Hi all, in light of the recent release of Armorhide and earlier hardtop, i wanted to repaint them as Motormaster junior and Beachcomber respectively.  I've already seen Beachcomber done be someone in Japan, so I know it can be done beautifully. 

 

Anyways, I'll have to say that I have close to 0 experience in painting stuff.  I try to paint Gundams before but they ended in desaster.  That is exactly why I have like 10 Gundam unassembled at this point.  I dont' want to butcher them...

 

So I was wondering if someone you repaint masters can give me some pointers as to to following topics.

 

what material do you use to paint guide lines? (Ie, you need to paint the edge of a shield white, what do you use to cover the center of the shield so it doesn't get painted.

 

What is the most effective way to highlight the outline of the figure?  With Gudam maker type stuff or some other method.

 

Hand paint vs. Spray paint vs. Air brush... what's the difference.

 

With hand painting, how do you eliminate brush stroke on the paint app.?

 

For super fine detail painting, Let's say a signal light at the tail fin of a plane, are you suppose to use a brush or toothpick?

 

sorry I know it's a lot, but I want to know the solution ASAP...

 

thanks for the help

C - 310

First off, may I point you towards the Idiots Guide at the top of the page. Really full of useful tips. You also might want to check out the  Help section at transtopia as well as several articles written on transtopia for kitbashing/repainting

 

As for the specific questions you asked. I can’t answer everything, but I’ll try.

 

Q: what material do you use to paint guide lines? (Ie, you need to paint the edge of a shield white, what do you use to cover the center of the shield so it doesn't get painted.

A: Working from your example, I might simply hand paint the edge, or I’ll use masking film and/or color stop to prevent the center from being painted.

 

Q: Hand paint vs. Spray paint vs. Air brush... what's the difference.

A: With hand paint you almost always get brushstrokes, which can ruin the look of your repaint. Better to use spray paints/air brush. Both with spray paint and air brush you can avoid this and you get a more smoother finish. I myself prefer to use air brush because you can spray far thinner lines with it, assuming you get one of the more expensive sets, while with spray paint you’re limited to the large spray nuzzle on the can. I myself am not really that good (I’m still a novice myself) so I need the thinner spray of an air brush to avoid overpainting the TF.  (I also prefer it because I can get more colors for air brush that spray paint, but that’s probably the local supply, but it’s also possible to mix colors which you cannot do with spray cans.)

 

Q: With hand painting, how do you eliminate brush stroke on the paint app.?

A: Try avoiding handpainting as much as possible, because it is basically inevitable to avoid brush strokes. I myself like to use air brush paint (which is very thin paint) and a very small brush. It’s not guaranteed brushstroke free, but it’s a step closer. Also, I’ve come to understand that acrylic paint dries very fast making it very difficult to hand paint without getting brushstrokes (others will tell you to never use enamels for similar reasons).

 

Q: For super fine detail painting, Let's say a signal light at the tail fin of a plane, are you suppose to use a brush or toothpick?

A: You can use a brush: buy very thin and/or trim down with a sharp knife or scissors. Toothpick is also an option. Really depends on the situation: sometimes the brush works, sometimes it’s best to use a toothpick.

 

Hope this helps.

For painting a very thin line, I use the side opposite the blade of the tip of a #11 bade surgical scaple. I also use a scaple for most of the work on kitbashing, instead of a dremmel.

Q: what material do you use to paint guide lines? (Ie, you need to paint the edge of a shield white, what do you use to cover the center of the shield so it doesn't get painted.

A: Use masking tape (some people prefer 3M brand blue tape, I just use generic kinds I find around the house) to mask out anything you don't want painted.  It can be sometimes more tedious in some situations than others, but it's worth going through the trouble before painting than realizing it afterwards.

 

Q: What is the most effective way to highlight the outline of the figure?  With Gudam maker type stuff or some other method.

A: Gundam Markers aren't too bad and they're easy to use, but they're a bit thick for my tastes.  Some people prefer to use a wash (I can't help you on this one, I don't do this myself).  I like to use one of those technical pens.  I use a 0.2mm one, and you have to fill the ink yourself, and empty/clean up the pen when you're done.  I find you get a nicer thinner line, as well as giving you the option to lighten/darken the line with the ink.  I don't know the price of these things (my girlfriend got me a set of these pens years ago when I used to draw manga in my spare time and stuff).

 

Q: Hand paint vs. Spray paint vs. Air brush... what's the difference.

A: Hand paint gets you brush strokes; spray paint doesn't.  Airbrush is just like spray paint, but depending on your airbrush, can give you more control over the flow of air, the flow of paint, and the spray shape/size.  Since you're doing this with Transformers, the general advice would be to go out and buy a can of Krylon Fusion paint (available at Wal-Mart).  I mean, things like Testors or Tamiya paints are great, but they tend to chip and scrape off more than Krylon Fusion.

 

Q: With hand painting, how do you eliminate brush stroke on the paint app.?

A: As Rawhide mentioned: in general, I find acrylics (I use Tamiya Acrylics) are horrible to hand-brush.  They dry a bit too quickly for it.  Enamels, I find, are generally better to hand-brush with (I use Testors Enamels).  They take longer to dry, and they're thicker (less runny) than the acrylics that I use, so they have the time to level off before drying completely.  But seriously, for a truly stroke-free paint app, you're better off with a spray-can or an airbrush.

 

Q: For super fine detail painting, Let's say a signal light at the tail fin of a plane, are you suppose to use a brush or toothpick?

A: It really depends on the situation.  I've done fine detailing with toothpicks before.  I've used pins/needles.  I've used fine brushes (or take a large fat one, and cut up the bristles so you get a fine one) too.  You'll have to experiment with that yourself to see what's needed and what you're most comfortable with.

For handpainting, they key is thinner and time. The ratio of thinner to paint is important, as thick paint will tend to leave brush strokes.Too thick, and it will leave horible marks and cake up the line details. Too thin, and you risk runs. Also, if the drying time is too short, this will only worsen the stroke problem. additionally, try not to go back over a painted area if you can help it; The more you manipulate the paint, the more brush strokes will become evident.

 

If you want to do hand painting, I suggest that you practice on a pre-primed piece of spare plastic, or n old model to get the feel. you can also try this site for additional tips;

 

http//:www.starshipmodeler.com

 

I hope this helps you out, c-310. goos luck on your project! ;thumb

 

-WV

I wanted to pick up an airbush machine in a while but I don't know what specifics to look for, can someone give me a tip?

I would also suggest while hand painting, using a dry brush method, and sanding each layer of paint.

I wanted to pick up an airbush machine in a while but I don't know what specifics to look for, can someone give me a tip?

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okay, for airbrushing, i recommend the Badger 350 single-action airbrush. this model is simple to use, and doesn't have a lot of features that will confuse you. for airbrush info on how to paint and such, starship modeler has all the tips and info you will need.

 

-WV