Brush painting 1/48 aircraft

[Whiskey]

I always like asking others to get more or better ideas on how to approach this, but if you brush paint your 1/48 aircraft, what are your methods? What brand of paints, what kind of brushes, etc. do you use? Do you thin your paints? Dip the brush straight into the jar or use something else?

Any and all tips are mucho appreciated.

[Devo666]

G'day Whiskey,

I have never use an airbrush in 40 something years of sticking plastic bits together and then painting them. I will use a rattle can for certain things such as large white areas or for clear coats( if I bother with that.)

I just use the normal cheap brushes made by Humbrol, Tamiya etc as well as different brushes found in craft shops. Long bristles, medium, short, round, in between. Nothing flash at all.

My paints are enamel's made by Tamiya and Humbrol etc. I've never bothered with acrylic's.

I reckon the paint has to be properly shaken, stirred and thinned. I like my paint to be kind of the same consistency as milk if you get what I mean. Not to runny nor thick.

I thin using plain old turpentine, dispensed with an eye dropper. I have no ratio as to paint/thinner, I just add stir, repeat, until TLAR(that looks about right). I use bits of the sprue as stirring sticks.

I usually don't prep the plastic by washing it. I have done it but 99% of the time I don't. I've never used a primer coat before painting the main colour/s either.

I try and apply the paint thinly and don't overload the paint brush. I will generally paint wings in the direction of airflow and fuselage sides vertically, top to bottom. I use short strokes and try to never paint over a section if it's drying out, always painting away from the wet/drying section. If you don't get good coverage on the first application, leave it to dry properly and reapply another coat.

Of late I have been buffing up the paint work, if it's a matt or semi-gloss finish with an old cotton t-shirt, before applying a second coat of paint.

I've been getting good results from doing this, as it really smooths out and shine's up the paint, good enough in fact, that I have not been applying any gloss clear coat before applying the decals. I shit you not.....the Spitfire Mk1a, F-4S, O/A-37B Dragonfly, Mig-25RBT, MQ-9 Reaper and MQ-1 Predator that I've posted up in the Z-5 Flightline , do not have any clear coats what so ever, just nicely buffed up paint. You do run the risk of getting decal silvering, so far I haven't, (well maybe a little on my ACH-47A also posted in the Z-5 Flightline).

Cheers,
Devo

[picknpluck]

I think airbrushing is really the way to go in 1/48.

[Whiskey]

@ devo
Really enjoyed that Dragonfly, I almost got mine off the shelf to work on after seeing yours! Thanks for the tidbits on what you do to brush paint. I read somewhere about not using synthetic brushes, does that hold any weight in your opinion?

@picknpluck
You’re absolutely right, especially if I wanna get an awesome paint job like your Monogram F-14! Right now I can’t get anything airbrushed as I downsized to a smaller apartment with the wife and kiddos as I don’t have the space. So back to paint brushes it is!

[Devo666]

Zach,

I can't say I have had a problem using synthetic brushes but I do find I use natural bristle brushes 99% of the time.....Old Skool!...….but each to his own though.

Cheers,
Devo