Acrylic metallic paints by brush?

[Wizball]

I do airframes with mainly Alclad and a airbrush, which works very well. But smaller bits, cockpits and landing gear struts for instance, I like to do with a paint brush.

 

Does anyone have any recommendations? I try to cut back on enamels so preferably acrylic.

 

I used to have a old black top pot of Citadel "mithril silver" which was pretty good BUT when that dried up I bought a new transparent pot that didn't work at all. No pigment, no coverage, basically useless. Now I resorted to Humbrol 11 but I'm sure there are better alternatives out there!

[Vinnie]

I brush paint and mostly use Revell Aqua. From memory, I have silver, aluminium, steel and brass. I also have Tamiya gunmetal and find them all fine for cockpits, engine parts, landing struts, wheels etc. The only thing I would say is that the Revell can be a bit gloopy and needs a lot of stirring and some thinning. Goes a long way though.

Edited August 18, 2017 by Vinnie

[Ade H]

It's a good (and tricky) question, Wizball.

 

I have the best part of a complete Vallejo Metal Colour range and I do brush details with it quite often. But it's thin even as airbrush-ready paints go — thinner than Model Air — so it's difficult to work. It's sensitive to having the right brush (e.g. Escoda Versatil works well) and it sometimes takes a somewhat counter-intuitive brushing style. It is also prone to separation of colour and metal in the palette, and it finishes noticeably darker than when sprayed.

 

It sprays very well, but it should do at that price.

 

But despite these caveats, I do still recommend it for brushing, primarily because of the lack of alternatives. Model Colour metallic shades (not to be confused with Vallejo's alcohol-based metallics) are nowhere near as convincing as Metal Colour (probably not meant to be, I suppose) and they do not brush as well as other Model Colours. In fact, they don't adhere well at all. Metal Colour can, with care, produce a much nicer result.

 

Hoping that this helps you.

 

Incidentally, I don't include Tamiya as an acrylic option. It's not, strictly, an acrylic resin anyway, but I find that the alcohol base is not very pleasant. I certainly know when I've used Tamiyas because they hang around.

Edited August 18, 2017 by Ade H

[Wizball]

It always worries me slightly that I find the smell of Tamiya very pleasant. I wonder which brain cells I've fried.

 

So we're talking about this range?:

 

 

Very useful to know they are (with some difficulty) brushable, as I thought they were strictly airbrush like Alclad!

[Ade H]

Yep, them's the ones. If you opt for them, have a look at Youtube reviews for an idea of the colours. Vallejo's PDF brochure swatches are mostly inaccurate to varying extents and it makes it very hard to judge what to buy without seeing them tested. I bought the gold the other day and it's kind of green.

[johnd]

Pardon my ignorance, but what is that nasty looking gizmo in front the paint in post #4?

 

John.

[Ade H]

I think that it's just a jet engine from a model.

[johnd]

Phew

[Kuro Nezumi]

Citadel have a wide range of metallics under their new formulated range. They are a tad grainier than the Vallejo Metal Colour range, but are useful for small areas.

 

Hope this helps.

[fewr9fkr9595]

Another vote here for revell Aqua when you want decent brushable metallics that are smooth and dont have metal flakes like grains of sand... 

As mentioned they need a good stir and thinning. 

 

Another one thats good which i have discovered is the mig ammo acrylic metal colors. But need to go on primed parts preferably.

 

Whereas I have managed to glue delicate little probes and sensors on at the end of a build and brush revell aqua metals straight onto them. 

 

I have tried to do small parts with the recent Vallejo metal colors but found them too thin, even when left to dry out and thicken on a palette for a while.  Better suited to airbrushing. 

Vallejo model color metalics - see comment about sand above. 

 

Hope this helps. 

 

 

[Ade H]

Ammo Metal Colours and their terrible quality control are why I switched wholesale to Vallejo paints. 

 

When I got back to modelling, I bought most of Mig's metallics to start me off simply because they looked ideal. All bar the matte aluminium would not brush properly and some of them separated fully (and I mean 100%) and immediately in the palette; the replacements were the same. They all stay slightly tacky seemingly forever (even when airbrushed); and they can be damaged with an enamel wash. Priming seems to make no difference.

 

Other than the need for a stir in the palette and developing one's brushing technique, I have none of these problems with any Vallejo paint.

Edited August 19, 2017 by Ade H

[lesliegl]

I bought some of a Mig Ammo Metal Colours too recently and as you say they don't dry..shame as they great looking metallic colours..the Revell Aqua on the other hand brush well when thinned and dry well..

 

 

Leslie

[Julien]

For gear struts etc I just use a paint pen. Very handy.

[Wizball]

Thank you to everyone participating, going to try some of the suggestions!