hello this is my first post.
I have just got back into model making when i made a trip to the largest tank museum in the world and when i retured home i set to to try and finish my Merkeva MK II, all the construction had been completed a year or so ago, i just had to paint it ti finsih the large assembly bits. This is where i struck a problem. I gave the model a white acrylic undercoat and when i paint on the tank the effect is very washy. It is difficult to explain but imagine i got paints which are not made for plastic, watered threm down and tried to paint my model. In fact i am using desert sand Tamiya arcrylic paints but i cant seem to get a solid look to the model, my best description to the effect after painted is "washy" and that i can still see thr undercoat below. I stir my paints well, use high quality brushes and follow all instructions on packages. By no means do i expect my models to look as amazing as ones i have seen so far, i have just started drybrushing (just on the tracks) and dont know how to get realisitc effects with my models. I would appreciate any help for the above question as well as any links to good reviews on advanced painting techniques. by all accounts i am an amateur.

thanks

William,
Welcome to Armorama!
I stopped using Tamiya paints with a brush. I had no luck at all brush painting with them. It seemed to me that the paint almost dried before it left the brush.
Not much help, I know...

Shaun

i;m currently using Tamiya acrylics and i dont have much problem with them. Just have to thin them down so they dont dry fast.

anyway, a little , what do you think is the best acrylic for brush painting then? Humbrol?

well i used to use hymbrol as wel but i got this watery effect so i thought it was the fact the paint was old, so i purchased the tamiya paint becuase i was told it is better but it is still makes the same watery look!!

Its very anoying because it means i effectivlt cant paint my models!

Before I bought my airbrush I used a lot of Testors Model Master enamel in the spray can. I had very good luck with that. I still use them some for quick projects. The color selection is somewhat limited, though.

HTH,

Shaun

Priming the model helps tremendously...it gives the paint something to stick to.

Humbrol is enamel, not acrylic. In my opinion, the best brushing acrylic is Vallejo. Polly Scale is good as well. I've heard Andrea is very similar to Vallejo, but I've not played around with any of that brand.
BUT, if you can succeed with Tamiya and a brush, I don't believe any paint will pose much of a challenge. That stuff is airbrush-only for me.

Ciao Whisky-Delta,
We all started at the beginning, so don't worry about your talent level. We are all here to learn something.
I would suggest that you prime your model with a can of cheap auto paint from a store. You can use whatever color you want. I prefer white, but you could use black if you want. If you have the funds, go buy PollyS or Model Master. They are the best acrylics for brushing. Tamiya paints do have a shelf life, but they are too thick (and dry too fast) for me. If you don't have the money, then buy some tamiya thinner. I believe they make thinner just for their paint, and that might be a good solution. Hope it helps
Ciao for now
Rob

thx for all the help but i think i may have found the problem. Before i start using a paint i stir it well with a tooth pick so their are no lumps in it and that is it. What i found was everyone seems to shake the paint well so i shook my paint well as well as stired and the paint gets applied a lot better. My interpretation is that i do not mix the 2 components of paint well eniugh just by stiring.

Just for future reference in britain i have not heard of makes such as "Vallejo etc", that some of you may have suggested. My 2 options are either hymbrol or tamiya paint. thx anyway

Off Topic: I wish to start posting images of my models so i can get opinion on what to do next and how to do it. The problem is to post images, the image has to be on the internet and you canrt copy and paste of your hard drive. Does anyone know how i can get some digital photos in this forum without paying?

Ciao W-D,
You can post them here at Armorama! All you have to do is go to gallery, then look up in the upper right hand corner and you will see "upload photos." Then you just load them onto this site and then you can reference them on your posts. Just by being a member you have some space dedicated to you.
Ciao for now
Rob

thanks for that, i am now going to try and post up some images of my models. However in the mean time i am still having enormouse difficulty with these Tamiya paints. I have bought XF59 which is called desert sand, but when i apply it to my tank it is more brown than sand colour. I went on the FAQ thread in this forum and found that Revell #16 is the same colour as Tamiya XF59, but i have seen a model on this forum painted in Revell 16 and it looks nothing like my Tamiya paint. Can anyone advise me what i may have done wrong with the paint or can you tell me the number of a hymbrol sand colour paint that would be suitable for a merkeva mk II tank.

Thanks again

P.S. What paint is used on this Chally 2?

Ciao W-D,
That is one of my shortcomings. I don't really try for "exact matches" on paint. I get close, but that's it. Unless you are going to enter it in a contest, just get close. It's cheaper that way, anyway (paint is expensive, you know.) wish I could help you. Now, get to posting the pictures of your models.
Ciao for now
Rob

same here, i dont think some how i will enter my tanks in a show but i am having trouble with getting a paint which is adleast a close match tpo desert sand. Like i said the XF59 tamiya paint says it is desert sand but it is closer to being brown than yellowy sand. Any ideas on hybrol paints which would do the job?

well i managed to get some photos of my cheiftain onto this forum. The digi cam i used came free with stationary so the quality is not that good but its quicker to get its photos on my PC rather than use my proper digi cam and use another computer and save them and copy them over...blaaa..blaaa..blaaa. However if anyone is interested in seeing my model in high quality photos please just say. I will post 1 or 2 now but look in my gallery to see them all that i have taken.

looks like a nice chieftan,

i have never had much trouble brush painting tamiya acrylics, however i only brushpaint my figures, so for larger surfaces you might find it harder.

vallejo acrylics are far better for brush painting, but are hard to find in britain. i got a set of around 20 'allied WW2 colours' in a set from panther models. cost me £20.

here is a link to the set on his ebay store

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=2588&item=5913614090

or his website

www.panthermodels.co.uk

you can buy with confidence from this bloke, i have bought dozens of things from him never with any problems.

cheers

joe

looks like a good set of paints. Im going to my local model shop tommorow to get my tamiya challenger 2, along with some paints. If i have no luck with desert paint my tommorow night i will certainly give that paint set a go!..b/day prezzy or sumfin :-)

thanks about the comment on my cheiftain, i made it about 3 years ago and i have only just got back into modeling and looked at the quality of the painting on it and i nearly cried!!...gave it a complete repaint all over and i am now realy hapy with it!

well i bought a tamiya leopard 2 a6 earlier this week and proceded to place the fantastic kit together. I realised i needed some paints so i got the official tamiya acrylics that were made escpecilay for this tank along with X-1 because i neded some more black. Well all i have bought it is a load of crap which is causing me to hate my leopard. The black despite being matt, is drying with a glossy finish meaning , my track pads and wheels are shiney. As for the Nato Green it is requiring 2 coats before it looks anywhere near as good as humbrol, paint brush marks are constant, which is meaning i am getting a huge headache and the paint is quicky going along with some of the tank detail due to the layers of paint. I still have to paint on the brown and black for the Nato camo so in some places the tank is going to be covered in 5 layers of paint, including undercoat!!!!....What can i do?...am i preparing my acrylics wrong, i have only brefly used them before, do they act differently to enamel?

Please help ASAP!

hmmm..

once again, did you stir and then shake the bottle thoroughly before using?

and one more thing....is the black paint taking forever to dry? and small little bubbles are showing up on the paint surface? if so, then you can discard that paint! Cause its spoiled

yes i stir and shake very well. The black is not realy taking long to dry, its just when it does dry it drys glossy instead of matt. Are their any NATO colour scheme equivilants with Humbrol enamel, this is the last time i shall use tamiya and i shal stick with enamel

Will,

sorry to hear about your frustration. I have brush painted a couple of models using tamiya and it turned out fine with a single coat. To avoid brush marks use the softest brush you can find and make sure that it is a fairly large brush and don't thin the paint.

I think you said that you purchased Tamiya X-1 black. Try using their XF-1 black (flat).

You also need to make sure the unpainted pieces are free of any oil or residue. This can have an effect on both the coverage and the matt finish. When I first started my fingerprints would show up! Some suggest that the pieces should be washed using dish soap.

Good luck.

wel i do use quite a stiff brush, so maybe i will give it a go with a softer one. I was tired when i first stated my anoyence and i now feel i may have over done my frustration. My hull is fully painted and i tried to stick as closly as possible to the camo pattern and for my standards i am pleased with the outcome, despite the paint problem. I discovered a hour ago that i managed to roder the wrong paint X-1 instead of XF-1, stupid mistake but it can be rectafied on a later date. Thx for all the comments in my hour of need

P.S. i have started painting my tracks with a drybrush of silver than painting the rubber blocks but i find the silver (enamel) rubs off the tracks onto the wheels..any suggestions to stop this?

thanks again

Will,

I use Tamiya's metallic gray on my tracks. It doesn't rub off and I think that it is more realistic than silver.