Airbrush acrylic WWII paints including Metallics

[sprue]

I'm about to start on a 1/48 Mustang in a bare metal finish and I'm tempted to try acrylic paints which is quite a departure from my usual solvent based paints.

Which brand of acrylics does the team favour and which are the most accurate for colour and easy to use? 

I'll be grateful for any tips especially preparation for decaling.

[Casey]

Which acrylics to use was discussed many times on many threads, to find a few:

 

When it goes to so called metallic, one need to understand how they are made and how they work. This is not limited to acrylics only.

 

In my experience most common paint of those types used in modellers world are:

 

Mica particles

Those paint contain small mica pieces. They 'glimmer' and simulate metallic luster. For example: silver paint can be made by titanium oxide covered mica particles with tiny bit of carbon black. Sometimes they may be covered with metal, like for example an gold paint - mica covered by iron oxide, but the luster is mostly provided by mica.

 

They are well handled by airbrushing and rather easier to use. Due to the way how they are made and look - I find them fitting for smaller pieces or less shiny surfaces - I am not aware if it is even possible to make them look like a real mirror surface but it can be simulated with gloss. (example source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0043164880902604)

 

Real metal

 

 

Those contain metal flakes. It is harder paint to use since the end result depends on their achieved physical layout - see here:

Those are real paint examples, the one on left has more mirror like apperance but also looks 'less metallic' (less sparkly). By adding some additives to physically lay out metal flakes at angles one can achieve higher metallic effect (but less mirror like apperance)

 

They are also heavier and can be trickier to work with. Before binder holds the particles the surface changes its appearance, and is very gravity dependent (and wet paint can be blown off by airbrush). Sometimes they can be buffed/polished to provide more luster- they are capable of mirror like surfaces (especially if they are suspended in wax-like products)

 

Some sources: https://northernweststuff.com/blogs/northernweststuff-blog/coated-mica-and-real-metal-flakes,

 

https://www.schlenk.com/fileadmin/editorsCMS/uploads/PDF/Pigments_for_Coatings_DS.pdf

 

My main question would be: what is the effect you want to achieve, then we can pick the tools and materials.

 

Of course there are also more ancient methods, like applying real metal foil - like monks of old did with gilding... I think I saw some companies selling metal foils to modellers for that purpose

Edited May 23, 2022 by Casey