As the title says I am attempting my very first kitbash here and I need some advice. I have read quite a few tutorials and got a lot of pointers from them, but I've also had a few issues that I did not foresee, and I'm hoping some people can give advice from personal experience if any other customizers have had similar issues.

The project I am working on is a Cybertronian Depthcharge. He has always been one of my favorite characters. A couple years ago, before the TFCC figure was ever announced, I saw someone on the radicons forums who created Depthcharge using Terradive's head with the Generations Scourge body. I apologize for not giving proper credit, but I can not find the thread now to name the person who initially created this. If you can imagine it overall, it works much better than just repainting Terradive. Terradive's head and trident and Scourge's robot build and sleek alt-mode also work well to evoke Depthcharge.

So anyways, the beginning of the project went smoothly. I swapped the heads with no issue. I cleaned and sanded the surfaces of the figure. I chose to use enamel paint instead of acrylic because I read that it adheres better to plastics. One of the first issues I ran into was choosing to do a base coat of white paint instead of using actual white primer. I gave it a couple days to cure and then began painting over the white base coat. Unfortunately the paint I applied over the white paint caused them to blend together. Even though the white paint was completely dry, it still mixed with the paint that I was putting over it causing a weird diluted smeared mixture. For my next project, I will definitely use a proper primer. Can anybody tell me, does primer ever run when paint is applied over it?

Also, I am having issues with my brushes becoming really gummed up and stiff, within the first few minutes of painting. Is this normal? I feel like the first few applications go on smooth and then the brush gets really sticky/gummy. This results in the paint looking bad on the figure and not spreading evenly. I try to rinse it out or dab excess paint on paper, but once the brush gets thick, there's not much I can do other than rinse the brush out with paint thinner. I don't have the patience to get only a few brush strokes, then clean the brush, get a few more, clean the brush again, and continue to repeat. I am using "hobby" brushes, so I don't think it is just a low quality brush causing the issue. Should I add a little water to the paint? and if I do that, will it basically make it like acrylic and cause it to run right off the figure?

I definitely underestimated the issues I would have painting the figure. If anyone has any advice on any of these issues I would greatly appreciate it. Sorry, I was so long winded, but again any help/advice is appreciated. Please feel free to post it in this thread or send me a PM. Thanks

 

Your issues sound quite bad here.

My first question would be - which paint brands are you using? As a general rule of thumb at first your primers and paints should be the same brand, at least until you pick up some experience to know which ones work best with each other. Some examples of good brands to use are testors enamels and for acrylics - tamiya or citadel are great.

Secondly did you brush on the primer coat? In my experience whilst anything other than a paint brush can seem daunting it really isn't. Using a rattle can of paint in the long run is far easier to get a nice even coat. And more durable too.


With enamel paints don't add water, it will make it a horrible mess. Use the paint brands own thinner specifically for that use. And if you don't have the patience to clean your brush as you go I'm afraid you'll have to learn some, that's part of using brushes as he do clog up and you should clean em up after so long.

Post up some more details on things and I can try to help you more.  

Also don't just give in at the first hurdle I'm sure you can get it right in the end

 

I am currently using Testors Model masters. I have read that Tamiya is better and Testors is crap, but I can't find Tamiya in any of my hobby stores. Everything I am using is the same brand, so at least I have that covered. I'm finding that some colors, such as silver, apply very nicely, while other colors have some issues.

I did brush on the white paint that I used as a makeshift primer, but I bought a can of spray primer to use on my next project. I will probably try switching to spray coats for the big surface areas and only use brush for detail spots.

Gotcha on not using water. I do have the patience to continually clean the brush, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something stupid that was causing the brush to clog up.

I am learning from my errors and I will definitely not give up on this because I enjoy it even with all the frustration of things not working as expected. I hope to have my figure ready to reassemble and show within the next couple days and I look forward to criticism/advice from anybody that can point out issues from the pictures.

 

Hmmm well with the testors I don't find them crap to use, it depends on what you are using them I guess.

One other big factor that can affect a paint finish is heat/cold/humidity.

Get any of those off centre and it can screw up paint too.

 

Thanks again for the help. My project seems to be turning around and I'll post pictures in a couple days.

 

Also posted a thread with these in the Radicons forums, but this is just to show my progress.

 

The key with enamels is to use the right brush/solvents. You'll need to get the right thinner/solvent to keep your brushes clean. Water won't do it. Even if you have the same manufacturer, there may be different product lines from the same manufacturer that don't work together.

Testors is a fine paint, but some paints will work perfectly on one project and will cause issues on the next. The key is to test your materials (figure, paint, brushes) before you get too deep with a project. Plastic can differ from figure to figure and take paint/dye/etc. differently.

Based on what I see in your photos, you painted too thick, and re-applied too soon. I suggest to paint in multiple thin coats, allowing the correct time to dry between each application, according to the manufacturer's instructions.

I used Testors acrylics on this, and they are thin, retain detail, and still very durable.





But remember all of this takes practice. Don't get discouraged, and chalk it up to experience. Keep asking good questions and if you need any specific help, let me know and I'll do my best to help.

 

Ouch as other have said, definitely too thick with the paint? Do you have anything against acrylics? I love painting with Tamiya acrylics, I only use enamels when I can't find the specific color I need in acrylic and can't mix it.

I have just slowly moved into kitbashing from straight repaints recently and it's a big step to make.

I am certainly very experienced, but I am willing to help in whatever way I can too.  

My most recent kitbash/heavy custom. Paints are entirely Tamiya acrylics here:

 

Ah Enamels. I have a love hate relationship with them. They are the paints I prefer to use though as it will usually take less coats than acrylics, and also, many times you don't really need primer for most of them, depending on the color you are covering. Growing up I used to do some super detailed model planes and jets.

The problem that can come with Testor's is that sometimes the amount of solvent in each bottle can vary. If there isn't enough, it gets gloppy and really thick. Don't use it straight out of the bottle. Get yourself a little mixing dish. Since most TF's aren't all that big, I like to use bottle caps from Sobe, Gatorade, etc. Mix as well as possible while still in the bottle. If you use toothpicks, you with find the gloopy stuff on the bottom. Stir it. Just shaking the bottle usually only loosens it a bit, you really need to mix it. Pour some into your mixing dish and stir it again to check the consistency. Most of the flats and darker colors I've found I need to add a bit of thinner. Usually just a couple drops does wonders. It helps keep the brush from gumming up and the paint from creating a lot of bubbles as you go. Also, keeping a small dish of thinner to dip the brush in once in a while (every 5 mins or so). Having a towel or rag to squeeze out the extra thinner.

Finally, I say this almost every time I post about enamels. Get yourself a UV light. They aren't usually that expensive, I've even used the full spectrum lights that you can get for critter cages, though the results really vary. Otherwise to get enamels to cure, you have to put them in direct sunlight.

The reason I like enamels so much, is that when properly cured, they don't chip very easy.

Now for the disclaimer. I myself have yet to put paint to a TF. All of my experience has been from doing models. The plastics are a bit different, so hopefully someone out there has a bit more experience in that area and might be able to recommend different procedures and such.

Hope this helps a bit....

 

Yep.Shinobi77 is spot on.I'm actually painting a Vector Prime right now using mostly enamels.Have run into the same glob issue with one color in particular and have added some enamel thinner to it.It helped but my brushes still gum up and would need a dip in the enamel itself.This one is taking now in it's 3rd week of painting because of this slow pace.Plus I was getting massive headaches from working so long with the vapors and decided to go a couple days inbetween paint sessions.The problem where I live is the weather goes from 50 degrees to mid to high 60's which heats up our apartment real nice.So,I open the back door to get a breeze but then the wind picks up.So,yeah,I have all of these quality controls issues as well.But,he will look real proper like when I'm finished with him.....from dookie brown to closer to what he should look like.  So,patience is key.If you want it done right,take your time.

 

Great advice, and the skills from modeling are certainly directly transferrable.





Now git to paintin' a TF!