Hello All: I've been thinking of investing in a Revell B5 Space Station model
for use in Babylon 5 related games. However, there is one thing that I
dread.... painting with enamels. Every time I use enamel paint on a model, I
wind up ruining it no matter what I do. I find acrylics are much easier to mix
and control. I was wondering if anyone could recommend any techniques for
painting plastic models with acrylics?
I've used acrylics on my plastic Renegade Legion tanks with no problems.
I
do use a matt black car paint spray as an undercoat - maybe that helped
Colin
[quoted original message omitted]
> Hello All:
Try washing the plastic model while the parts are still on the sprues with
a mild dish-washing detergent solution. This will help get off any
residue
from the moulding process - like you would do with a resin model. It
isn't always necessary, but it won't hurt if you're careful not to lose bits.
Remember to rinse it well, or the detergent will inhibit the paint...
I've had no troubles with acrylics over plastic if I give the plastic a
good basecoat of primer (better two light coats than one heavy) - then
you paint it normally like you would with acrylics over metal minis.
Use white spray metal primer to undercoat & then either go at it with an
airbrush, or a very steady hand. Other than that, not much help
here....
'Neath Southern Skies
http://users.mcmedia.com.au/~denian/
*****
T'was brillig, & the slithy toves, Did gyre & gimle in the wabe. All mimsy
were the borogroves, And mome raths outgrabe.
- Lewis Carroll "Through the Looking Glass".
[quoted original message omitted]
Hmm, I've done a lot of large scale plastic models (1/35th and 1/32nd)
and have no real problems. I generally use Tamiya acrylics.
I would use a white wash; mix 1 part water and 2 parts Flat White. Next I
would use a dry brush of Light Grey (or whatever you want the base colour to
be) then whatever other colours/shades/camoflage you want.
Does this sound too easy?
Owen G
[quoted original message omitted]
G'day Mark,
> I've been thinking of investing in a Revell B5 Space Station
I paint plastic figures the same way I paint metal figures (and I don't
seem to have too many problems). Basically wash/wipe parts before
sticking together and then undercoat with matt black or whatever other base
colour
you want (you may want to use a med-dark grey for your B5 station) and
then
put the colours/highlights/shading on. By the way, If you're
undercoating with the basecoat colour then a couple of coats may be advisable.
The only warning I have is that you should be VERY careful to let each bit dry
before starting up again, as the paint doesn't seem to totally take to the
plastic until its completely dry and if you jump into early some spot
somewhere is going to flake off on your fingers (its not going to happen on
mass, but there's sure to be some small spot somewhere). For the same reason,
make sure you give it a good dose of varnish at the end.
Hope that helps,
Beth
Wash with detergent to remove mold release agents
Rinse thoroughly and dry.
Prime with Automotive undercoat in a can, color depending on final color
scheme of model for b5 I'm use grey.
Use two thin coats of primer rather than 1 thick one, but Automotive primer is
heavily thinned so this is less of a problem.
If you need to paint before assembling, remove paint where you apply the glue
or it won't stick.
Paint with acrylics as normal with a good quality brush. Use a good quality
paint. Certain colors are problematic (ie. yellow). Mix the paint well, and
for large areas thin slightly with water.
One thing about the Revell B5 is a lot of the detail is decals. These will
present their own problems
> Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1998 17:28:00 -0600
Mark,
If the model is the hard plastic, then priming first with a spray primer
before painting should be OK. If it is the "sweaty" type of soft plastic (like
Airfix figures), then a plastic prep should be used. Check stores that sell
model kits for that.
KR
> Hello All:
> On Tue, 15 Dec 1998, Tim Jones wrote:
> Paint with acrylics as normal with a good quality brush.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Better yet, get some inks and thin the paint with'em, gives u a better
foundation, and you don't have to use as many layers to
give you a good fillig color.
This is, how shall I say it, postgraduate...:)
> Paint with acrylics as normal with a good quality brush.
If you have problems getting a nice finish with yellow, orange, red and other
bright colours, paint the area with a couple of coats of white paint first.
The bright "warm" colours are always a problem for paint manufacturers,
because the only pigments that give good bright colour and are opaque, are
dangerously toxic. With almost every paint line I've
tried, the reds and yellows don't cover very well - especially over a
dark undercoat. Painting the area white first solves this problem, and you get
good bright colours without "greying", like you see with red over a black
base. Just remember to let the white dry thoroughly before painting over
it - or you'll end up with a pastel mess.