The Energon Pub

Started working on this at the same time I started repainting FoC Vortex to get some practice.

Used a Matt White paint that felt a bit "rough" to work with (wishing I got a Gloss White instead) and might get some more paint and give it another coat. Will have to clean it up a bit as well at some point.




Any feedback is appreciated

If I may ask, what brand and type of paint did you use?

AFAIK, Tamiya paints are formulated for use with airbrushes. It takes a very experienced modeler to get a smooth coat of paint using a paint brush using this brand.

Also, white is usually one of the toughest colors to paint.

I recommend a few light coats instead of on heavy coat, if you want a smoother coat of paint--this applies to both airbrushing/spraying and hand painting in general.

BTW, masking does nothing for the paint job if you're painting with a brush. In fact, the capillary effect will actually suck paint under the tape. You're better off touching up the edges free-hand with a fine brush.

There's a trick to smoothing out the paint job after it dries (but not after curing, of course). Apply a THIN coat of thinner (acrylic, enamel or lacquer thinner, depending on what paint you used) on the surface and let it dissolve the paint a bit, and just let it dry again. Once the paint returns to liquid form, the brushstrokes will melt away, and you're left with a smoother coat of paint.

I tried that on an Armored Core kit once, and it works to a certain degree.

DISCLAIMER (so you won;t come hunting after me with a shotgun if something bad happens ): Be VERY CAREFUL when using this technique ESPECIALLY WITH LACQUER THINNER, as too much thinner will damage the plastic itself!

Apply as little of it as possible and see how it goes first.

Hope this helps.

SKYWARPED_128 wrote:If I may ask, what brand and type of paint did you use?

The brand I used is Humbrol.

SKYWARPED_128 wrote:DISCLAIMER (so you won;t come hunting after me with a shotgun if something bad happens ): Be VERY CAREFUL when using this technique ESPECIALLY WITH LACQUER THINNER, as too much thinner will damage the plastic itself!

Apply as little of it as possible and see how it goes first.

You're safe Fantastic advice will never get that kind of response from me

SKYWARPED_128 wrote:Hope this helps.

It is a great help. When I next get the chance to do some painting I'll now be trying a few new things! Thanks for the tips.

Arctorro wrote:The brand I used is Humbrol.

I've never used Humbrol before, but I've heard that it can be hand-painted...at least better than you can with Tamiya. Thinning it should allow for a smoother coat of paint. Or, you could try adding retarder to the paint to slow down the drying process, giving the paint time to settle.

Arctorro wrote:You're safe Fantastic advice will never get that kind of response from me

Sigh, and I was looking forward to trying out my new bulletproof vest.

I've noticed their glossy paint is far more easily applied than the matt, so that is another option. Found out about paint thinners just after my last reply and will be getting some soon.

SKYWARPED_128 wrote:Sigh, and I was looking forward to trying out my new bulletproof vest.

Well, I did get Hegemon recently, bulletproof-suit up!

Arctorro wrote:Well, I did get Hegemon recently, bulletproof-suit up!

Um, against a guy armed with an evil alien robot who's fusion cannon can blast through solid rock, I think I'm gonna need more than a bulletproof vest....