Types of Paint Explained

An introduction to acrylic, enamel, watercolour, gouache, oil and lacquer paints for scale modelling. Mainly for brush painters, but should apply to airbrushers as well.

*Since making the video I have been informed of the following: Not all acrylics are water based - Tamiya acrylics are alcohol based. Acrylics are also easily removed using Windex/Simple Green with no damage to the plastic.

Massive thank you to the people who contributed their photos!
David Barnblatt
Andrew Wilson: Instagram @wilsonmodels
and also
Christian Barker
Elliott
Ryan
Gregorie Morales

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SOCIAL MEDIA:

#scalemodelling #modelpainting #modelkit

[FineKits]

Finally, a video where someone actually explains different kinds of paints in detail in a short amount of time!

[czh]

I'm an absolute noob with painting and am so happy to have found this video. There are so many videos on painting Gunpla, but none of them go into the basics of using acrylic paints. I was missing out on the basic of thinning my paint and now I see how I can massively improve my models. Great video!
(More Gunpla channels should go over acrylics and basically just how to use paints. LOL at me.)

[manmen]

Love how you begin with the disadvantages!

[MaybeNotARobot]

Finding your videos - specifically this one and your basic scale modelling video - have made me realize that searching for Gunpla painting specifically has limited my options for learning about painting too much. Scale modelers use pretty much the same techniques as one could for Gunpla models, so these videos are a huge help!

[marijnkieboom]

i always use acrylics, i just like the fact that you can use very cheap water to thin it

[quickkits]

Is there anything I have missed? Or that you agree or disagree with? Leave your feedback here! Thank you again to everyone who contributed their photos.

[DieselxRobot]

Good advice as always Owen. I personally use an airbrush but I know a lot of people who want to make models but don't want to buy an airbrush. Every time they ask me for advice I point them to your channel. There's a ton of channels and websites offering techniques for airbrush painting but I think it's great that you offer information about good old brush painting.

[yippygaming]

As Someone who just discovered the amazing world of scale models, this video and channel really cleared up a lot of questions I had. Thanks a lot and keep the videos coming!

[carlson]

So I’m repainting an actual tuck (America so pickup) for the first time and this has been the most informative video I’ve come across about different types of paints. Thx man!! You did me a solid in 2016 and you didn’t even know it.

[PATRICKS_PLASTICS]

Owen, another great video. Please keep up the good work. I'm actually going to try and experiment hand painting enamels on my F105 Thunderchief. Wish me luck.

[FLJorG]

Especially for those who are starting in this hobby despite years (boxes and boxes of planes stored for many years). Really your technique with the brush, is fantastic. I see your videos again and again. I hope you can continue with your excellent advice. Owen Good day! ;)

[britwokay]

Your preference for enamels over acrylics is interesting. Back when I started building models in the 1970s, enamels were the only paints available. While I much prefer acrylics for their quick drying time and easy cleanup, the scent from those Testors square bottles still takes me back. Thank you for another outstanding video full of great tips!

[MisterHampshire]

Some brilliant models and some great advice, thank you. I would however pick up a point if I may regarding acrylics and removal. Surgical spirit that can be got over the counter in any chemist will take it off (though it stinks to high heaven). Far more expensive is Revell who have brought out a Paint Remover (NOT Clean) which smells a bit better but will take of acrylics cleanly and easily.

I've had issues with acrylics not adhering to plastic but hadn't realised it was due to the plastic being too smooth which is contrary to what I've always believed - the smoother the surface the better! But from now on I will clean my models and brush over all the surfaces with an old toothbrush and toothpaste just to knock the surface back a bit.

Anyway, thanks for the videos, some stunning builds :)

[alexc]

It's good to see you making videos again! My Father and I have been using a lot of your videos as reference to aid in the building/painting/weathering of my Tamiya T-34 model and this video was very useful to add some finishing touches to the tank.

Keep up the good work!

[Ducesweden]

Great video and I agree on everything, especually on the disadvantages, exept that acrylics would be difficult to mottle.
When i was building my Viggen in 1/48 with splinter camo, i needed the paint to look like it had been bleeched by the sun in some places. Mainley the flaps and back areas around the engine and a little on the tail..
I used highly thinned Vallejo paints, and applied water on the surface where i wanted to do the mottling.
The paint drops did separate, and several layers later it got such a good apperance that one of the guys behind Tarangus said to me it was one of the best splinter camouflages he had seen on a model.
Acrylics are difficult for washes though, but can be managed if you are careful and wet the surface before applying.

[shirosaki]

This is very informative to the unskilled, new painter, seeing as I am one. I have been researching various paints and how to go about actually painting, protecting oneself and protecting the model getting worked on, but your video gave me insight to how these paints differ, before I honestly didn't understand the difference, aside from the obvious ones that the paints get labelled by.

From the video I think I made the right choice choosing acrylic paint, it seems the least taxing when it comes to the upkeep of the paint job, the fast drying time is convenient and while the instant drying causing brush strokes to appear is somewhat concerning, my goal is to achieve a somewhat battle damaged look with my model, and while I am going to be dry brushing to achieve that, and the brush strokes might help a little in getting my desired effect (though I will be obviously trying to minimize the occurance of it), finally I am happy to hear that Acrylics become waterproof after curing, because living in England with my luck tends to result in rainfall all the time and it's nice to know if I do get caught in the middle of painting outside, the dried coats won't be affected badly by the water.

I might try Enamel paints when I get much more skilled with painting, but that's something I'll have to think about in depth, but for now, thanks for giving me some more information to rely on when it comes to my first paint job.

[richardvega]

Thank you! I didn't realize that so much info went into painting models!

[petematthews]

I’ve been using Vallejo acrylics to paint 1:72nd scale AirFix aircraft and have found the paint is easily stripped with rubbing alcohol. I use alcohol swabs and cut small strips and use them with tweezer or micro brush to readily scrub paint off canopies.

[johnkelley]

Good to see you back and with a very good tutorial on the various paints. I think you covered it quite well. Thanks for sharing this.

[Marukuzuu]

Sir can I use acrylic on BATTLESHIPS? I need it to paint the wooden part