Been using enamel for 30 years now, and been thinking it may be time for a change. So can someone please give me the pros and cons. I build both armor and military air if it matters.

I used to use enamel, but when I came back to the hobby after 20 years, I discovered acrylics, particularly Tamiya and ModelMaster Acryl. I haven't been back since.

Primarily, the advantage for me is what is used to thin them with. I was told by the guy in the hobbyshop that you can use distilled water to thin either. But he advised me that 91% rubbing alcohol works best for Tamiya and WIndex works best with the ModelMaster, instead of the thinners recommended by each brand. The advantage here is: Cost. You can buy a quart of rubbing alcohol for less than $2 and a quart of Windex for about $3.

The downside is that acrylics dry much faster with those thinners, as opposed to enamels.

I say experiment and see what works best for you.

I made the switch to airbrushed and hand brushed acrylics some years ago. Before then, I was a dedicated enamels painter.

I now use artist oils for all of my figure painting as well as for many weathering and color modulation tasks.

For airbrushing, I use Tamiya paints which are NOT water-based acrylics, but rather cellulous solvent based (alcohol and / or lacquer thinner).

I initially switched because of local availability. It was just easier to get the colors I wanted at the time in the Tamiya paint line. Later, as I added more and more Tamiya paints, I was increasingly impressed with the how smooth and even they painted while at the same time, I liked how the use of mineral-spirits based washes and modulation effects never lifted the underlying Tamiya paints (like they would sometimes do with Model Master enamels).

Now, it's the combination of color availability, smooth spraying, and durability of the finish that keeps me using Tamiya acrylics. Also, so many model builders are now using them that it is very easy to get suggestions for custom color mixes using Tamiya paints.

What anyone needs to understand is that the Tamiya acrylic paints are NOT water-based acrylics - they are cellulose solvent (alcohol and / or lacquer thinner) based. So, the solvents used to reduce them are just as noxious as the solvents used with mineral spirits based enamels or pure lacquers. However, this is the reason why Tamiya paints spray so smooth and produce such durable finishes.

I made the switch to water-based acrylics (Vallejo, Citadel, Reaper, Andrea, etc) for detail painting and undercoating figures, again, many years ago. This was a result of an experiment in figure painting using glazing techniques for shading. In the end, I went back to artist oils for figure painting but I stayed with the acrylics for most other brush painting.

The water-based acrylics have excellent coverage and opacity. When used with the correct type of brush and when thinned properly, they brush wonderfully. They offer many times the color range of any enamel paint brand. When used for detail painting on models, they are just as resistant to the effects of mineral spirits based washes and modulation effects.

The down side to the water-based acrylics is that they require proper thinning to use. Some come pre-thinned for airbrushing, but those formulated for hand brushing require thinning to use. Proper thinning means that the painter has to add back in acrylic binders to retain the required ration of binders in the mix. Without these, water-based acrylic paints do not resist handling well.

In the end, a while back when I was reorganizing my workshop, I gave away a hundred or so bottles of Model Master enamels and made my switch to acrylics nearly complete.

As I said up front, I still use artist oil paints for figure painting and many weathering and scale lighting effects. I also use a good number of pure lacquers (Floquil Model RR Colors) for some jobs like primer coats (very rarely) or in progress painting when I find it inconvenient to wash and prep the plastic for final finish. The lacquers will work over plastic surfaces that are not perfectly clean and which might still have oils or mold release agents on them.

As long as you know and understand the working requirements of the acrylic brands you're using (water-based or solvent-based), I think you'll find them every bit as durable as enamels with much grater ranges of available colors.

HTH,

I generally keep it pretty simple. I use acrylics for airbrushing and enamels for detailing and weatering. The chief reason I like airbrushing acrylics is the fact that I'm able to clean up with soap and water. I use Tamiya acrylics, they're readily available and have a pretty good color selection.

Chris

I have been using acrylics exclusively for a LONG time, like 30years, Tamiya almost exclusively. Several factors.

Fumes, and odor. I have a sensitive nose, and the odor of enamels was too much as well as the thinners.

Cleanup. No extra nonsense needed. Isopropyl alcohol, and or windex and water. Easy peasy.

Acrylics are easy to adjust, if you screw something up. Little windex on your brush and viola!

Weathering. When using acrylics to base coat I can use my artist oils and thinners over them without fear of reactions between the paints.

Hope this helps. Cheers.

I spray Tamiya acrylics and use MM enamels/oils for detailing & weathering.

Tamiya sprays wonderfully and adheres to plastic extremely well. Cleaning can't be easier. Just shoot Windex or IPA.