There are three main types of paint – Enamel, Acrylic and Lacquer (Tamiya Spray Paints.) Remember the phase LEA when using more than one type on a model. Apply the paint in that order to avoid problems  – Lacquer then Enamel and lastly Acrylic.

 Tamiya Spray Paints

Lacquer paints such as the Tamiya Sprays are great for the following situations:

·         Covering a large area.

·         Where fine detail needs to be preserved.

·         Where a high quality finish is required.

·         Where you want a finish capable of withstanding Aero and RC modelling – for instance where the spray is resistant to petrol.

A range of Petrol resistant paints is also available in jar format – see Polycarbonate paints

But bear in mind:

·         You’ll probably need to mask parts of your model

·         The solvents in the spray are nasty, and should only be used in a well ventilated area and by mature modellers.

·         Prime your model first – otherwise the solvents may melt the plastic!

Enamel – Humbrol Tins

At one stage or another every modeller has probably have used these famous little tins. Still produced in a massive range of colours the Enamel tin is sometimes considered a little outdated compared with more models paints. Matt and Gloss are available.

However it’s good for these instances:

·         Where you want the widest possible range of colours.

·         Where the thickness is wanted for bush painting

·         They take a long time to dry so are good if you want to re-work the application.

·         They tend to ‘stick’ to defined areas unlike Acrylics which will run.

But their drawbacks are:

·         They take a long time to dry and harden.

·         They paint can thicken in the tin and need thinning.

·         You need special Thinners to clean brushes and hands.

Acrylic Paints

Tamiya acrylic paints come in a wide range of modern and military colours. They are available in Matt and Gloss finish. Their jar format makes them ideal for repeat storage and reuse.

They make the ideal solution for the following circumstances:

·         As a general paint for brush or spray work.

·         Where younger modellers wish to paint models – they are relatively harmless.

·         Quick drying

·         Brushes, airbrushes, hands and clothes can be washed clean with water (prior to the paint drying).

Their limitations are quite small, being:

·         The paint is softer than alternatives (so easier to damage)

Brushes

For speed and delicate work, brushes are the ideal tool to apply Enamel and Acrylic paints. We stock a wide range of brushes for every use. 

Click here to order Brushes

Masking & Tools

For masking large and straight areas there are a range of Tamiya masking tape rolls in various widths. For irregular shapes and surfaces Humbrol Maskol is a paint on masking solution.

Click here to order Masking Tape

To get the most from your kit we also stock the Tamiya range of modellers tools – including knives, files and cutters to remove parts from the plastic sprue.

Click here to order Glues

Click here to order Tools

Airbrushes

We can supply the Humbrol airbrush system and air canisters to allow you to spray either Enamel or Acrylic paints – gaining the quality and speed to airbrush coverage with the paints unique qualities. 

Click here to order Airbrushes