1mil first timer questions...(base color)

[TheScratcher]

Hello everyone,

over the past weeks I have watched many tutorials and complete build videos but still have many uncertainties.
It would be great if you would kindly enlighten me on some.

I can not afford an airbrush to paint the whole model uniformly in a thin coat but what other options do I have and how do I best do it?

Model: Metal Gear Rex 1/100 from Kotobukiya

If I want chip damage to show, I must prime the model (there are primer spray cans so thats nice), then use (for example) hairspray, then
paint the whole model with whatever color I want in Acrylic (is that right?)
But there are aparently no spray bottles for a LIGHT acrylic coat and I am afraid to just brush the paint on too thick, with strokes.

Apparently you also have to paint over the whole (primed and hairsprayed) model with pure acrylic paint, not watered down. (Is that right?)
Would that not be way too thick? Especially when your model has tons of moving parts and posability. paint it too thick and you cant move a thing
anymore. that a big fear. and of course, not getting a uniform coat of paint without strokes.

So these are my biggest problems (in short):
How do I acchieve chip damage (for which you need 2 different coats of color and hairspray) without an airbrush?

Oh and can someone please explain to me how that even works?
Yes the new color reacts with the hairspray, getting chipped, but why doesnt the first base color stay where it is?
If the base color too, is acrylic, would it not dissolve in water too?
or do the people use an enamel base color (primer) then hairspray and then acrylic (then use water to chip the acrylic, which has no effect on enamel) ?

 

[Jakko]

I can not afford an airbrush to paint the whole model uniformly in a thin coat but what other options do I have and how do I best do it?

Either a spraying can, or a brush. Sure, brush-painting puts on a thicker coat of paint, but that doesn’t need to be the major crime that some people might make it out to be.

If I want chip damage to show, I must prime the model (there are primer spray cans so thats nice), then use (for example) hairspray, then
paint the whole model with whatever color I want in Acrylic (is that right?)

Not quite There is nothing you must do — it’s your model, and nothing you do with or to it is wrong as such.

What’s more, there are many roads that lead to Rome. Some people use the so-called “hairspray technique” for adding paint chips, others paint them on with a fine brush, yet others have a different method still.

How do I acchieve chip damage (for which you need 2 different coats of color and hairspray) without an airbrush?

Use a fine brush to paint the chips on

Also, and this is a more generic advice, don’t overdo it. A large number of models have so much chipping applied that they become almost a parody of the real thing, if you ask me.

 

[TheScratcher]

Thank you very much for your reply.
If you would allow, I would love to answer.

Either a spraying can, or a brush. Sure, brush-painting puts on a thicker coat of paint, but that doesn’t need to be the major crime that some people might make it out to be.

This would indeed be no problem if we would talk about - for example - an airplane.
My problem is that my model is extremely articulate.
This posablitly is thanks to its very tight links, that would gunk up by a thick coat of paint. (this is what I am very much afraid of)
For you to get a better picture: It is the "Metal Gear rex 1/100"

Not quite There is nothing you must do — it’s your model, and nothing you do with or to it is wrong as such.

What’s more, there are many roads that lead to Rome. Some people use the so-called “hairspray technique” for adding paint chips, others paint them on with a fine brush, yet others have a different method still.

Of course you are right but I would love to do the hairspray effect
Because you can actually see the different layers that way but when you basically paint chips ON your base color, you can see that the color is on TOP of the base color,
when in fact it should give the illusion of color underneath showing through.
Thats why I would love to do the hairspray.

Oh I actually have another problem with that though.....
Attached is an image of Camo work I would like to replicate, but by trying this the spray technique wouldnt work anymore.
You can only do the spray technique before the color is cured right? but what If I want to color on top of that color in a way that needs masking tape?
Easy example, the red lines on wings of airplanes. they have sharp edges so you better use masking tape but you probably destroy the color underneath the tape if its not fully cured yet.
But if its cured, the chipping doesnt work anymore.....

 

[Jakko]

My problem is that my model is extremely articulate.
This posablitly is thanks to its very tight links, that would gunk up by a thick coat of paint. (this is what I am very much afraid of)

And I take it that you want to keep it movable? In that case, spraying cans are probably your best option. You won’t be able to do fine camouflage, but it will work fine for things like hard edges, if you mask off the bits that shouldn’t be painted.

Of course you are right but I would love to do the hairspray effect
Because you can actually see the different layers that way but when you basically paint chips ON your base color, you can see that the color is on TOP of the base color,
when in fact it should give the illusion of color underneath showing through.

If it’s what you want to do, then go for it I do think you’re probably over-estimating how well you can tell that paint chips are painted on top of the base colour, though. My experience is that this is very hard, if not impossible, to tell because of how thin paint actually is, and how small the chips are that you would be applying to the model.

Oh I actually have another problem with that though.....
Attached is an image of Camo work I would like to replicate, but by trying this the spray technique wouldnt work anymore.
You can only do the spray technique before the color is cured right?

How do you mean? If you will apply paint over other paint, it’s generally a good idea to wait for the first coat to dry — unless you really intend to do wet-on-wet painting, of course, but that’s generally only for things like figure painting with oils or enamels.

For your camo, I would probably spray the base (lightest) colour, and then it’s dry, mask off the parts that need to remain that way, then spray the next colour, and so on. I don’t know if this would affect the hairspray technique, as I’ve never used it myself, though.

 

[boatman]

Exsuse me but what model are you building ?
chris

 

[TheScratcher]

Exsuse me but what model are you building ?
chris

Hi Chris It is the Metal Gear Rex 1/100 from Kotobukiya

 

[TheScratcher]

For your camo, I would probably spray the base (lightest) colour, and then it’s dry, mask off the parts that need to remain that way, then spray the next colour, and so on. I don’t know if this would affect the hairspray technique, as I’ve never used it myself, though.

You know what?....forget about hairspray, Ill work on paint chipping on another unimportant model and just apply chips as you and many others do too....
Specifically because of the camo, this is the smartest option because hairspray really only works when the top paint is not cured yet.
I really like the look of the hairspray effect but you know....since it is a chemical reaction it will always look exactly the same, no matter who does it.
When I paint on chips, at least it has originality

 

[boatman]

Hi Chris It is the Metal Gear Rex 1/100 from Kotobukiya

HI Daniel sorry you'll have to exscuse me but im still none the wiser any chance of a picture ?
chris

 

[TheScratcher]

HI Daniel sorry you'll have to exscuse me but im still none the wiser any chance of a picture ?
chris

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/i/202248697547-0-1/s-l1000.jpg

 

[boatman]

Thanks Daniel for putting me in the picture I see now what you mean about movin parts an paints
chris

 

[Ian M]

The hair spray trick is pretty random. The Acrylic paint while dry but not hard allows water to pass through. That weakens the grip of the hairspray. You an then brush it to remove a large area or poke at it with a cocktail stick or some other soft thing. That removes the top paint and leaves the underlaying coat.
I have noticed that if you decant the hairspray and brush it on you get a much better effect. Salt is another good one, but again better with spraying as the salt gets brushed off when you paint it with a brush!

 

[Jakko]

You know what?....forget about hairspray, Ill work on paint chipping on another unimportant model and just apply chips as you and many others do too....

I’d say your best option is to try it out on an unimportant model first, or just on a piece of plastic sheet or other scrap material. If it works, you can use it on the “real” model; if not, you can look for a different technique.

 

[stillp]

Ysince it is a chemical reaction it will always look exactly the same, no matter who does it.

No it isn't, it's just mechanical removal of the top layer of paint. The hairspray (or expensive chipping fluid) just allows the top layer of paint to be scratched off without affecting the lower layer.

Pete