discussion Enamels or Acrylics?

[John]

What do you use most of? Enamels or Acrylics? I have just been looking at Modelmaster enamels and wondering if I should start to stock them, I only ever use acrylics and I know how they sell, from what I've read Testors Modelmaster are supposed to be a good paint.

 

[Guest]

Totally acrylics John.

Laurie

 

[stona]

I haven't voted as I use both!

Steve

 

[papa 695]

Idid use enamals but voted acrylics because thats all i use now

 

[Guest]

Acrylics, I have a few enamels but wouldn't dream of going back.

Slowly buying the entire Vallejo Model Air range, and I like Tamiya too so I'll probably end up with that lot as well.

I also have some Citadel acrylics I have inherited from my son, and although there aren't many that are useful to a military modeller, those that I have used are possibly better than anybody's. (their "Dwarf Flesh" is the colour of choice for many of my pilots faces...lol)

 

[Dave W]

I use both but mostly enamels.I've used the Testors paints and yes they are good.But i wouldnt say the quality of the paint was any better than Humbrol or Xtracolour (the enamels i mainly use).They do have a huge range though.Humbrol are not that good if you want specialist colours like Luftwaffe for instance.I buy Xtracolour when im building a Luftwaffe aircraft.But i would definately buy Testors if i could get hold of them.I like the screw top jars they come in.

 

[Guest]

i am far too impatient to wait for enamels to dry.acrylics all the way for me

 

[AlanG]

I mostly use acrylics but i do use enamels for small detail stuff in the cockpit and painting figures.

 

[Andy2035]

Hi John,

I too have been converted to Acrylics, I find them a heck of a lot easier to clean up after using them, just rinse my brushes etc with water rather than ruining them cleaning them with thinners...

So Acrylics all the way for me now...

Andy...

 

[John]

Thanks for the replies it's helped me decided, I won't be stocking them at the moment which is probably a good thing as I don't think I could find room for another big paint stand

 

[Guest]

Voted Acrylics, always used them since way back when painting Lead figures for D&D / Warcraft etc.

The beauty of them is you can buy the main (reference numbered) pots from model shops, which gives you your main (pre-determined) colours then if you get a large set of artist acrylic tubes from a cheapo shop you have many extra shades and tones with which to adjust the pre-bought colour tone or colour balance (bluey-black, red-black, white tinting etc) using a mixing pallette to suit your model exactly.

 

[saguy]

long live acrlyics ... easier to use, easier to clean ....just easier .....

 

[stona]

I don't want to divert the thread but whilst I'm not surprised by a preference for acrylics I am surprised that people find them easier to use.

For spraying in particular surely enamel paints are easier. Acrylics can be tricky,drying at the nozzle etc,and take a bit more effort to master. Also thinning acrylic paint is far more particular.

With enamels you can chuck in turps,white spirit or even cellulose thinners fairly inexactly and still get a good result. You can't do that with most acrylics. For newcomers to spraying them I always advise using the same brand thinners. Later they might try their own thinning,water,ipa etc along with flow aids and retarders. None of this is required with enamel paints!

Just my opinion.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Guest]

I am sure you are right Steve about enamel.

But they ponk. When I used them my shirt ponked, my garage ponked next morning, my hands ponked & they were all dry from turps & then washing off the turps.

Worst still Pauline her in doors, she would not visit the garage, moaned about my ponk. Acrylics she likes & this has advantages in my life.

Trouble is I seem to spill things, drip things. The lids generally fly off & 90% of the time land on their paint laden bottoms. If there is even the remote possibility of making a mess I will achieve perfection & enamel seemed to just love that scenario.

Strange but when I use acrylics I am not so messy.

Just do not like ponk & smelling ponky.

Laurie

 

[stona]

Well you're right about the stinky pong!

I actually switched entirely to acrylics for spraying a while ago for that very reason.I have found myself using enamels again from time to time. I did the white winter camo on my recent Fw190 with enamels,I really didn't fancy all those fine white lines in acrylic!

Cheers

Steve

 

[Ian M]

I use both but more acrylics than enamels so I voted also for the Acrylics.

Ian M

ps I hate the testors screwtop jars. I have three jars that have been used once each now I can't get the lids off! Tighter than a ducks..... eyelids

 

[Guest]

Steve why did you switch to enamels Steve for the white line ? What difference does it make to the actual finish.

If you put an enamel model beside an acrylic what would be the difference.

Really I suppose thinking of the models I have latched onto which are WW2. Most finishes are matt or satin.

With cars for instance which are high gloss can you get good representation with acrylics.

Laurie

 

[BarryW]

I don't want to divert the thread but whilst I'm not surprised by a preference for acrylics I am surprised that people find them easier to use.For spraying in particular surely enamel paints are easier. Acrylics can be tricky,drying at the nozzle etc,and take a bit more effort to master. Also thinning acrylic paint is far more particular.

With enamels you can chuck in turps,white spirit or even cellulose thinners fairly inexactly and still get a good result. You can't do that with most acrylics. For newcomers to spraying them I always advise using the same brand thinners. Later they might try their own thinning,water,ipa etc along with flow aids and retarders. None of this is required with enamel paints!

Just my opinion.

Cheers

Steve

Being still a complete novice when it comes to airbrushing I started practising with both Humbrol enamels and acrylics. I preferred the acrylics, mainly because they are no much easier to clean up and fairly soon made a decision to stick to them only. For me the big revelation a couple of weeks ago was when I used Vallejo Air for the first time.... somehow my airbrushing just came together. I have since done some airbrushing with Vallejo Model Colour too, heavily thinned 50:50 and found that just as good. The point is that I have not had many problems of the Vallejo acrylics drying too quickly and when that did happen it was easy enough to sort out and for me that is a minor inconvenience.

For your information I do thin Vallejo Air with just a couple of drops of their Vallejo thinner in the ab first before adding the paint and mixing in the bowl and perhaps the retarder in that helps. Generally I have found 15psi a good pressure to work with too as well.

Best of all those eyedropper bottles - so fuss free and no mess and I am clumsy!!! Needless to say I voted acrylic.

 

[Guest]

Used enamels ever since i started painting kits. The few times i did use acrylics, it was either like applying plaster or painting with water. none of the acrylics i used seemed to work but as most of my painting is airbrushing i will stick to enamels. even if it is a pain to clean and stinks awful

 

[Guest]

Amazing result 95% acrylics 5% enamel. I would have guessed 65 35.

The two shops selling model paints in Jersey both stock enamel. Not an acrylic in sight.

Surprised Airfix have not done their homework. Where they sell with their kits paint it is enamel. As buying a complete kit brush & paint etc is an attraction to parents buying for their young that is also surprising. Enamel on a carpet is a disaster compared to acrylics.

Laurie