an objective viewpoint as I have nothing to compare against (though the fact that I binned my Humbrol paints speaks for itself) I just really like it! (which is lucky!)
I dont tend to buy citadel paints, even the big wargaming modellers tend to use other brands :P
My model paint collection started in the times that only a handful of brands were available in my local toy stores (when toy stores were in the habit of selling plastic model kits in stead of selling computer games). In my case Humbrol and Revell and I believe Tamiya. Only later, when I started visiting specialized shops selling model kits, the whole RC thing, etc. etc. did I find paints by other manufacturers. Vallejo has a large collection in most shops, unfortunately AK and Ammo MIG are a bit underrepresented and many other brands I've read about online, but have rarely seen them. I don't live in the US or the UK. Yes of course I can order from other brands online and occasionally I have done so but why bother. I have over a hundred Humbrol, Tamiya and Revell tinlets (tin, glass or plastic) so I don't feel the need to buy significant quantities from other brands. I still mostly handbrush my models, I know none of them will win prizes. Vallejo is great by the way.
Thanks for sharing 😊
thanks for the tips
No problem!
how much time does enamel paint dry
@@emanuelavila3512 it can be touch dry in a few hours - but to be fully "cured" all the way through, probably around a day. Acrylic paint takes less time to dry properly in comparison
Good bit of history here.. I don't use enamels anymore after starting in 1979, tried Tamiya in 1982 and stuck with it but changed to AK and Vallejo last year when I got back ino the craft.
Sounds simliar to me :D
I got a brilliant finish using the supplied humbrol acrylics on a 1:48 spitfire.I lightly grey primered first with an acrylic auto aerosol,then brushed three or four watered down thin coats of the colour.Lightly 1000 grit wet and dried and then polished with black car polish.Theory being that the black wax would highlight the panel lines,which did work but to a lesser degree than I would have liked.Used a matt black auto aerosol for wheels,props etc.People can't believe it's hand painted,unless they're just being polite.
The 109 that came with it didn't come out quite so well becase I ended up applying too much paint trying to get the mottling looking right,, but still happy with it.
I bought a cheapo set of acrylics from The Works for blending and small details which don't really justify buying a whole pot of a rare colour.Actually,the nose on the messerschmitt looks far too light a yellow and I always meant to repaint it with a bit of red added to the yellow that came with the kit.Needs to be more mustardy.Oh yeah,a silver auto aerosol comes in handy too. I would never go back to enamel paint.
Shout out for Quick Kits who taught me about the most important thing.Diluting the paint.😄
Sounds pretty cool!
I like vids like these
thanks!
I really like Hataka Blue Line but it's hard to get hold of if you just want individual colours, they actually had the exact shade for the cockpit interior of a MiG 21 I was building. I use Vallejo fairly extensively. One thing you can do is add a metal ball to the dropper bottle to improve mixing, I bought some recently for that purpose. I found out that the agitator in spray cans (the rattle) is shaped like a flying saucer rather than just a metal ball. Have to see what's inside the Hataka bottle when it's empty.
I've known some people to add bits of sprue to their bottles to act as agitators
Gotta try mr hobby mr color. Great paint. Hataka are some of the best.
thanks!
Paints have come a long way in recent times. 20-something years ago your choices were usually Humbrol Enamels and Tamiya Acrylics. I always had better results brush painting with the Humbrol enamels, which also tended to dry very close to their colours when wet. I find that Tamiya tends to darken when drying. Nowadays you can find loads of stuff about model paints on the internet, and frankly, I was missing out by ignoring wargamers and mecha modellers. Started using Tamiya Lacquer rattle cans - one colour I need is ONLY available in rattle can - and I really like Tamiya's primer. Just tried my first air brush and I think it is a game changer
yeah, airbrushing is a whole other world lol
Great review! How do you find vallejo for brush painting? Im considering to use them on my zero.
I love it!
I'm a brush painter and prefer to use Tamiya acrylics for the smoothest result. Revell acrylics are also very good for brush painting. I have tried Vallejo Model Colors and the Blue Line from Hataka which are not my thing. I've been painting for over 10 years with a brush and tested various brands, mostly its a personal preference.
Thanks for the info!
Thank you for the informative video, I found it very useful and it helped me make up mind about going with Vallejo. I'm looking at brush painting so that means I would be using the Model Color range. In your opinion, which two colours best represent RAF camo (green and brown). Despite their names, I read US Dark Green and US Field Drab work well. What would you recommend? Cheers.
I don't currently have those 2 paints (had been using hataka for those two particular colours) but if you look up conversion charts online i'm sure you'll find a close match
I ordered the airfix kms Bismarck which I will try oil paint on
awesome!
I used to paint with Enamels and was never happy with the finish. I started modelling again after 40 years and experimented with different things. Not on the kit; of course. I use Vallejo sets that are pre-mixed and they are a joy to work with. The black primer is really good to. I have used Tamiya and thinned it with IPA to use in the airbrush. This can be hit and miss; with certain colours. Especially with metallic. I have used enamels in the airbrush and thinned it with white spirit, that works really well. I have thinned the started kit paints and used them for the invasion stripes on one plane; just cant remember what I thinned them with, but it went on great. I also find that Vallejo matt varnish works well with Vallejo airbrush cleaner to give a really nice finish to aircraft.
thanks for the info!
The best thing to use to thin Tamiya acrylics is Mr Colour Levelling Thinners.
Just a little addition. I have read a number of comments complaining about the bad smell of enamel cleanup. I switched from white spirit/mineral turps to water based turps. I use the Bondall brand, but there are others. The best thing about the water based turps is that you can clean your brushes out in it whether you use enamel or acrylic. I have two jars of it handy; one for initial clean, and the other for final cleaning of the brush. No more jar of smelly white spirit sitting around.
Great tip!
while waisting time surfing older vids, i came across your paints-video. Doing modeling now for quite over 45 years i started back then with Revell enamel paints (the good old stinky ones :D), ending up now using Vallejo, AK Real Colors, Tamiya, still the Revell (both lines, enamel and acrylics), some Ammo of MIG and Mr. Hobby. As i do most painting with my airbrushes i prefer for most projects solvent based paints or lets call them hybrid ones like AK Real Colors and Tamiya. Never got in touch with Humbrol and Airfix paints as they are not to get here where i live. Also my usual online shops don't sell them. So don't know anything about these two brands about the qualitiy. Ranking them to my favourite brand, i would say AK and Tamiya first, then the Vallejo and Revell Enamel. For the Revell acrylics i can say, they have a really good quality, but are sometimes difficult to thin them down for the airbrush. But the pigments are great.
thanks for sharing!
Very interesting video. I'm relatively new to modeling but I found the Tamiya XF paints thinned with Tamiya X20A to be very good to use. I thin it quite a lot, so apply 5 coats or so. I currently brush paint, and the results so far have been pretty good - in my opinion of course!
I'd be interested to know what varnishes you use with each type of paint you've shown. I've been using, the slightly strange choice, of the Pledge floor gloss. It's worked well so far with the above Tamiya paints but I would like to know of a good spray varnish (Gloss & Matt) that works with Tamiya XF. So much coflicting and confusing advice out there. Thanks again for your efforts. Always enjoy you videos..
Thanks! Currently the Kcolors gloss varnish is my go-to pre-decal layer, and I'm quite enjoying the vallejo matt varnish (70.520) at the moment for the final layer. The humbrol satin and gloss varnishes are fine too, but their matt varnish tends to leave a white residue . . . Mixing with hot water will usually avoid it, but it's not the best
@@ModelMinutes Thanks very much for the extra info. I will take a look at the Kcolors paints and Vallejo varnishes. My only experience with Vallejo was trying to brush paint with the white colour and it was difficult putting it mildly!
Humbrol hands down!!
Your brand of choice?
@@ModelMinutes Without question. They spray beautifully when thinned 50/50 with white spirits, and nothing hand brushes better for smaller details and touchups. The colors are muted and blend so easily, unfortunately they are getting harder to find here in Canada.
I am still looking for a good white paint and haven’t found it yet. I use Revell acryclic, humbrol and Tamiya. Recently I bought a couple of Vallejo and Hataka.
I've used tamiya and vallejo with some succes, but yes, white is a really hard paint to do right
Tip...Buy some small cheap ball bearings and pop one in all your paints for mixing by shaking...Re-use them too...Great to see the difference in the Hurri and P40...The P40 looks very professionally made....I bought a spray kit and used vallejo polyurethane acrylics for the first time with homemade thinners...Big difference from brushing Humbrol enamels....Thanks for the video...Very informative...
Great tip!
A couple of comments from me (also a brush painter). 1. I find that the Vallejo Model Air paints brush very well - in fact, I prefer them to the Model Color paints. They usually need two or three coats, but that's fine. 2. I really like Humbrol acrylics, but I think it's well worth getting the dedicated Humbrol acrylic thinners. That works much better that water in my experience.
Thanks for the tips!
that P-40 looks great! I don't understand why some hobbyists don't use vallejo acrilycs for base colors
That's strange, I haven't really heard anything negative about vallejo yet
I use Tamiya paints and bought a gallon can of isopropyl alcohol thinner for less than a Tenner and works a treat.
It’s what they use in the auto spray shops.
nice!
This video makes me miss PolyScale. Such a variety of railroad colors that I've found useful for aircraft and tanks....
Humbrol have recently discontinued their railcolour range too
I use Italeri acrylics. Water thinnable, about 1,8 euro's for a bottle of them, come with a dropper. Seems consistent enough and good for paint brushing.
I've never tried them, perhaps I will for a comparison
Back in the day when i was a kid only paints you could get were Testors enamels for modeling which is why i hate them with a passion. was such a breath of fresh air when i got back into model making to have Vallejo available
very true!
The real question is which smells better? I would have to go for enamel
probably vallejo acrylic :)
Yeah...but it takes SO long to fully dry and cure!
Acrylics for me everyday.. now! When I was a kid back in the early 70s all we had was enamel paints, and turps to clean-off the brushes...jeez it used to stink!! But now, even as an adult, I don't want to wait 24-48 hours for the thing to fully dry (unless modern enamels dry quicker now!), before moving on and continuing the build/painting... ;-)
When I was a kid, that never mattered:- Just slap it on, wait till tomorrow maybe to put the transfers (as they were always called back then) on, and then job done!
@@stevesstuff1450 i think vallejo is the Best im using it on my Channel and vallejo paints dry fast with airbrush 15m or a bit morr
I used to like the smell of humbrol polystyrene glue (metal tube) as was when I was a kid. Involuntary shiffer, all part of plastic modelling in the day. Can't say I miss it though.
As I've aged I find I am affected by the odour or inadvertent dermal application of solvents, fuels or chemicals now. Tamiya Regular and Thin brush liquid brush on adhesives for me now, with Revell Contacta Pro with its needle applicator when I want/need poly.
@@stevesstuff1450 Thin Humbrol (or Revell or Tamiya) enamels with enamel thinner and spray it, then they won't take nearly as long to evaporatively dry. Of course, they need to harden.
Vallejo water based acrylics take longer to dry IMO, & forever (hyperbole) to harden. That's the singular thing I dislike about Vallejo and its ilk. Conversely, Tamiya acrylics are the middle ground. Easiest to spray and obtain a perfect result, dry quickly, don't take too long to harden.
Remember all too well the childhood days of Humbrol tinlets and a brush was all we had, and any refresh thinning and all cleaning done with Turps. No low or no odour Turps back in those days.
Scale 75 paint is what I'd recommend you go for when painting figures, but be sure to use a good primer when painting figures, something like Krylon or Rustoleum.
thanks for the info! Might have to investigate that brand
@@ModelMinutes Scale 75 is really really big in the fantasy figure scene, D&D types, especially with 3d printed resin!
Very nice matt! Try some AK gen 3 acrylic colours, it is imo the best paint for brush painting ever. For airbrushing its not bad but is difficult to find the right balance between to sputtery and too dilute. But still great work!
Thanks for the tip!
You need to use plastic drops syringe for dosing elements
Taking the longer view: Humbrol flip tops have poor seals and dry out. Tamiya screw top jars - lids stick and become impossible to unscrew as well as drying out due to solvent volatilisation. Humbrol screw tops - lids also stick solid. Humbrol tinlet enamels - I have some where the pigments separate out to the extent it is impossible to remix them. Agreed - Vallejo the tops. They can’t dry out and the dropper allows you to dilute accurately with water if you are hand painting. Thanks for a useful guide 😊
The newer Humbrol flip tops don't tend to dry out (so far) but the first new ones were terrible. Tamiya jars do get stuck when you shake them, but as I never shake, only stir, I don't get this proble. If you DO get this problem with the tamiya lids, immerse them in fairly hot water, and after a few minutes, you can twist them off. Clean the lid after this by either scraping it off, or using alcohol to clean the tamiya paint off.
It is always possible to remix the Humbrols. I have had especially bad cases that took upwards of 10 minutes of stirring, so I understand how someone might think it was impossible, but trust me, it can be done. Anyone that wants to stick with them and not have an occasional stirring workout, buy a small, battery operated coffee frother. Take the frothing bit off the end, bend a small L in the wire, and use it as an electric paint stirrer, after prying the paint thick from the bottom and sides of the tin.This speeds the process up and helps to keep away any RSI.
Vallejo has a wonderful range, and their paint is fairly easy to brush. However, I am not a fan of dropper bottles, and I like to stir my paint, not shake it and fill it with air bubbles. I also find Vallejo to be very easy to damage once it is on the model. While I am usually an enamel guy, I have found Revell Aqua, Pollyscale (defunct), Model Master (also defunct) to be excellent acrylic paints. If Pollyscale had continued, I would have eventually converted to them from enamels, but they were bought by Testors and subsequently destroyed to stop competition.
I used Humbrol enamels that had been sitting for years... some still had the old letter/number system... mixed them up and they were just fine. Just have to keep the lid/opening clean so it seals properly.
Thanks for the info!
Screw-top bottle lids stick because the threads get liquid left on them, and dry out.
Clean the threads COMPLETELY (bottle & lid), and no sticking.
And a tip for screw-thread maintenance…
When you first open the bottle, COMPLETELY clean the inside of the lid. When done dispensing the liquid, COMPLETELY clean the bottle threads, place a piece of thin plastic sheet (think cling-sheet, wrapping stuff, eg Reynold’s Wrap) over the opening, and cap off.
The plastic sheet keeps the liquid off the inside of the lid, so it’s always clean.. just the bottle threads need cleaning.
And notice I said ‘liquid’.. this is not unique to paints… most all liquids will cause lids to stick if not cleaned off.
I will just use what I can find, I can for example easily find almost all the humbrol enamels so I tend to use them quite a bit. Also have you tried ak exteme metal? They look amazing in the videos I have seen but they only work for airbrushing so I have not been able to try them.
I'd like to try the AK range at some point in the future
I've used all you have there except the Kcolour and Hataka. 1. Not an enamel guy, although I do have some old Revell and Humbrol tins which for brush detailing only these days. 2. I'm an airbrush only man except for the obvious hand detail areas or small component on the sprues like cockpit parts. 3. So my preferred acrylics are Vallejo and Tamiya. I think Tamiya spray better than anything else, and fit the availability and price criteria. I use their dedicated X-11 thinners. Downside, they don't brush at all without their proprietary retarder, and are limited in their range of camouflage colours so you have to mix. 4. I also like Vallejo Model Air. I thin with Vallejo Reducer as necessary. Great for spraying. Thinned Model Color is OK for spraying, but great for brushing. I stick generally with Tamiya and Vallejo.
thanks for sharing!
20 minutes late :(. Anyways, since I bought an airbrush (unbranded first and now I got a new sparmax) I tried Tamiya colors and I don't think I will use other paints for airbrushing except Gunze. But for hand painting I think Tamiya is bad choice and Vallejo(model color, the air color got bad coverage properties from my experience except black and white) is the way to go. Great video Matt!
Thanks!
You should try Humbrol before it was "super". I know - it has led, but coverage was amazing. The best paint for hand painting if you don't mind slow drying time.
probably a bit hard to find that these days
The secret of good painting with any brand of paint is a good surface primer,this will bring the full tonal values of the paint to light especially with difficult colours like yellow which these days does not contain the vital cadmium as it is now no longer used as considered dangerous,a first class primer surfcaer is Tamiya it goes a long way and you just need to give the model a quick dust coat after a bit of masking,then you can brush or spray as required,another tip is to throw away those useless pointed brushes and buy a decent set of artists quality flat squirrel hair or even sable,clean out every session by running through some baby soap between the bristles and they will last years and give a superb finish with little effort.Before you paint any model run it over with a tack cloth you can buy these from any colourmen and they last ages,the tack cloth will get rid of any surface residue from sanding and fingermarks as well giving the applied paint a good chance.So all of those paints are fine providing that you prepare the model first,incidently I love those Hataka sets they are very convenient and the colours are very accurate too and they brush out nicely as well,finally remember two thin flowing coats are better than one thick one.
Yes, I think I need to start looking at primers. I do use them on occasion but have found that certain colours dont work quite as well straight onto the plastic. Thanks for the info :D
Pointed brushes are not “useless”..
They DO have their uses, mainly for fine details…
Where are yall finding the conversion tables? I have Airfix models but humbrol paints are hard to find near me
online, just google them, there are loads. It is worth checking 2 or 3 though as not all of them list the same paints as direct conversions for others. Alternatively a search like "humbrol 53 tamiya" will sometimes bring up a suitable conversion
Can you thin down the alcohol Tamiya paints with just water or do you need the alcohol solution?
Water can work, but it is not great, it causes the paint to clump if you aren't super careful. I would recommend the alcohol thinners for these
Interesting video and yes all I've used Humbrol paints because when I started, a few years ago....ohh 52 years ago..really that long😒? I have a battery mixer that I use prior to painting and its improved the paint. I like Tamya too. Its nice to have a choice. We don't have Velaho (spelling)here that I've seen
Thanks for sharing!
Are the Hataka and/or Vallejo Modell Air colors thinned down with water or with alcohol? Thank you in advance!
Water is better as the alcohol based thinners (although they work) tend to separate the paint pigments if too much is used. I do thin mine with Tamiya x20a but only with a small amount, opting to use water as well
When I started years back, enamels were the only option. In the UK I had a choice of Humbrol or Airfix - no contest, the Airfix enamels were terrible by comparison. I still think enamels are the best paint overall, they airbrush and hand brush very well and the finish is very smooth and durable - but I don’t use them any more purely because of the smelly and potentially harmful solvent for thinning and cleaning. Most of my acrylics are Vallejo and Tamiya but I do have some Hataka, Humbrol, Revell and Mig Ammo. I find Tamiya airbrushes very well but brush painting is very difficult as it dries so quickly so any overbrushing can damage the paint you have already put down. Most of my Vallejos are Model Colour but I do have some Model Air too. I do wonder whether Model Air is essentially the same as Model Colour just pre-thinned or whether there are other differences such as smaller pigments. I do find that Model Colour separate quickly in the bottle and take a lot of shaking to get useable, even with the ball bearing agitators that I put in all my bottles. I now have a paint shaker that helps a bit. The paint sets are nice but one thing that stops me buying more is that they often have duplicates across the set or worse have standard colours to fill out the set like black or white. For example I recently bought the French Napoleonic Infantry, then went to buy the British Napoleonic Infantry but found that there was so much commonality that it was better just to buy individual bottles. One inconvenience that, like many, I suffer, is that I don’t have a local hobby store that stocks decent paint. It would be great to be able to pop in and buy single bottles when I need them. Instead I must by online and to make the shipping cost effective I prefer to buy a number of bottles which often delays my purchase and project while I research what other colours (or other products) I can add to the order.
thanks for the info!
I use a mix of Tamiya, Vallejo and Hataka acrylics, they are excellent. I used to, like you matt, use Humbrol enamels....they were bad, and difficult to work with..and quite smelly.
I use vallejo tamiya, ammo, revell and i like vallejo and ammo most
@Jonáš Prušek yeah vallejo is good i never tested hataka
I absolutely hate the tamiya paints.
@@megawave79 why?
@@hanssmidt12 Can anyone help I'm just getting into doing model planes I'm using brush to put the paint on using humbrol enamel I'm doing a spitfire but instead of the usle dark earth and dark green I want to paint it with the dark green but don't know what number or colour for the blue/grey would appreciate any help thank you
So, whilst Tamiya paints and Humbrol/Vallejo are both acrylic, as you picked out, they're not the same. Vallejo/Humbrol are water based and Tamiya are alcohol based - hence why the X-20A doesn't work well with Vallejo/Humbrol and water doesn't work with Tamiya, and hence why you get separation - but I suspect you knew that.
Hataka blue and red line paints are pretty good paint for brush painting, I went over to them after I stopped using enamels.
Really liking your channel, fast becoming one of my favourites.
Thanks! Pretty sure I mention the mixing issues with x20a in the video . . I will use it on the other acrylics but only a small amount
I dunno if K colours are expensive really.. the size of the bottle you get will last a long time
yeah, bigger bottle, costs more, it just feels expensive I guess, especially when you are used to buying paints around £2 haha
@@definitelymabe2311 which brand of paints are you using
@@MOS6510Models humbrol enamel matt it's for the camouflage instead of the dark green and earth brown I was wanting to do it dark green and not sure if it's ocean grey or sea grey so the camouflage should look dark green and a blue kind of colour
@@definitelymabe2311 this is the third time I’ve seen this comment
Great video, I’ve just recently thought that you must have a big collection if you’ve been doing it for some time now, do you think we could get a tour of all your sets if they’re displayed?
Sadly most my models are in boxes in storage
@@ModelMinutes ah okay tbh, I thought you would be someone to have a full wall of them, on display in neat cases, I was wrong 😂
@@TheClutchCraft sadly I just don’t have much room to display things 🫠
@@ModelMinutes ah right, oh well lol. Also I really need to thank you, you have inspired me to buy/ build my own models and it’s one of those hobbies that I will really enjoy, also your too in mixing left over plastic with poly cement to make a filler really helped, once again thank you (I subscribed ages ago btw lol)
@@TheClutchCraft glad I could help 😊
hataka blue line, is good and life color is good to, and i am trying now ak 3e gen acrylic paint.
Hataka blue is a range i would be interested in checking out
Thanks for ideas.i prefer
vallejo model color for brush painting
Yeah, it's a good range of paints
I remember the dsys when Humbrol were the best and sometimes only paints avsilable, then Airfix brought out their own paints in a tall screw cap bottle. I still have a few of those tins and they still go on great, whst I have discovered now is that Humbrol have turned to rubbish, I find too many of the matt colours dry a semi gloss or don't go on too well sometimes requiring two or three coats. I've even told humbrol they are poor quality. Always have a Testors matt varnish on hand to fix them. Sad that once the leader they have slipped to 3rd rate. Often use Tamiya now but have been modelling for wargames, now thinking of going back to tge detailed modelling I started doing. This chsnnel has motivated me.
thanks! Yes, having grown up with humbrol it is upsetting to see that they are unwilling to grow and improve, if anything they seem to be going backwards
Interesting that You also started wiht a Hurricane model - I did too, in ca 1975. But learning that from my father, I only used enamel. And for a long time I thought there were no other paints ... or any other tools than standard brushes. Even today I am using enamel almost exclusively.
I used to almost exclusively use enamel, but have discovered the benefits of acrylics in recent years
@@ModelMinutes I do have some acrylic paints now as well, but when You have no one else around You for the same hobby, like growing up in an isolated distant village, long before the internet, it is hard to learn new ways. i.e. change old habits. I am very bad educated about chemicals so I did not even know Acrylics were water based etc, or what the consequences would be when using. And so, my few tries using air brush were disappointing. And how expensive that equipment was to use one ... it is these old restrictions that let me continue enamel: I knew at least what to do with those. And, using it carefully, I think one can create models that can meet high standards like so many others do with Acrylics and airbrushing. I just say I admire all of those results. Greetings from Sweden
@@jangelbrich7056 Thanks! Yes, it can be quite a learning curve using different paints. Not all acrylics are water based though, the Tamiya range for example is alcohol based and water isn't really enough to thin them, you need a specialist thinner with more alcohol in it. That being said, alcohol thinners tend to work well on water based acrylics too from my experience
@@ModelMinutes See, these are the explanations I did not have for most of the time, but which one would need to make good use of new ways. Either You need a mentor or some other kind of good reference material to read. And if one lacks both, then any progress is a game of rare random luck. The greatest advantage with the internet i that the world became _searchable_ after all, and that we can enjoy videos like these to get some inspirations.
As for me I still use enamels for painting and water colors for weathering.
nice!
You can achieve insanely good surface finish with Vallejo 'Model Color' (the brush paint) with brush painting! Better than 98% of airbrushed finishes. Even with the most difficult finishes, like gloss white. This is how you do it:
First, be warned, it takes time and work. It's not quick and you need a clean, dust free environment. You need a soft, premium grade, synthetic, artist's water color brush. Buy from an artist material dealer, and yes it's expensive, but not as expensive as a Sable watercolor brush. Thin the paint with distilled water, nothing else. Thin it at least 50-50. You actually can thin it even more, it depends on how well you learn to make the first coat stick. So, the model need to be thoroughly degreased, remember that, but no primer as it affects surface definition.
The first coat is the most difficult to get down. With the thinned paint, the paint want to pearl and break up the paint film. The way to combat this is to paint even thinner. - Don't load the brush! On the contrary, wipe it so it's dry. If the paint breaks up on the surface and pearls, the brush is not dry enough. Try it again even drier. The covering power of this first coat is pretty much zero. But remember I warned you this is not a quick process. Now you need to let that almost invisible first coat harden pretty thoroughly. Give it a day, or at least half a day. You will find that the second coat is much easier. You don't have to keep the brush quite that dry, but keep doing a thin layer. You need to also let the second layer harden well. But then, as you continue, it's enough to let the coat dry, just keep painting very thin layers, until you have the covering power you want. The coating takes at least two weeks to harden and bite down, so remember to handle it carefully.
thanks for the info!
Your experience seems to mirror my limited knowledge. I got back into modeling 2016 after buying a magazine in an airport departure lounge,rekindled a long buried memory.
awesome!
Now I don't know much but I think it depends on what you are painting and what kind of finish you are trying to achieve.
I'm new to airbrushing and so I thought I would try Vallejo model color on a cheap car kit.
In short, I shall not be using Vallejo on a car body again.
So far as car bodies go, it seems solvent based acrylics or lacquers are the way if you are airbrushing.
On a slightly different tack, some people are now using aerosol spray cans.
I use spray cans all the time, it's easier to use than an airbrush and gives consistent results
And here I am, still brushing away with my Testors enamel from god knows how long ago lol. Trust me, I still have bottles with just one label on them...maybe it's time I grow up and get some big boy paints.
if they work, there's no harm in using them :)
@@ModelMinutes There isn't, but I also never knew the proper methods to brush painting enamel. I only do cars cuz I'm a car guy, but like, I never knew Tamiya existed lol. I got my first one a week ago, a 24282 Nissan GT-R and I want this one to be my best one yet.
Hi, I'm looking for a gloss midnight blue to airbrush BOAC aircraft models, do you have any suggestions ? I would like to avoid clearcoating. it all seems to be a bit of a minefield tbh. Cheers.
Each company may make a slightly different shade, so worth checking which one is most suitable for your use. I did find the following:
Humbrol 15 Midnight Blue Gloss (Available as enamel, acrylic or as a spray can)
Mr Color Midnight Blue Gloss C-071
SMS Premium Midnight Blue PL57 (Lacquer)
Night Blue Vallejo Game Color 72.019
Even in the real world there were variances on paint colours so it is conceivable that slightly different shades could be used as a result of what was available at the time
@@ModelMinutes Tell me about it, I used to work in car refinishing and colour variances were a pain, lol.Thank you.