Ye Olde Rocket Forum - View Single Post - Brush Painting A New Model

The paints I am using are gloss enamel and acrylic craft paints from Hobby Lobby and Walmart.
These are water based.
I thin them down with water at least 50/50.
I use quality sable artist brushes. Totally steer clear of any brushes from the craft or dollar stores where you get ten in a pack. These shed hairs like crazy and are of inferior quality in terms of paint application.

Here are a few brushing tips:

1. Light coats, just like spray painting. This Viper model typically took six such coats on each color.
2. Don't load up the brush with paint. Just get enough on the tip to apply to the area being worked on. This is where a small paint tray or shallow cup is useful, so that paint amounts can be easily controlled.
3. Use very light strokes. This technique helps to minimize brush lines.
4. Use even lighter 'feather' strokes to blend new paint with previously painted areas.
5. If, by chance, a hair comes off the brush, or a dust mote ends up in the painted area, work it to the edge of the surface to remove it. Wipe the brush off to remove the offending intruder, pick up more paint and smooth out the surface area again. Do not leave any such material in the paint job. Once things dry, dust and hairs are nearly impossible to remove without damaging the painted surface.
6. Allow the paint to dry completely between coats. These water based paints dry to the touch fairly quickly. If you attempt to apply another coat before the previous one is completely dry, you stand a chance of removing areas of the earlier coat.
7. Don't rush the process! Allow plenty of time to complete each coat. Clean your brush under running water between each coat.

Brush painting is not for everyone - it requires a substantially longer amount of time than spraying. Patience is key. A rushed brush job will not end well.

It also takes a bit of practice to get a good feel for smooth application techniques. It's a good idea to practice on a scrap body tube before attempting an actual model.

Hope this helps!