With the proliferation of acrylic manufacturers modellers are now inundated with diffrent types of paint,just wondering what others use and there experiance with other paint brands.
Here's my favs
1.Tamiya for spraying
2.Revell Aqua for figures accessories etc
3.Vallejo for detail painting/figures and accessories
4.Humbrol enamel for washes etc
5.oils for figures washes etc
And the worst
1.Doa all dried out within 3 months and the ones that did work were silk when they should have been matt.
2.Humbrol acrylic. just nasty...
3.Games workshop...using up all stock i have not bad but not matt.
4.Gunze... not bad but only experiance i have is trying to airbrush there rough sand
Now whats your fav and worst?

1: Tamiya for spraying
2: MM/Testors for detail painting
3: Floquil/Polly S for spraying and detail painting
4: Oils for washes
5: Artists Ink for pin washes
I have yet to try Vallejo. I once had a nice collection of Citadel paints, but they have all disappeared.

Funny you say that matt i have no idea were my citadels came from....

Although the majority of spray work is done using Tamiya acrylics, Humbrol would have to be my all-round favourite. Tamiyas are easy to clean and the quick dry time, means I can progress quicker, when airbrushing. But Humbrols also spray beautifully, plus I use them to detail paint, washes, dry brushing, weathering, filters, etc. I have a few Vallejo Model Air paints as they have certain colours that are perfect direct from the bottle, but I use them only occasionly. I also have nearly all the MIG Productions oils, which I use a lot when detail painting and figures. Mixed with Humbrols they extend the working time significantly. Got a few AK-I washes for handiness, but again, Humbrols are still used a lot for this as well.

FWIW:

Tamiya is what I use for most airbrushing - thinned with 50:50 ordinary lacquer thinner and Tamiya's X-20A.

Vallejo Model Color for almost all my detail brush painting and undercoating figures - thinned with a custom mix of water, Vallejo thinner, Vallejo matt medium and Golden flow enhancer. Occasionally I'll airbrush Vallejo Model Colors thinned with their proprietary airbrush thinner which makes them spray just like the Model Air colors.

I use Citadel / Games Workshop metallic colors for brush painting details - thin these with either water or my Vallejo mix - just depends.

(BTW: Games Workshop has completely re-done their line of figure paints. The formula seems the same, but many colors have changed and all the names are different.)

Grumbacher and Winsor & Newton artist oils for washes, color modulation, and figure painting - thinned with ordinary mineral spirits.

Testors Dull Coat in the bottle, airbrushed and thinned with lacquer thinner for matt / flat coats.

Future floor wax for clear gloss - mostly for decals, but also to coat the odd clear parts.

Occasional use:

Floquil Model RR Colors for some airbrushing applications - a few colors that I particularly like.

Reaper, Andrea, and Flames of War paints - used just like the Vallejo colors (the Flames of War paints are actually made by Vallejo and although the color names are slightly different, the last 3 digits of the color stock numbers match).

Pigments:

Artist pastel chalks scraped and ground - various brands, but mostly Rembrandt.

Gamblin bulk artist dry pigments - mix your own colors.

A few Mig pigments of colors that I particularly liked when I saw them.

All fixed with either Woodland Scenics Scenic Cement, Vallejo Matt Varnish, Mig Acrylic Pigment Fixer,or just an over-spray of Testors Dull Coat - just depends on what I'm doing and how I'm using the pigments.

And of course, I have a few odds-'n-sods collected over the years, a tin or two of Revell or Humbrol, a bottle or two of Poly Scale, some Aero Masters left over from a commission aircraft build, etc.

I just gave away all of my Model Master enamels (30 or 40 bottles) to one of the guys in our AMPS club. They were my go-to paints until I gradually switched to airbrushing Tamiya.

Happy modeling!

Frank: Is Humbrol good enough for me to pay a little extra than what Tamiya paints cost?

Matt,

I use Humbrol for all painting except undercoat, and I would use a Humbrol undercoat for that but I cant get it here where I live so I use grey car primer....

I use Humbrol for washes and haven't bought any of the newer "wonder" washes that have proliferated the modelling scene for the last few years.

I have used oils of skin tones and oil and fuel patches on
vehicles, other then that lm still old school.

Anto

Humbrol Matt #1 Grey Primer , you can't get that ?

Hi Edmund,

I can get it as a brush on but not in a spray can, so I use Halfords car primer, I don't air brush so its a rattle can if anything needs undercoating.

http://www.network54.com/Forum/110741/message/1381723768/Scimitar+ex+Iron+Hammer+1988





The grey primer is Halfords car primer and the green and the black is Humbrol 116 green over spray is Black 33 brushed onto the green, the vehicles are then done with Humbrol 72 buff and Black 33.

Anto

Hi Matt. Its a very subjective question, but my personal opinion is that Humbrol is best all-round paint available. I never felt the need to make any effort to swap over to acrylic (my attempts to do so, sucked). Many have a problem with the smells of thinners or family members having problems if they paint in a shared area. If this are not an issue for you, why not buy a few tins and try them for yourself?
If you choose 33 - black, 160 - German red-brown camoflauge and some other light beige/brown colour to start with, you can try painting with them, but if this is not to your satisfaction, you can use them for washes and weathering. Please also get a bottle of Humbrols own enamel thinner. Its the best for washes and thinning for spraying. Many go for cheaper thinner options and then when it doesnt work, they think its the paints fault. Experiment with cheaper thinners when you know how it should be.

I use Vallejo for probably 95% if what I do.

The other 5% is divided up between Testors spray cans decanted for airbrushing, and Scale Finishes, both for painting car bodies.

Now I understand , I'm in the USA and the local hobby shop does not carry any Humbrol in the spray cans . Only in the little tins .

Hi Edmund,

I have about 400 of those "little cans" I cant paint for peanuts with acrylic, its like pushing snot hairy blanket, I have great respect for those that do use it, but lm not an airbrush man and all my painting is done by brush, I find it relaxing to work away with a bush for a few hours and have the result I want at the end of it.

Anto

I'm trying to airbrush Vallejo and Lifecolor right now it's a pain to try to get technique down pat .