World's biggest problem! (Gunpla painting) =p

[iammario]

I'm new in painting gunplas. So far the modification i did to my gunplas is just panel lining it.

I would like to ask what type of spray paint would be best for gunplas in terms of the kind of canned spray paint or is it just one type?
Also what brand would you recommend in terms of quality and price of course.

Also I have some parts where in I dont think I can use spray paint because they are only a small part of a larger piece (like the middle part of a v fin for example that needs to be colored differently). I would also like to ask for your ideas of what type of paint to use. I tried going to a local hobby shop but they offered me different types of paint. They had lacquer, enamel and others. They also had tamiya paint, Mr. color but I have absolutely no idea what type of paint they are. They also said some paints need to be mixed with Thinner??

I'm afraid that I am lost in gunpla painting and I hope you pros could help a newbie. Thanks!

[iammario]

bump

[niel]

I suggest to try reading this thread.

Painting/Panel line tips

greattoysonline.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=gunpla&action=display&thread=5027

A lot of inputs there from pros on how to paint them... ;D

It also takes a lot of experience and trial and errors to achieve a good paint job.

Or if you have enough budget you can commision your kit to those professionals.

Just try to explore threads here first.

[redknight]

Even though we already have a thread for painting. I'll give you some pointers according to my experience.

What type of spray can?
-Tamiya or mister color spray will do if you are new in painting or you got some extra money.
-Bosny industrial color spray can will do if you are going for the cheaper type.

How to paint the middle of the V-fin?
-Simple! Use tapes. Just be sure the tape is not too sticky or you will have your V-fin chip off from paints.

What to use and type of paint?
-Never use enamel on untreated (not painted) plastic. It will weaken the plastic.
-With my experience I got my kit cracks from different parts.
-Acrylic is water base. I have talk to a guy before he told me he use water (H2O) as his thinner in handbrashing. (Nice work pare! I'm really impressed.)

When do you use enamel paints?
-I use it only for panel lining. But the kit should be painted and top coated with clear gloss first before applying enamel wash.
-Note I say enamel wash. Enamel with lighter fluid use as thinner. Milky consistency will do.

When do you use thinner mixing?
-If you got an airbrush then you need to know the mixing of color and thinner. Milky consistency again will be enough.

What do I recommend?
-Spray. Any type of spray. =) airbrush or spray paint.

[iammario]

^ THANK YOU! your answers saved my gunplas!

I thought there were TYPES of spray paints. hahaha. stupid me.

I guess i'll never use enamel since i always use gundam markers for panel lines.

again...thank you thank you thank you!!

[Gane]

Apr 13, 2010 20:07:15 GMT 8 redknight said:

What to use and type of paint?
-Never use enamel on untreated (not painted) plastic. It will weaken the plastic.
-With my experience I got my kit cracks from different parts.
-Acrylic is water base. I have talk to a guy before he told me he use water (H2O) as his thinner in handbrashing. (Nice work pare! I'm really impressed.)

When do you use enamel paints?
-I use it only for panel lining. But the kit should be painted and top coated with clear gloss first before applying enamel wash.
-Note I say enamel wash. Enamel with lighter fluid use as thinner. Milky consistency will do.

Sorry to inject my opinion...

Enamel paint in itself doesn't do the damage, it's the thinner that's causing the plastic to break down in a molecular level which will only be evident after a few years depending on the amount of thinner you've used during painting. I literally had my Gojulas Giga's (Zoids) tail break off because of this...

A milky consistency on a wash depends on how deep the panel lines are covered after the clear coating. In most cases this whould be applied in parts of the line to make it "run", a little less milky should do one touch to let it tun its course. Adding a drop of dish washing liquid will make the dried wash erasable by a dry or damp cloth without thinner.

Remember that Gundam panel lines are way too big for their scale so don't go "Dalong" on those lines because a 1/2 mm line converted will be 1/2 (.5) meter in real life which is a big enough gap for any projectile.

iammario
You'd never go wrong with acrylics but they will need special attention over enamels because they dry faster (Tamiya), and any paint will likely come off in moving parts so be aware of those areas.

If you want a more accurate color try using Gundam Color which comes in bottles or spray cans, although they are a bit pricey than your regular hobby paint.

I will not suggest Academy because even it's cheaper than Tamiya, it's a lot harder to work with when mixing colors.

Spray paints from your local hardware have large spray nozzles which means the painted surface will be thicker than those treated with hobby spray paints. And this is due to their consistency differences; because of their intended use which is industrial painting and not hobby kits.

[iammario]

guys i have a question,

i just finished spray painting (Using Bosny delata) and panel lining (Using Copic and Gundam Markers).

I recently bought a Tamiya Color Clear TS-13. After reading some threads in many forums regarding TS-13 I'm doubtful if I bought the right topcoat. some say it cracks blah blah blah

So what I worry about is that will the Panel lines (copic and gundam marker mix) "BLEED" after I apply the top coat?

Also, would there be a possibility that the Decals may "MELT"?

Would you recommend that I still use the Tamiya clear TS-13 that I bought or could you recommend other topcoats for me?

Thanks in advance. Hope you could help me on this one.