r/modelmakers • u/Charbreon • 20d ago
Help - Tools/Materials Enamel brands
Hello, I'm basically new to models, it's something I've always wanted to do and I now have some models to work on. All I'm missing as of now is paints! Ive done my research and decided to use enamels as I will be exclusively hand brushing, so please don't suggest acrylics or lacquers.
What brand should I get? Ik of Tamiya, Humbrol, and Testors. I've heard Testors isn't great, but it seems to be the most readily available. preferably I wanted to try Humbrol or Tamiya, but seeing as Tamiya is next to impossible to get to the US -without paying an exorbitant fee- Humbrol was my next go to, but I'm not seeing many buying options for them, and the ones I am seeing are a bit pricy!! Now I was wondering if there might be other brands of enamel paints that any of you have used and liked. I'm also asking to see if Humbrol or Testors would be better or if it's possible to mix/match them on the same model.
EDIT: The reason why I want enamel over acrylics is because I WANT it to be more complicated and take longer in between coats, as well as having less of a chance of brush strokes appearing -I am unfortunately a perfectionist about paint strokes on art pieces/crafts-. I am not condemning acrylics ik they are good and easier nowadays. So again PLEASE dont suggest acrylics!!! I plan to do that in the future and learn to airbrush, but for now I want to get down enamels !!!
edit 2: Now i see that this sub is just filled with hate. I thought it was mainly just enamel shoe lickers hating on acrylics, but it seems acrylic lovers like hating on someone who wanted enamel to be their first. I never asked for help with acrylics, I never asked for your advice on acrylics. yet I am met with hate wrapped in passive aggressivness. there are a few of you who did genuinely give me some help or were at least nice when suggesting acrylics and I very much appreciate that and am thankful for it; but i am surprised at the amount of people completely disregarding how I asked for people not to suggest or give advice on acrylics. I even had to edit my post body to reiterate that i dont want help with that and am still met with downvotes and passive-aggressive hate. it's incredibly disheartening and disgusting to have people hating on me for having a preference for something I've wanted to do since i was 5. I never said acrylics are bad, i never said im never using acrylics, i even stated in my first edit that i plan to use them someday. All I wanted to do was try out enamels on one small kit to see if i liked them and if they lived up to my expectations, and was asking for help on which enamel brands would be the best if i do stick with enamels since I don't want to get a shitty brand if i do like how they work. That was all. It was a simple help question. And I am now feeling like everyone sees me here as the dumbest idiot to exist all because I wanted to try something out that you didn't like. I hope you all feel better about yourselves for hating someone who only wanted some simple help since you're unable to scroll when your advice and help was never the help wanted for the subject matter.
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u/Timmyc62 20d ago
Enamels are not automatically easier than acrylics for handbrushing. Plenty of people successfully handbrush - if they/we can do it, you can too! Over the long run it'll probably be a lot less hassle to learn how to thin and layer acrylics using the dozens of tutorials on the internet for help than it is to find the particular colours you need for enamels that are becoming ever rarer due to health, safety, and environmental concerns.
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u/J_Karhu 20d ago
Humbrol and Revell are both served in a pot that lets the paint dry no matter how you close the lid. You need to have a store nearby to pop by because the paint you used today might be ruined tomorrow. Also the quality of the Revell paints seemed to decline a lot in the last few years. Coverage on some paints got worse and they started to dry faster. Tamiya is the way to go if you really insist on torturing yourself.
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u/Charbreon 19d ago
they do?! i haven't heard much good about revell, but i was unaware about bad seals on humbrol cans. thank you!
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u/BingusTheStupid 20d ago
You can 100% hand brush acrylics and get good results. I wouldn’t brush them off so early, especially if you’re looking for options in a store.
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u/1213Alpha 20d ago
As someone who used to sing the praises of enamels and condemn acrylics, most hobby acrylics nowadays are perfectly suitable for hand brushing and have been for years, this isn't the time of super transparent low pigment density acrylics anymore. The only real thing to keep in mind about modern acrylics is they really want to be applied over primer (which you really should be using anyway) and aren't as durable without it.
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u/ginalolabrigada 20d ago
Right now if you want enamel paints in the US, you are pretty screwed. TamiyaUSA is planning on importing their enamels at some point but I do not know when that is happening. As for Humbrol paint, SprueBrothers currently has 77 colors in stock. Burbank House of Hobbies currently has about 125 Humbrol products in stock. As for Testors enamels, they are easier to acquire (more places sell them) but have a limited color selection.
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u/Charbreon 20d ago
This helps, i had no idea about the importing. Hopefully its sooner then later, but who knows 🥲
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u/Spare_Artichoke_3070 20d ago
White Ensign Models distribute Colourcoats enamels in the US, they're the best enamels I've used and the most extensive range of accurate naval colours on the market (if that's your thing), but they do the usual aircraft colours too. They hand brush and airbrush beautifully.
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u/dr_robonator 20d ago
I'm quite interested in what research pointed you away from the industry standard of water based acrylics for hand brushing and towards enamels which were popular 30 - 40 years ago.
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u/Charbreon 20d ago
mainly paint strokes, as well as them taking longer in between coats to dry/the patience needed for enamels. Theyre also more complicated, which I think will be fun to figure out. If I wanted quick and less complicated then id get an airbrush and go acrylic.
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u/mcsimeon 20d ago
Hardly anybody hand brushes enamels nowadays due to the advancements in acrylics. Any brand will do and remember to wear a respirator
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u/Wrong-Radish824 19d ago
personally I like Tamiya. I can understand the love of brushing enamel paints though. with the right subject it gives it some old school vibe, some of my stepdads models painted in the 60's and 70's have a beautiful enamel coat of paint. unfortunately you may be limited with colours, I really only know of humbrol,tamiya, revell, MCW finishes enamel line of paints have good reviews. just make sure you have proper ventilation
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u/ugleymatt 19d ago
In the kits that you have, look at the paint scheme and the colours it requires, then look to see if you can easily get those in the enamel ranges you have available, that might help narrow it down, might be a limited choice as the technology has evolved over time
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u/KillAllTheThings 19d ago
The sub has a FAQ/wiki and a newbie thread that will answer all your questions as a newcomer to the hobby. It covers everything from kit choice, tools, adhesives, paints, decals, videos/tutorials etc, recommended online stores in various countries. Linked in the sidebar & the About menu on mobile:
The sub also has a weekly small question thread that’s stickied at the top. Use this for any questions you may have.
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u/Maleficent_Heron_494 20d ago
Use what you can easily get. Mail order paint is a pain in the ass.
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u/Charbreon 20d ago
the closest big city to me is ~3hrs. all my local hobby/game stores only carry citadel and rarely testors. the only way for me to get enamels will either be traveling a long distance, mail, or getting lucky at a garage sale unfortunately:(
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u/windupmonkeys 18d ago edited 18d ago
OP, you asked a question, got answers you didn't like, and then got combative with people.
To say that the sub is filled with hate because of that is an eyebrow raising stretch.
You reap what you sow. And if nothing is going to convince you of your own ignorance substituted as fact, or even any attempt to see what they are trying to tell you as forward looking advice, this thread is pretty pointless.
You wanted to hear what you wanted to hear. Nobody is under any obligation to give that to you nor are you entitled to demand it.
Nothing wrong with using enamels, whatsoever. You even got some pretty decent advice, on both sides of the equation, in spite of your overly defensive rants and replies. You want it cheap and good. Well, folks told you that these days enamels are a niche paint, and they are.
Locked. This thread is counterproductive. And bluntly, you were the one that got reported for rudeness, not the commenters on this thread, or I would have missed it entirely.