Speaking about paints: Is the brand important?
By Mario Covalski
A conversation with a friend and close contributor, made me think about a subject rarely tackled in the notes published in our magazine, the brands of paints (or their manufacturers).
Some years ago, I wrote an article about painting, devoted to newcomers to this hobby. There, I described the basic steps to paint a first model, but we’ve never spoken about which brand should be used…etc, etc. Painting, the key to plastic modeling?
Well, this editorial aims at opening the discussion about this subject, to give guidance to novices or less experienced modelers, with the hope that, on future issues, we’ll be offering some technique note comparing different kind of paints, brands and above all how to work with them.
As a brief introduction to my conclusion, let me share with you my opinion: there are two kind of paints used by modelers, those developed especially for this hobby, and others, used in different activities and sometimes chosen by modelers with many diverse results on their models.
Paints for modeling:
There are three kind of paints: enamels, acrylics and lacquers.
Other types:
Automotive lacquers, oils, acrylics, inks…etc
As it’s obvious each kind of paint uses a different diluent (a solvent to add to the paint, as the one offered by the manufacturer, to thin its viscosity, usually called “thinner”, nevertheless, a great deal of different chemicals are called under this name).
Also, the way to use these kind of paints and even from different brands, involves certain secrets, if you are not expert on this subject, the work may turn ruined or at least not successfully achieved. Another important point to have in mind is that not all paints may be used together, there are forbidden combinations, for example, never apply lacquers over acrylics…etc.
All this knowledge on paints and their use, are in fact the techniques that center around the construction of models, there are a lot, every day new ones appear, and besides, each master has his preferences. Usually, much about these techniques will you find, in articles, forums and so on.
But, there are techniques, about which very little is said, when you decide to use paints from different brands, and here is clear example:
Some novice modeler has finished building his model, and following his friend’s advice,
he thinks he has to use enamels; the instruction manual and even some technique note he has read, recommend to use the blue color but both recommend different brands, “A and B”. But he can only get “C”. If you are an experienced modeler, or a master, you’ll have your preferences, certainly, but if it comes to it, you’ll manage to work successfully with any of those brands (A, B or C), because you know all the secrets about each of them.
But let’s go back to our friend, a novice who is learning about painting and realizes that the result achieved is not the expected; then, he thinks the paint is responsible for that result.
Conclusion
If you talk to a hundred of modelers, you’ll receive a hundred of different opinions on paints, and see that, the brand that is not considered useful by some of them, is the one that let others win contests… and so is modeling. In point of fact, each brand has its pros and cons, and although the most experienced have our preferences, all of them are useful provided we know how to use them.
Novices will have to learn as far as possible about the procedures and techniques the painting job involves, the dilution, the environment conditions, the correct use of the airbrush and even its right cleanup...etc, so, all these variables will allow you to achieve good results with your painting…not only the brand you use.
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