Acrylic or enamel paints for minis??

[garhkal]

So when you get minis, which is your favored paint type? What tricks do you use, to clean the brushes after use?
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Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[Ziz]

Let me chime in as a model builder.

First off, give the figures a gentle wash with dish detergent and an old toothbrush. I say "gentle" because you don't want to break off things like lightsabers or other weapon tip protrusions. Pat them dry with a paper towel, then let them air dry for a day or so.

Next, spray paint them a flat white or light grey primer coat. That will give you a more uniform color base rather than the raw metal. Go easy on it though as you don't want the primer to fill in details. Mist it on in several passes, about 6-12 inches away, and NEVER start on the subject - start off to one side and pass by it, then stop when you're off the subject on the other side. The initial blast of paint tends to make pools and drips.

Now that the color is more uniform, it's easier to see where sculpting blemishes, flash and mold lines are. Flash is those flat bits where the mold halves weren't super tight. This is the time to go in with files and a hobby knife to clean up those trouble spots. Give them another shot of primer when you're done.

For painting, enamels will give you a tougher finish but acrylics are easier to work with. Enamels need paint thinner to clean up, acrylics are water-based. If you're not the artistic type, go with acrylics. If you've worked with enamels before, you might want to thin them a touch to make them flow easier on pieces this small. Try a few different thinness mixtures until you find something thinner than the straight paint but not watery - you're looking for something the consistency of milk or coffee creamer. Lighter colors might take two or three coats to get consistent coverage.

Get yourself a good set of fine point brushes and have at it. And if you feel like you screwed up and want to start over, oven cleaner spray is a great paint stripper. Spray some in a plastic food container or soda cup, throw the figures in for 15-30 minutes, then go back to the initial cleaning process and start over.

Final step is to hit them with some kind of clear coat to protect them from the constant handling running your game and moving them in and out of storage between sessions. Flat is typical, but semi-gloss works better as it will reflect a bit of light at the right angle.

[TauntaunScout]

Acrylic. One in a blue moon I bust out some enamels for very specific uses but it's basically all acrylic all the time, round here.

[garhkal]

Just asking, as i still have lots of my modeling enamel paints, from the days i made 1:35 WW2 tanks and such..
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Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[Ziz]

The main thing to keep in mind with enamels is the cleanup with paint thinner. You need to plan your painting sessions to give yourself the extra few minutes to clean up. Acrylics cleaning up with water is much faster and more forgiving if you forget to clean up right away.

[garhkal]

I know, from the days of painting 3 separate panthers, 3 shermans, and a pair of Pac-88's! MAN those were the days.
_________________
Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[TauntaunScout]

[garhkal]

And you don't need to worry about laquiring them over...
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Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[Dr. Bidlo]

I used enamel paint when doing dinosaur models when I was in Kindergaeten... when I learned about acrylic, I really learned how to paint. Enamel = messy, toxic, glossy, lacking fine detail. Acrylic = quick drying, easy to use, easy to clean, infinitely more adaptable. When you are finished painting in acrylic, just give is a good matte lacquer coat for protection. Just my bias.

[TauntaunScout]

[Dr. Bidlo]

[Ziz]

Again, speaking as a modeler, it's not a matter of one being absolutely better than the other - each has their ups and downs.

Metal minis aside, I've also found that certain paints work better on different materials. Enamels are better for plastic while acrylics are better on vinyl or resin. There's also a lot more available in enamel spray paints than acrylic ones.

[garhkal]

Which is why i have lots OF enamels.. Mostly Tamiya paints..
_________________
Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[Ziz]

Tamiya is acrylic. Testors is enamel.

[fogger1138]