Painting Your Model Aircraft Kit - Hints and Tips

A guest post by Frank LeGrand

PAINTING YOUR MODEL

This is one area of model making that has to be 'spot on'. Any imperfections when painting really show up and can be difficult to fix.

Paint

There are 2 main types of paint you will use when painting model kits:

1. The first is acrylic paint. This is a water based paint meaning you must wash your brushes in water, not white spirit. You will often find acrylic paint in 'starter kits' as it is the easiest to paint with and can be cleaned off when wet with water and a paper towel if a mistake is made (although you have to be quick).
2. The second is the oil based enamel paint. This is the most common type you will find in model stores, and has the broadest range of colours so that you can 'colour match' you model for authenticity. It can also be mixed as required to produce a one-off colour for special parts or areas that need a colour you cannot get off the shelf.

It is also available in mini spray cans, more of that later.

Before you start your model, get all the paint that you are going to need. The kit instructions will have a list or sometimes it will be on the box or packaging, get exactly what is recommended and do not guess. If your model shop doesn't have any of the colours you need, get the shop to order them or get them online.

Brushes

It is also important to ensure you have good quality brushes that are in good condition. Any loose bristles or hairs on a brush can wreck havoc when you are painting, especially small detailed areas. I replace any damaged brushes before starting a new kit, brushes are not expensive and it is a good habit to get into to avoid making mistakes.
Have a good variety of brush sizes from fine upwards; I have at least 6 sizes for different jobs.

Additional supplies

There are a few more things you will need:

• Paint thinners (for enamel paint)
• Paper towels. Make sure that the bottle / tub / tray that you clean your brushes in is clean, DO NOT clean brushes in dirty cleaner. Use paper towels to dry your brush after cleaning.

Masking tape.

There is also a product available that you can 'paint' to mask areas prior to painting, this can be useful if painting around clear glass sections, I find masking tape fine for most jobs however.

Work Area

The area you are painting in must be well lit, dust free and well ventilated to avoid inhalation of paint fumes, especially if using spray paint.

Goggles and a face mask may also be worn, again mainly when using spray paint.

Try to paint your model in similar light conditions to what it will be displayed in, you will be surprised how much varying light can affect the look of paint and how different your model will look. If working under a lamp, try to get a daylight effect bulb, this is much easier on your eyes and the paint will look the same in daylight as it does on your work area.

Painting tips

• Have a good read of the instructions before painting; look out for any parts that need painting BEFORE assembly.
• Give the paint a good stir before using it, used matchsticks make inexpensive paint stirrers and you can have one for each colour.
• Try to do as much painting as possible with the part on the sprue.
• When painting any parts (especially small ones), do not overload your brush with paint, it is better to use a couple of light coats than a blob. Too much paint will lesson the detail on the plastic, and is almost impossible to fix.
• Let the paint dry completely before assembly, adhesive will damage any soft paint, leave it overnight to dry.

Spray paint

• Where possible, paint any large areas with spray paint to avoid unsightly brush strokes. Hold the can 10 - 12inches from the area to paint and use even strokes from left to right. The aim here is to build up the paint a coat at a time, too much paint in one go will cause it to run (again almost impossible to repair). Leaving 20 - 30 minutes between coats usually works well, do this until you have a nice even finish and leave to dry overnight.
• If the colour you are painting is not available in a spray, use the largest brush you have and paint even strokes in one fluid movement. Do not dab at the area you are painting. Again, aim to build up the paint in a series of coats.
• BEWARE, brush paint takes longer to dry than spray paint as brushing uses more paint than spraying, so leave longer between coats - maybe an hour depending on how mush air circulation you have and the temperature of the room you are painting in.
• It is good idea to do a test on a piece of sprue to see how long it takes for the paint to become touch dry so you have an idea how long to wait between coats.
• Finally, check your instructions for any additional information about painting, particularly if you have to mix paints look out the ratio of one colour against the other, e.g. 10:90

The best advice is to take your time, resist the urge to rush painting your model and it will turn out better.