Hi

I've just started modelling recently and I was wondering what is the difference between enamel and acrylic paints?

I'm not using an airbrush yet if that helps. Thanks!

Welcome to the site Dale ! Lot's of room at the mess table so don't be shy .

Enamel paint is oil based paint while acrylic is water or alcohol based paint .

Oil base such as enamel works very well for brush painting . You will get different results with different brands out on the market . Just a matter of finding one which works best for you .

Acrlyic with some brands can be trick to apply when brush painting such as Tamiya . Others like Vallejo is the best paint out there for brush painting IMO .

Nothing wrong with not having an airbrush , lot's of folks here don't have one and they produce some beautiful works of art .
An airbrush will aid by not covering up the finer details on the surface , hence using less paint . It all comes down to what you are comfortable with and where your skill level is . If you do decide to get one there are many options for the beginner on this topic and come in many price ranges ( you don't really need a fancy airbrush to have excellent results , but you do pay for what you get )

Welcome aboard Dale

Mostly what Terri said. An airbrush is just a tool, used correctly (requires a bit of practice) it produces wonderful results. Used incorrectly it produces quite a disaster. Brush, hose, compressor (even canned air) will set you back a few dollars (Pounds), so focus on the basics first and then when you're ready jump in.

Post pics when you get a chance.

Hi Dale, welcome to Aeroscale! I hope you enjoy your stay here; there are a lot of fine modelers who are willing to share their knowledge with anyone who asks.

As to paint, my fellow Aeroscale friends may be sick of hearing me say this, but I think acrylics are best. They give good account of themselves with a brush, although I agree with Terri that Tamiya has got to be the most difficult to brush. It requires good thinning. Acrylic paints such as Polly Scale and Model Master Acryl are what I use. I think they work just fine. Take a look at my photos in my gallery at your leisure, everything I've built is with acrylic colors. Hope this helps you out some. Russell

P.S. Please note Dale that everything I have built is airbrushed, but you certainly can get good results with a brush as well. If you have any more questions just ask.

Welcome Dale,
I use both Sir just putting my two cents in

Thanks for all the friendly responses and help!

enamal is harder to clean up

Hai,

welcome on board

and about airbrush, you can certainly live without it but I am airbrushing everything except for small details. I feel that an airbrush leads to higher quality models.

But first you need to master finishign a model with high quality. No air - or other - brush or paint can hide serious errors in the model itself;

A "must read" on this site is the forum thread "reading the seams". It is a fantatic informative piece of work

I exclusively use brushes, and get a fantastic finish on most models, also i find the tamiya paint problem is only a problem on some of the colours.
Their RLM Grey brushpaints fantastically, where as their white, and metallics arent so good. Its best to mix and match brands to get the best of everything.
one way of doing things is to buy a good primer ( halfords do a good one. just plain old grey primer) then use a few thin coats. wit control, and patience it is possible to get a great finish.
this 1.48 sherman is brushpainted. and is my fave to date.


enamels take longer to dry, and smell a little, but can be great to paint with, Acrylics are usually quicker drying, some brands are better than others at painting, like vallejo and lifecolour, but these paints tend to be not as hardwearing as the tamiya paints. the advantage of acrylic coats is if you decide to use some oil washes, they do not react with the paint ( if you use the correct thinner, white spirit) sometimes avaoiding the need for a "future " gloss coat to protect the paint.

In the end it all comes down to preference, so give evrything a try at least once and see what you like..


J