Enamel paint vs. Acrylic paint
Tywitt
Hello!
I paint all my BattleTech miniatures with Revell Enamel paints (I don't
know if they're available in the US), and I think about using acrylic
paints instead. What are the differences in painting techniques? Do acrylic
paints have any major advantages, or is it just that they are water-based,
which makes them easier (cheaper) to thin?
Bye, Toby!
Solarmech
In article <19970816084...@ladder02.news.aol.com>, tyw...@aol.com
(Tywitt) writes:
Revell has thier paints all over the US. One of the good things about
acrylic paint (IMO) is that you do not have to worry about fumes. Other
than that I see no major advantage. But there are trade offs with any
different types of paints. sm
Watch for Babylon 5 on TNT for season number #5!
Mr. Daniel A. Frost
Tywitt wrote on 16 Aug 1997 08:42:29 GMT:
> I paint all my BattleTech miniatures with Revell Enamel paints (I
don't
> know if they're available in the US), and I think about using acrylic
> paints instead. What are the differences in painting techniques? Do
acrylic
> paints have any major advantages, or is it just that they are
water-based,
> which makes them easier (cheaper) to thin?
Well.. Acrylic is a bit easier to strip.
I use a mix. Acyrlic is cheaper and easier to work with, but Enamel
has a wider selection, especially for "odd" / unusual colars, like
metallic light green, etc...
---------------------------------------------------
Dr. Doom, aka "Danny Frost," Lord of the Urbanmechs
Why Mining Engineering? MinE 4074. Principles and Applications of
Explosives
Owner of the first ever Urbanmech Battalion
--------------------------------------------------
Wilson Christopher H C
Mr. Daniel A. Frost (MPX...@prodigy.com) wrote:
: Tywitt wrote on 16 Aug 1997 08:42:29 GMT:
:
: > I paint all my BattleTech miniatures with Revell Enamel
: > paints (I don't know if they're available in the US), and
: > I think about using acrylic paints instead. What are the
: > differences in painting techniques? Do acrylic paints have
: > any major advantages, or is it just that they are water-based,
: > which makes them easier (cheaper) to thin?
: I use a mix. Acyrlic is cheaper and easier to work with, but Enamel
: has a wider selection, especially for "odd" / unusual colars, like
: metallic light green, etc...
You can make any metalic colour you want with acrylic very
easily so long as you have a metallic silver, the colour you
want and some black to darken things up if nessisary. It's
also _much_ easier to make the right coloured wash out of
acrylic (just add black and water).
-Greebs
Crosus the Damned
With the enamels I can usually get some deep glazed paint jobs,
and it is a bit more durable.
But, they're a bit harder to drybrush and damned near impossible
to use as a wash, and to mix into a new color.
Acrylics, while easier to drybrush/wash with, just don't look right to me.
And the ones I've used smell a bit like house-paint (partha paints).
Tywitt (tyw...@aol.com) wrote:
: Hello!
: I paint all my BattleTech miniatures with Revell Enamel paints (I don't
: know if they're available in the US), and I think about using acrylic
: paints instead. What are the differences in painting techniques? Do acrylic
: paints have any major advantages, or is it just that they are water-based,
: which makes them easier (cheaper) to thin?
: Bye, Toby!
Thorn
Tywitt wrote:
>
> Hello!
>
> I paint all my BattleTech miniatures with Revell Enamel paints (I don't
> know if they're available in the US), and I think about using acrylic
> paints instead. What are the differences in painting techniques? Do acrylic
> paints have any major advantages, or is it just that they are water-based,
> which makes them easier (cheaper) to thin?
>
> Bye, Toby!
The water based acrylics, I use Pactra and some Citadel, are much
runnier and so fill details better. Its also easier to aviod over
painting, like hiding all the details on a battlemaster. As the paint is
much thinner than enamel.
Enamels are thicker, I use Testor model paint as my enamel. I have
found thta this paint is more durable, and a better solution for
coverage. Its easer to apply a basecoat of enamel, wash and drybrush
with acryclcs, to get the best solution.
-Dynalon
stoic
tyw...@aol.com (Tywitt) wrote:
>Hello!
>
>I paint all my BattleTech miniatures with Revell Enamel paints (I don't
>know if they're available in the US), and I think about using acrylic
>paints instead. What are the differences in painting techniques? Do acrylic
>paints have any major advantages, or is it just that they are water-based,
>which makes them easier (cheaper) to thin?
>
>Bye, Toby!
Enamel is more durable.
Acrylic: no fumes, easy cleanup, cheaper, easier to remove bad paint
jobs and start over ;-)
I started with enamel and then switched to acrylic. I'll never use
enamel again.
====================================================
If it weren't for mindless and uninformed opinions,
most people wouldn't have opinions. IMO, of course.
;-)
Squatch
Thorn wrote:
> Tywitt wrote:
> >
> > Hello!
> >
> > I paint all my BattleTech miniatures with Revell Enamel paints (I
> don't
> > know if they're available in the US), and I think about using
> acrylic
> > paints instead. What are the differences in painting techniques? Do
> acrylic
> > paints have any major advantages, or is it just that they are
> water-based,
> > which makes them easier (cheaper) to thin?
> >
> > Bye, Toby!
>
> The water based acrylics, I use Pactra and some Citadel, are much
> runnier and so fill details better. Its also easier to aviod over
> painting, like hiding all the details on a battlemaster. As the paint
> is
> much thinner than enamel.
>
> Enamels are thicker, I use Testor model paint as my enamel. I have
> found thta this paint is more durable, and a better solution for
> coverage. Its easer to apply a basecoat of enamel, wash and drybrush
> with acryclcs, to get the best solution.
>
> -Dynalon
i use enamel for basecoats and acrylics for detail work. with the
enamel down, if i goof up one of the smaller details, all i have to do
is wipe the acrylic off with some windex and a q-tip. it doesn't wreck
the finish, and it sure as hell beats painting over the mistakes. i
like acrylics for drybrushing as well, but i use enamel for washes. as
for fumes...i start to like them after a while.
--
Squatch
"If someone with multiple personalities
threatens to kill himself, is it
considered a hostage situation?"
to email me, remove the asterisk from my address
J. Ash
Tywitt wrote:
> Hello!
>
> I paint all my BattleTech miniatures with Revell Enamel paints (I
> don't
> know if they're available in the US), and I think about using acrylic
> paints instead. What are the differences in painting techniques? Do
> acrylic
> paints have any major advantages, or is it just that they are
> water-based,
> which makes them easier (cheaper) to thin?
>
> Bye, Toby!
I use both...
Enamels are great for getting ready-made military colors (I use Testors
Model Masters), but if you want to either airbrush, or weather, they're
a pain to use. Acrylics are great for airbrushing, just thin with
water, but generally, they seem to be available mostly in primary
colors, and railroad colors (out here at least).
Overall, at least for doing the general painting, acrylics are easiest,
while enamels are better for doing detail work.
--
Jason A.
> Neo Taoist Techno Pagan
> I worship the Holy Motherboard
Rebecca Ward
On Sun, 17 Aug 1997 12:29:25 -0500, Squatch
<Squatch*@ix.netcom.com> inscribed these word:
>i use enamel for basecoats and acrylics for detail work. with the
>enamel down, if i goof up one of the smaller details, all i have to do
>is wipe the acrylic off with some windex and a q-tip. it doesn't wreck
>the finish, and it sure as hell beats painting over the mistakes. i
>like acrylics for drybrushing as well, but i use enamel for washes. as
>for fumes...i start to like them after a while.
>
I almost exclusively use enamel. I find the thickness to be a
plus, as the acrylics sometimes wander from where I intend them
to be. I do use the acrylic for washes, though.
Rebecca
Brian Nolen
Wilson Christopher H C <3c...@qlink.queensu.ca> wrote in article
<5t4p1a$6...@knot.queensu.ca>...
As much as I like acrylics, I have to admit that for metalic colors,
enamels have them beat six ways to Sunday. But even that is not very long
lasting. Though enamel metallics start out looking far better, but seem to
tarnish in a short length of time, the gold in particular. Acrylics don't
tarnish, but they don't look quite as good either.
In the event of someone wanting say, a metalic candy apple green Awesome,
by all means go with enamels. But try to avoid metalflake colors. The
flakes are the same size as those on some lowrider down the street,
they'll look really out of scale on a three inch tall mini.
Some of the colors you can come up mixing up your own acrylic metallics can
be absolutely fabulous. But most often are better suited for the garments
of fantasy minis. Or perhaps some pinball mech from the Solaris VII
arenas...
Brian Nolen
Brian Nolen
Tywitt <tyw...@aol.com> wrote in article
<19970816084...@ladder02.news.aol.com>...
> Hello!
>
> I paint all my BattleTech miniatures with Revell Enamel paints (I don't
> know if they're available in the US), and I think about using acrylic
> paints instead. What are the differences in painting techniques? Do
acrylic
> paints have any major advantages, or is it just that they are
water-based,
> which makes them easier (cheaper) to thin?
>
> Bye, Toby!
>
I think that most of this has been covered by the time that I read this,
and post a reply. But here goes my take on it. The acrylics are a bit
gentler on your brushes, but if you ever let them dry in the bristles, toss
it away. You can reconstitute enamles from bristles with long soaking in
paint thinner. I like the flow of acrylics, but others complain about it.
It can give some incredible wash effects, but it is harder to find good
military coulors.
The acrylics can be made more durable forhandling with coatings of clear,
either matte or semigloss. A bit of gloss on the canopies, and viola`.
Most of the straightforward painting techniques you use with enamles work
with acrylics, just don't try to mix the two for a custom color! It don't
work, I know this the hard way.
With training from my art classes, I was tought that you should not paint
with acrylics over petroleum based paints, or oil based. Well, with the
enamlels, let it dry completly before fiddling with acrylic over it. Oils
really hurt the ability of the acrylics to bond to the surface of a mini.
So good cleaning of the surface is important too.
Personaly I used to prime my minis with artist gesso. I had a lot of it
lying around, and saw no reason to discard it. But that is long gone to
evaporation now. I've been using Polly S red primer as a base coat, and
painting over it. White undercoatings will make the colors appear truer,
but darker undercoatings can impart a nice effect. Experement, see what
works best and what you like.
Just practice on some junk minis you might have around for a little first
before you tackle the project you think about entering in the con...
Brian Nolen
Leigh "Mad Dog" Brunk
BotWarrior wrote in article
<19970828192...@ladder01.news.aol.com>...
>>In the event of someone wanting say, a metalic candy apple green Awesome,
>>by all means go with enamels.
>
>what are the odds of that happening just outta curiousity :)
I dunno... Hey, what's the Bounty Hunter piloting these days? Does he still
have Natasha Kerensky's MAD-3R Marauder? If not, he might be in the market
for a metallic candy apple green Awesome... =)
As far as paints, I swear by acrylics for all game miniatures. I've had
quite lousy luck with enamels and I hate the mess they make. If you need
more colours, check out Polly Scale or Testors Model Master acrylics- both
are quite excellent lines and have at least a hundred hues available. One
acrylic trick I am especially fond of using is Polly Scale's brush-on gloss
acrylic clearcoat- it makes dandy glass effects when applied over your
favourite cockpit colour!
Leigh "Mad Dog" Brunk
CoMmie, MoBster, and lately, a Southie Gear-head.
ba...@kdsi.net
Brian Nolen
BotWarrior <botwa...@aol.com> wrote in article
<19970828192...@ladder01.news.aol.com>...
> >In the event of someone wanting say, a metalic candy apple green
Awesome,
> >by all means go with enamels.
>
> what are the odds of that happening just outta curiousity :)
>
How the deuce would I know. Not even I'm that insane...
Brian
<now also Spandau occasionaly on MPBT, CiS,Delphi,EL,GS,etc host>
--
Brian Nolen
SpandauFT<Flying Tigers- AOL, INN>
Spandau (AWII host)
BNol...@aol.com
bri...@cyberlynk.com
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