Painting Question

Jack8022 · 07-10-2009, 11:11 AM

hey guys,
I've started working on Jesse's great Spiderwoman kit and I'm kind of unhappy with how the paint job is proceeding.

After soaking and scrubbing the kit in Simply Green, I sprayed it with Testor's Gray Primer (let it dry overnight) and primed it again with Testor's white primer (and let dry overnight again). I put on the second white coat because I wanted the Model Master's yellow-marker (that's the name of the color)paint to be bright. I found that putting it over gray primer dulls the color a bit.

The red I was using is Model Masters Insigna Red. This is where I'm having the trouble. Although I'm using a brush instead of an airbrush, the color isn't spreading evenly. I'm not having brushstrokes. It's the color itself is showing streaks of varying coverage. After the first coat, I thinned the paint a little for a second coat (after I let the initial coat dry overnight). It's better but still not quite even.

I'm almost ready to give it a bath in EZ-off and start all over. However, I'd hate to have to do back and redo all the black linework.

Any suggestions?

endsongjen · 07-11-2009, 12:34 PM

Im no expert but model masters paint is pretty thick. If you did your first coat w/o thinning it even though u tried again w it thinned that first coat will ruin everything. You say its looking better maybe try one more thinned out coat and see if it looks good, if not u may have to strip it and start over.

when i do touch ups w a brush (and i have used insignia red) i usually do about 3 to 4 coats.. hey im still learning lol

Jack8022 · 07-11-2009, 01:20 PM

Thanks, End. I tried doing some more work on her last night and still wasn't happy. It's taking a bath in EZ-Off now and I'll start over.

What I think happened was that the 2nd coat of the white primer was at the end of the can and didn't go on evenly enough (although to the eye it did look even). I noticed this when I did the yellow on her belly and the surface wasn't smooth. that's when I decided to bail and restart.

I'll put up some progress pics soon just to give everyone a gander at this kit. It really is a good looking kit.

Danno · 07-11-2009, 02:09 PM

Hi There,

My first recommendation is to really pick up an airbrush.
Colors like Flesh, orange, yellow, and red typically
do not cover well. But with the aid of the airbrush
you can get a nice smooth even coat of these colors
since the airbrush atomizes the paint very finely
and the air helps it to dry faster onto the surface.

If you decide that you want to continue hand brushing
you may want to switch to paints like Vallejo. You may
still need to do several light thin coats...but the
pigments in Vallejo seem to help cover better.

Jack8022 · 07-17-2009, 02:36 PM

LOL. I'm just having no luck with this model. I pulled out my (what was) trusty airbrush and there must be a bend in the nozzle. Instead of coming straight out, the paint sprayed out at a 45 degree angle. I tried to work through it but made a complete mess of things. Another EZ-Off bath for Spidewoman!

Tobor64 · 07-17-2009, 06:23 PM

Red can be a difficult paint when applying to kits. Like Danno said, if you want to paint the kit by hand then use several light, thin coats of acrylic paint. It'll take a lot of time & patience but it will pay off. I've never used Vallejo but I have used Goldens acrylics in the past & it's worked well. Good luck!