Tips for a beginner, please.

[Gordon1886]

These probably seem like simple things, but to make sure I am doing things correctly, I would really appreciate advice to save me from getting into bad habits.

 

Best way to wash brushes.

 

When should you use thinned paint.

Best method to thin paint.

 

Primer. Should it be used on all larger sections of models? (Aircraft wings, ship sails, etc) 

 

Thank you for any forthcoming advice.

[Black Knight]

32 minutes ago, Gordon1886 said:

Best way to wash brushes.

I use a two jar system for cleaning brushes. Each has some B&Q Diall Brush Restorer in them. After painting, the brush is cleaned of paint in jar 1, then wiped on a rag, then its swished clean in jar 2, then wiped on a rag, then its stored bristles upwards in a desk pen pot. When jar 1 gets too dirty its discarded, into a tin for such, then jar 2 becomes 1 and a clean jar of brush restorer becomes jar 2.

 

32 minutes ago, Gordon1886 said:

When should you use thinned paint.

When ever its too thick. I thin Revell Aquacolor with water as I find its too thick straight from the pot. Same with some Humbrol enamels and Humbrol acrylics. Paints definitely need thinning for use through an airbrush

 

32 minutes ago, Gordon1886 said:

Best method to thin paint.

In most cases I add the appropriate thinners to the pot, after testing to see if it needs thinning. Stick to the recommended thinners, at first, then experience will tell you if you can use non-specific thinners.

 

32 minutes ago, Gordon1886 said:

Primer. Should it be used on all larger sections of models? (Aircraft wings, ship sails, etc) 

 

I rarely use primer, especially under enamel paints. Acrylics benefit from primers. Use primer on everything thats going to be painted.

But, more importantly, make sure your model is free of finger-print oils and greases. A quick wipe over with soapy sponge or a rag with meths on it soon cleans the surface

 

[dnl42]

An art store will have brush soap. Store them brush up to avoid damaging the bristles.

 

Thinning depends on the paint and usage. Most paint needs to be thinned for airbrushing; some are airbrush ready. Other paints are ready to (hairy stick) brush, others can still use thinning. I airbrush Mr Color (always needs thinning) and brush The Army Painter Warpaints (I usually thin).

The thinner (solvent) depends on the paint. I recommend you first thin with the paint manufacturer's thinner if one is provided. The reason is to learn what the thinned paint should be like. Once you're comfortable with that, you could try some alternate compatible thinner since you'll then know if the alternate thinner is working. I thin paint in another container in order to keep paint pristine until I use it. Because I try to only thin the paint I need for a session, I NEVER put thinned paint back into the container. I end up wasting very little, but I'd rather waste some paint then adulterate the paint and wonder why a paint coat failed later on.

 

I could paint The Army Painter Warpaints neat, but I find a little water works wonders. For brushing, I put a little paint--say a couple of drops--in one small container (water or soda bottle lids work well for this) and some water in another such small container. I'll dip my brush in the water container, then dip it in the paint container, swirl it in the paint container a little, and then apply the paint. I recall this was similar to art painting in my youth.

 

For Mr Color paint, which I airbrush, I only use Mr Color Leveling Thinner (a.k.a., MLT). I also use a separate "mixing cup" for this, but here it's a stainless still mixing cup from the art store so I can clean it after use. I use a stainless steal paint stirring stick to mix the pure paint in the bottle before use and then to mix it in the mixing cup with the thinner. As I thin the paint to about the consistency of 1% milk (lately even fat-free milk), I literally only need a few drops for most airbrushing. Only some times, like for priming or a base color will I actually pour paint into the mixing cup. I then use a paint pipette to add MLT to the mixing cup and stir. Note, some people like to use a specific ratio of paint to thinner. I prefer to thin to a specific consistency. I'll keep adding MLT until I get the right consistency.  I then put a few drops of neat MLT into the airbrush cup and spray that through to (1) ensure a compatible thinner is in the airbrush and (b) to ensure the airbrush is spraying well before I add then thinned paint into the airbrush cup.  I apply thin coats making sure it's still wet when it hits the surface.

 

I use separate paint pipettes for each solvent. I have them labeled. This is a "paint purity" issue to avoid problems with incompatible paint and solvent mixing. The wrong paint-solvent combination can turn paint into a thick goop that will ruin your day.

 

I almost always prime, particularly when I have mixed materials. Priming gives you a good basis for your color coats, presents a uniform background color for color coats, and helps you find imperfections such as gaps and cracks that need to be filled before the color coats. The only time I don't prime is for the cockpit "interior framing" color on clear plastic and some special other circumstances. I prime with Mr Surfacer 1200 using an airbrush. The thinning process is as described above.

 

HTH

-- 

dnl

Edited January 3, 2021 by dnl42
changed to UK pipette example

[Troy Smith]

6 minutes ago, Gordon1886 said:

These probably seem like simple things, but to make sure I am doing things correctly, I would really appreciate advice to save me from getting into bad habits.

 

Best way to wash brushes.

depends on what paint you use. 

Enamel/oil based,  brush cleaner or white spirit,  and end of a session, after that, some warm soapy water, rinse, and dry.  

acrylic, water, though you might need some specfic solvent after, as they dry fast.

 

tip - if you can have brushes and wash out solutions separate for standard colour and metallics.

 

I use acrylic, and find i get a hard centre to the brush,  and saw this recommended, and it's very handy. 

The Masters Brush Cleaner and Preserver

6 minutes ago, Gordon1886 said:

 

When should you use thinned paint.

when the paint does not flow smoothly and gives a thin even coat.   This requires practice, and varies between paints.

6 minutes ago, Gordon1886 said:

Best method to thin paint.

depends on paint.  

For enamels, while white spirit maybe OK to clean up,  it's  a false economy, get specific thinners,  you won't use much and the paint will dry faster.

 

acrylics, depends,  but I use a small 1 ml syringe, and de-ionised water (sold for Irons) and flow improver (lowers surface tension) suck up 0,95ml water and 0.05 ml flow improver, shake, and add to paint in a pallete.    

 

6 minutes ago, Gordon1886 said:

 

Primer. Should it be used on all larger sections of models? (Aircraft wings, ship sails, etc) 

again, depends on the paint.  

 

I linked you a @PlaStix build of the Mary Rose in your other thread,  he brushes acrylics, thins with water, use small flat brushes,  and aims to put on multiple thin layers,(note acylics dry really fast so not a problem)  and achieves excellent results, have a read of his threads. 

 

This is not that way you would have worked with enamels you would have used when building models in 60's/70's (you said you'd not done for a long time)  and I'd not like to advise on modern enamels, though looking at stuff i did 40 odd years ago, i could not do that with acrylics,  but I didn't mind the smell back then. Large DIY paint jobs have put me off oil paint since though.  

 

Anyway, primer, depends.  Halfords spray acrylic primers are good,  my last (stalled) model i used the grey, and painted over with Vallejo Model Color, which has stuck really well onto that.

 

You mentioned having bought Airfix starter sets from the supermarket, the little pots of paint with those are poor,  seeming to dry with a gritty finish.   Handy for groundwork, crap for models, but the acrylic thinning techniques apply to them.  New humbrol paints in dropper bottles are supposed to be better, but not tried them. 

 

Acrylics cause confusion, as there are two types, the latex type, humbrol, Vallejo, Revell Aqua,  and the lacquer type,  the main one is Tamiya.  They are not intermixable. 

 

If you are an enamel user, and want colour accuracy,  look up Colourcoats by Sovereign Hobbies, their owner @Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies is a regular poster here, and they are highly regarded by the enamel users here.  You will need to order multiple tins as they have to go by courier, note, they sell their own thinners as well, so get some of that as well.   

 

@Black Knight has posted a neat concise answer while I was typing.   Note my sig line.... it's what works for you. (some folks here swear by acrylics, some just swear at them...)     Always worth testing out different techniques on something that doesn't matter as well.  

HTH

[dnl42]

BTW, another good brush cleaner for acrylic paint is Winsor & Newton Brush Cleaner & Restorer. The stuff does wonders for dried paint. Be very careful though as it's deadly to plastic.

[dogsbody]

A little something I learned years ago: After cleaning with thinner, then washing with soap and water ( I use a drop of dishwashing soap ), lightly lick, but don't slobber, your thumb and forefinger and shape the bristles back to their proper shape. This is especially true for round, pointy brushes, but it also works for flat brushes.

 

 

 

 

Chris

[Gordon1886]

Wow. Thank all so very much for the replies and the great time you’ve taken to outline all the details.   I shall take all this useful advice on board.  It’s much appreciated.