Paint Mixing help and advice

[PhantomBigStu]

Dabblee in mixing previously but nothing more than minor colour shifting, now I need to create some new colours to match a specific colour as the paints I'm looking for are either only available in enamels

The colours I'm looking to mix are all

IRR Nato Green

Lichen Green

3sqn Green

any ideas where to start

Edited December 3, 2015 by PhantomBigStu

[PhantomBigStu]

bump, picked up some paints to mix

[Jusjay]

Are you wondering a good way to mix or finding exact colours to mix mate?

[John Laidlaw]

If you want to try Tamiya acrylics (assuming you can get them, and like using them), the IRR NATO Green is XF-67, and the Lichen Green is close to XF-65 Field Grey or XF-13 J.A. Green. To me, the XF-65 is closer, but that's a purely personal opinion.

[PhantomBigStu]

Cheers for the quote, can get tamiya paints fairly easily, I think my local actually stocks them in small numbers, but I've heard there unbrushable, only suited for airbrushing

[John Laidlaw]

Ah, sorry - yes, they're best suited for airbrushing. Some have had success handbrushing them, but I never have.

[stevehnz]

Tamiya acylics brush ok until you go to touch up or go over a bit already done & then they don't. The answer that was given to me was to use so flow enhancer/drying retarder. The are commercial ones availble but I was put onto using bubble mix, ie kids bubble mix which has appeared to work ok for me so far. It helps it the paint to level & avoid brush marks when painting the overlap with adjacent areas. It only takes a small drop/ small brush full mixed in with what you're using to do the job. I tend to take what I think I'll need from the bottle, either by dropper or brush fulls & then doctor it, rather than doctoring the bottle & maybe having it all go off over time.

Steve.

[Greenshirt]

Cheers for the quote, can get tamiya paints fairly easily, I think my local actually stocks them in small numbers, but I've heard there unbrushable, only suited for airbrushing

Tamiya paint does airbrush easily and that's my preferred application means, but it can be used with a hairy stick. I've tried the others, which can work, but Tamiya's own retarder works best: http://www.tamiya.com/english/products/87114paint_retarder/index.htm.

I put a few drops of paint into a milk lid, add a drop of retarder, which also thins the paint, and away I go. Very little retarder is needed, and it takes a bit of practice to get it consistent. And just like other paints when hairy stick brushing, let it fully cure/dry, I wait at least 48 hours. 2-3 thin coats works best.

Tim