Brush painting with enamels

[BattleshipBob]

Yes it's question time

Will be using colour coats enamels on KGV, via airbrush

But some areas will have to be brush painting painted, can anybody advise? I have the colour coat enamels thinner.

Ta Bob the pain!

 

[Ian M]

Colour coats brush very well. Also the finish is exactly the same as if sprayed.
Very handy for touch up work.
I use white spirit with no noticeable difference in the finish.

 

[Jim R]

Hi Bob
I've not used colour coats enamels but find Humbrol enamel brushes nicely when thinned with their own thinner. A bit smelly though
Jim

 

[BattleshipBob]

Colour coats brush very well. Also the finish is exactly the same as if sprayed.
Very handy for touch up work.
I use white spirit with no noticeable difference in the finish.

Many thanks Ian, despite trying ideas from the Web, Mr color does not brush too well.

Do you need much thinner, and I suppose clean brush with same thinner??

 

[BattleshipBob]

Hi Bob
I've not used colour coats enamels but find Humbrol enamel brushes nicely when thinned with their own thinner. A bit smelly though
Jim

Cheers Jim, appreciated

Colour coats have good videos on YouTube about spraying enamels but nothing on brushing!

 

[Tim Marlow]

Many thanks Ian, despite trying ideas from the Web, Mr color does not brush too well.

Do you need much thinner, and I suppose clean brush with same thinner??

I brush painted with enamels for years until I could afford an airbrush. Usual advice Bob, dilute it until it runs nicely off the brush…..I would dilute it in a separate container though. Mix the enamels well, take some out and dilute it for brush painting. if it’s too thin, add more paint. If it’s too thick, add more thinner.

Once you have a mix you like close the enamel tin to stop thinners evaporation from the bulk. I’ve always treated my enamels like this and have some that are still as good as new after about fifty years. One thing though, enamels need to dry overnight between coats. They are very easy to “reactivate “ with more thinners even when dry.

Rinse your brushes with white spirit, it’s much cheaper than own brand thinners. After they have the colour removed, wash the brushes with dish soap to get rid of the white spirit. Rinse under running water.

 

[BattleshipBob]

I brush painted with enamels for years until I could afford an airbrush. Usual advice Bob, dilute it until it runs nicely off the brush…..I would dilute it in a separate container though. Mix the enamels well, take some out and dilute it for brush painting. if it’s too thin, add more paint. If it’s too thick, add more thinner.

Once you have a mix you like close the enamel tin to stop thinners evaporation from the bulk. I’ve always treated my enamels like this and have some that are still as good as new after about fifty years. One thing though, enamels need to dry overnight between coats. They are very easy to “reactivate “ with more thinners even when dry.

Rinse your brushes with white spirit, it’s much cheaper than own brand thinners. After they have the colour removed, wash the brushes with dish soap to get rid of the white spirit. Rinse under running water.

Excellent thanks Tim, cracking advice again!!

Not sure whether to use enamels for the lot or stick to Mr color and use enamels for brushing the difficult to do, decks, bridges etc. Or possibly use acrylics for brushing. My brain is beginning to hurt lol

Thanks all, appreciated Bob

 

[Tim Marlow]

Excellent thanks Tim, cracking advice again!!

Not sure whether to use enamels for the lot or stick to Mr color and use enamels for brushing the difficult to do, decks, bridges etc. Or possibly use acrylics for brushing. My brain is beginning to hurt lol

Thanks all, appreciated Bob

Me, I’d go with spraying the big areas and hand painting the smaller ones, but it depends what colours you have….
You can easily mix acrylic and enamels, by the way, as long as they are dry before you overpaint them…

 

[BattleshipBob]

Me, I’d go with spraying the big areas and hand painting the smaller ones, but it depends what colours you have….
You can easily mix acrylic and enamels, by the way, as long as they are dry before you overpaint them…

Hi Tim

Really like using Mr color but will use 100% enamels on KGV. Colour coats have a excellent range of paints. The YouTube video by colour coats are very helpful as to spraying the stuff

 

[Tim Marlow]

One area enamels really outdo acrylics is in drybrushing, by the way Bob. They are excellent for bringing out edges and textures that way….

 

[BattleshipBob]

One area enamels really outdo acrylics is in drybrushing, by the way Bob. They are excellent for bringing out edges and textures that way….

Learning a lot tonight!!! Ta very much Tim

 

[JR]

Learning a lot tonight!!! Ta very much Tim

Your not the only one Bob, interesting thread mate .

 

[Tworrs]

As has already been said, a real learning experience.
Thank you.

 

[Bobby Conkers]

Rinse your brushes with white spirit, it’s much cheaper than own brand thinners. After they have the colour removed, wash the brushes with dish soap to get rid of the white spirit. Rinse under running water.

This last bit is a reet champion must-do. I'd happily white spirit my enamel brushes and let them drip-dry, then wonder what the hell was going on with my second coat!

 

[christos_swc]

Sorry to hijack but I brush paint Revell enamels coming back to the "sport" after many years.
Initially I used clean acetone I had sitting around for thinning but it dried out too quickly,
So I went to the modeling shop and they said they didn't sell Revell thinner any more as it was too expensive so they sold me I guess some sort of commercial White Spirit.
It kinda works but can't help but wonder if buying a purpose-formulated thinner would work significantly better?
I am not happy so far with what I've got out of my enamel paints vs acrylics and I feel I am not doing them justice.
If it's worth it I would happily buy something more expensive because it should kinda last forever, after all I'd never use it for cleaning my brushes when cheap acetone gets it done just fine.

 

[Tim Marlow]

I used to use this stuff Christos…mostly for humbrols, precision and cherry enamels during my railway days. I never really liked Revell paints, they were a bit thick to me.

PQ9 Quick Air Drying Thinners

Quick Air Drying Thinners (for Spraying Precision and Cherry enamels)

www.phoenix-paints.co.uk

Not sure how easy it is to get in your neck of the woods though? Failing that, Humbrol enamel thinners should work, but it is quite smelly…

 

[stillp]

When I used to use enamels I found that lighter fuel, the liquid kind, was a good thinner. A bit faster drying than white spirit.
Pete

 

[Tim Marlow]

When I used to use enamels I found that lighter fuel, the liquid kind, was a good thinner. A bit faster drying than white spirit.
Pete

I used to spray enamel with it. It sprays superbly…..However….I then realised I was making a potential fuel air bomb so stopped….not to be recommended for spraying

 

[stillp]

I used to spray enamel with it. It sprays superbly…..However….I then realised I was making a potential fuel air bomb so stopped….not to be recommended for spraying

SSSHH, JR might be listening!
Pete

 

[rtfoe]

Enamels are great for PE railing and are not easy to chip off. I used to use enamels to paint brush base paints on figures and still dry brush armour with it. I have since switched to acrylics for figures.

Cheers,
Richard