LGG – Painting

Decanting is the process of removing paint from a spray can so that you can use it in an airbrush (or possibly with one of those old fashioned regular brushes I’ve been hearing about). Depending on the manufacturer the colour of paint you have in a spray can may not be available in other forms. Or you’re looking to get a thinner, more precise paint job than a spray can can usually offer. That’s where decanting comes into play. It can be a bit messy, but if you follow some simple steps, you’ll be off and running in no time. read more

Painting your kit with camouflage patterns is one of those weird things that’s not quite for beginners but is incredibly easy and satisfying to do. Getting camo to come out just right needs only a bit of extra materials and some patience,

Before you begin to contemplate camo designs, you should at least be comfortable painting your kits with an airbrush. While it’s possible to hand paint or use spray cans, there are some issues that arise. Spray cans typically leave a thicker coat of paint than airbrushes. Normally this isn’t a problem over entire parts where, after assembly, you can’t tell where the paint begins and ends. Camo typically involves masking hard edges of overlapping colours and these edges can become unsightly with thick paint coats. While I’ve never tried hand painting when camo has been masked out, I would be concerned with the potential for moisture to seep into the edges. read more

I wanted to take a minute to write about priming as it’s something a lot of modelers do before painting a kit. Though generally a good idea, it’s not always needed.

You should use primer when……

• You have a rough or uneven surface – Primer does a good job of evening out surfaces. If you have a kit that has heavy sanding marks, paint may not do a good enough job leveling them out. Typically, you should work the pieces with a lighter grain of sandpaper  before priming. If the surface has pot marks or other defects, priming can help identify them prior to paint and provide a good working surface for sanding and filling. If this is your main concern, consider using something from Mr. Surfacer.
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• You’re going to a lighter colour than the surface plastic – This is the most common reason for priming. Any time you want to go to a lighter colour, the plastic should prime before hand to provide a lighter andThis is especially important for vibrant and bright colours. The look of many paints will be dependent on the tone below and bright colours will pop considerably more if the underlying colour is also bright. Darker colours won’t be impacted nearly as much and subsequent coats will help close the gap.Here are some examples of how basic colours look depending on the base coat below them. If I’m painting a like colour to the plastic underneath, I generally don’t prime as the effect is generally negligible.

• You’re going to paint on a multi-toned/coloured surface – As paints will often appear differently depending the surface colour they’re applied on top of, having a base surface with different colours can result in tone differences amongst pieces. Sometimes this is results in a desired effect (i.e. pre-shading) but when unintended it can make a kit look awkward.
• Your paint has difficulty adhering to the plastic – Paints will sometimes have difficulty adhering to plastic. A good coat of primer creates a nice consistent coat for paint to stick to. Most modern kits don’t have this issue and many older ones just need a wash before painting. Resin, on the other hand, needs both a wash and prime for best results.

Note that covering with white primer is going to be time consuming and require a lot of a lot of coats. Whether it’s the lightness of the white, or a thinner mix that’s used, you’re going to spend more time applying coats than simply going with a darker colour. Because of this, it’s important to make sure all your pieces are coated to the same extent. If not, you may assemble and find that two concurrent pieces, having not received the same coats, feature different tones. It’s also worth noting that in my experience, shades of red are generally the hardest colour to completely white out. read more

Discussing paint types is perhaps the most difficult thing I’ve done on this guide. Frankly, I have a limited experience when it comes to working with different types of paint. When I find something that works for me I tend to stick with it rather than risk messing up a kit or investing in paint I’ll never use. While my experiences generally match those of professional modelers I’ve found that those professional experiences at times conflict with each other. All I can do is offer what I believe to be the best, most useful information for a general builder. read more

As I mentioned over here, I’ve started to test all of my paints on cheap plastic spoons to get the feel for a colour before applying it to a kit. Instead of just hogging them for myself, I’ve decided to share them here. Granted, there’s no better experience then testing out the colours yourself. The true colour of the paints will vary from the photos due to fluctuating camera settings and even the setup of your own monitor.

Note – The shade of these colors may change based on usage, especially the underlying base coat. All of these paint samples done straight on top of white plastic spoons. Unless otherwise stated there no primer or topcoat has been used. You can read more on how primer effects paint colours here. read more

I’d just like to speak briefly about an easy and cost effective way to test your paints.

Traditionally, I would test my paint by spraying some on an unused action base, paper, or leftover runner. Since then, I’ve found that a better way to go about it is to test on some disposable white plastic spoons.

One can usually find 100 count packs of these disposable utensils at the local grocer for less than $5. They provide a nice consistent colour and surface to test upon. (Note – Make sure your spoon’s surface is clean before painting, sometimes there’s dust and other material floating around in the shipping container) If you’re interested in establishing a collection, you can write the paint’s information on the stem for later reference.  You can pull them out at a later date to compare and contrast paints you’ve already tested when planning a colour scheme. read more

Hand painting is the traditional method of detailing up a kit. While it takes considerable patience, one can achieve the same great look as though the work was done with an air brush. It’s also the best way to touch up and detail kits. The Devil is in the details, or so they say.

Brushes

There are many different types of brushes out there, with many different bristle types. While they play an important part in conventional painting, I have yet to experience an issues when working on Gunpla. Instead, look for a size and hardness that suits your need. For small, detail work, a thin stiff head would be most appropriate. If you’re working on a larger area a wider, little softer brush, would probably suit your needs. Brushes can get fairly expensive, especially when purchased individually. Luckily many craft stores sell reasonably priced bundles with various shapes and sizes. With proper care a brush will last you a long time. read more

Before you start to paint, whether by hand or airbrush, it’s important to prepare your workspace before hand. Proper prep will help keep your space clean as the project proceeds and help facilitate cleanup when it’s all said and done.

Reusable & Washable Drop Cloth

I recommend getting some sort of reusable drop cloth to use while painting. I picked up a fairly large one from a home improvement store for a lot less than I would have thought. It’s protected my floors against unexpected paint drops and particulates (see below). The best part is that it’s washable, making it a lot easier to clean up than my carpet (which already has enough paint on it). read more

Masking is a very important step when it comes to detailed painting. Once you venture from painting whole pieces, you will find that great detail can come from treating different parts of the same piece differently. To do so, you’ll need to mask the pieces to avoid getting paint on the rest of the piece. While primarily used when applying paint via a can or airbrush, it can be used during hand painting to ensure a straight line.

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Tamiya v. Off the Shelf

When masking pieces, I highly recommend getting a hold of some Tamiya brand masking tape (the yellow roll in the above photo). While your average beige brand is effective in stopping paint I’ve had many issues with paint seeping in along the edges. As a result, I do all of my edges with Tamiya and cover the rest with the generic stuff (blue painters tape or otherwise). read more