Hi,
I am in the process of working on my first serious model build and I am going to have to paint it with brushes because I cannot afford an airbrush. I need some help so I can achieve a nice even coat with no brush marks. The model is Tamiya's 1/35 scale M5A1 Stuart and I am painting it with Tamiya acrylics. Also if anyone could tell me which brushes and paints would be the best for this type of painting that would be very helpful. Any advice, tips, or information would be helpful.
Thank You

The secrets to getting a good finish with brushes (I've been a modeller for over 40 years and never owned an airbrush!)

1)Buy the best brushes that you can afford - either sable or an artificial material called 'prolene'. Wash them in mild detergent after use to get the remains of thinners etc from the bristles. Dry them with tissue or paper kitchen towel, wiping from the ferrule to the tip to keep the brush in shape.
2)Use smooth brush strokes making them as long as possible. If you use more than one coat of paint, then making the brush strokes 'along' the model for the first coat. and 'across' for the second will help to even out the finish
3)Don't expect full coverage on the first coat - two thin coats are better than one thick one.

Thanks a lot!!!! I will try to buy some sable or prolene brushes. One more question, you said it is better to use a thinned coat than a thicker one, should I use the Tamiya acrylic thinner or water to thin the paint and what should my ratio of thinner to paint be.

I don't thin the paint, just don't apply it in thick coats. When you apply it to the surface, brush it out as far as possible before you reload the brush.

Just to show what's possible: Brush painted 1/12 Shelby Mustang

WOW!! that Mustang is amazing!!!! Thank you so much for your help!!! I guess I better start practicing.

If they are available look into the Vallejo Model Color Line,very good for brush painting.

Not Model Air,Model Color

Thanks, I will look into them.

Dave, your Mustang paint job looks like it was done with an airbrush and lacquer paints. It's that good. Did you sand between coats?

Joel

Jacob,
Hand painting is a whole different ballgame then using a rattle can or airbrush. I would certainly recommend a base coat of Tamiya gray primer from a rattle can. This will give your thinned out paint a place to bite other then the smooth plastic surface. Apply thin one direction only coats, and let completely dry. Sand/polish each coat with 6,000 or 8,000 emery paper to smooth out the surface, then apply your next coat.

Sealers like Future can be applied by brush before decaling. For a flat finish during weathering, I'd use Testors Dullcoat from a Rattle can.

Take your time and just remember that hand paint is mostly waiting for one coat to dry at a time. Then preparing that coat for the next coat.

Joel

Okay, thanks a lot for the tips. I was wondering if I should use primer so I guess now I know. How long do you think I should wait between coats? I know the bottle says the paint dries after an hour but should I wait longer than this?
Thanks

No, didn't sand at all between coats. The plastic was sanded lightly before any painting to get rid of any blemishes. If the painting is good enough there's no need to sand between coats.

This one had a couple of coats of acrylic as a primer, and three coats of enamel with the coats in alternate directions; with 24hrs between coats. Then a final coat of artists gloss varnish over the decals.

I like to use both vallejo and revell aqua colours.. Check this review out: http://airfixtributeforum.myfastforum.org/Revell_Aqua_Color_Paint_Review_for_brushing__about21839.html

i use vallejo for small areas and sometimes big areas, but i prefer aqua colours for bigger areas. This is because vallejo is more controllable. Also, the aqua colour range is much smaller, so finding the right colour is sometimes impossible... Here's a few tips if you need them...


Prime. This will provide an even surface for the paint. And thin down your paint about a 1:1 ratio with regular tap water or the chosen brand's thinner, depending on the paint and the use. Experiment with scrap pieces, until you get a good result, and keep doing what you did and you'll be fine. Make sure you shake for vallejo and shake and stir for revell aqua colours. Use a good quality (largeflat for large areas, small round for small areas) brush. I find kolinsky sable the best although it is expensive for round, and too unreasonable for large brushes. Use many thin layers (at least 3-4) , unless you're doing detail parts, them thin down a little bit and use 1 or 2 coats. that's really all you need to know, good luck.


this video will explain all you need to know as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dq8lGgf_SKI

HTH

Thanks for the tips and the links. I hadn't heard of Revell Aqua Colors before but they looked pretty good on the review link so I think I'll try them out.

Use Lifecolor acrylic paint for hand brushing , it is awesome with a brush. Thin with bottled water.

I use Vallejo Model Color and Game Color. I thin with regular water, some colours need more thinning than others. Echoing what everyone else has said, thin, thin coats, good brushes and good brush discipline. Flats or blunted rounds for large areas and pointed brushes for detail work. Don't scrub the paint! Let it flow on it's own, Vallejos level quite nicely.If you don't prime, in my opinion you don't need to, the paint will take a bit of working to stick at first. Brush lightly back and forth and you will see the paint gradually starting to stick. And swish your brushes every minute or so when painting, then clean thoroughly after each session.

Kimmo

After each use and cleaning, rub a very small amount of oil into the bristles. Before each use, rinse the brush in paint thinner to remove the oil. I have heard that wrapping the bristles in tin foil gives them a longer life.

I build mostly WW2 armor and figures and usually don't airbrush unless it's an overall color like US vehicles in olive drab..I brush paint a lot. Have been for over 40 years.
YES..buy quality brushes, in sable..I'm not familiar with prolene..I buy nothing but fairly high end artist brushes, actually found one little shop in the UK making handmade sable art brushes that I think are outstanding.
YES..quality paints, use correctly with correct thinners. I paint only Testors Model Master enamels, so I have no opinion on acrylic..never use it. But on military vehicles in 1/35, I'd have no problem with a little tank like an M5 using sable flat brushes and Olive Drab..a couple of small round brushes for the tiny bits, rubber wheels, details, you should be fine..
TEST first..whatever you decide to use, TEST it, PRACTICE a bit to get some feel for it..whenever I am trying something I'm not 100% sure on, it's usually tested on the very bottom of the tank first, or even some inside area no one will ever see..
Take your time and think, you can get amazing results with a brush, especially on armored tanks where the surface isn't supposed to look like a fibreglas racecar..

My experience with model color they are good to brush paint with . When I tried to airbrush it was a disaster, the paint was way to thick out of the bottle and the ratios to dilute them was never the same for different bottles of paint . If you want to brush paint Tamiya then get some of their acrylic paint retarder , and once applied to the surface never go over it with the brush must wait until it is cured . The other thing about Vallejo , I think it's a pain in the but to clean the airbrush . I would have to take it to the kitchen sink and run a lot of water to flush the airbrush out . No different than cleaning latex house paint . Use a lot of flowing water .