Paint Types

various-paint-types

So many paint choices??????

Before you begin painting you must first decide on a type, and perhaps brand, of paint. Your choices include enamel spray cans, lacquer spray cans, enamel for airbrushes, lacquer for airbrushes, [water based] acrylics for airbrushes, urethanes for airbrushes, and hybrid finishes like fingernail polish! And as if those choices weren’t enough, you may also choose to have certain parts, or entire bodies, “plated.” Chrome and gold plating being the most popular options.

Did you know? — Enamel can be sprayed over lacquer, but lacquer can not be sprayed over enamel. The finish of the enamel is too slick to allow the lacquer to bond to it.

As previously mentioned in the Brush versus Can section, choosing a type of paint will depend somewhat on your equipment. If you do not have an airbrush, for example, then your choices are reduced drastically. The sections below and on the Tool Bar, will further explain the “big 3” types of paints, and how to apply them. Generally, lacquer is the easiest type of paint to apply with an airbrush. It goes on thin, dries fast, and is virtually fool-proof. Of the canned paints, enamels are usually your best choice. Model Master and Testors assure that you’ll have ample selection to choose from.

We have included section on this site about Enamels, Lacquers, Acrylics and even Nail Polish paint types.   There is even a small section on Wet Sanding for after you have completed painting.

Listed below are several [printable] paint chart codes from various manufacturers.


Various Paint Chart Codes

This is a great auto color resource to match true 1:1 colors for your creations:    Auto Color Library

This is a great resource for Scale Model colors used on 1:1 cars:  Scale Auto Kingdom Color Catalog 

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