No offense, but most of the paints I have tried from wallmart have been junk(maybe old batches or something) usually they are very grainy and poorly manufactured but those were just my batch I bought them only once so I dunno. If you did not like Testors(I did not either), Tamiya is the way to go then, you seem to already be leaning towards them anyways. A sable brush is the best to use for any application, when drybrushing always use a dark color(usually black) and then drybrush with a mix of light to dark metallics. I totally respect you opinion SR but you said that "Acrylics are only good for beginners." that really is wrong dude, you think that your method and paint all of a sudden make you something more? We are all artists and should use are own methods that we feel is best but to state something so generalized is just plain "wrong." You always think I am stepping over you cause you use not so conventional methods. You always complain about me and others stepping over your advice but you are the one that stepped on and contradicted my advice which in my opinion is very sound advice. He is a beginner so he needs to find his own style, pushing your one sided opinion about paint is "wrong" and not what customizers are about, sure we can all use our own methods but he needs to learn what is best for him not for you , me, or anyone else. Your bewilderment is also very one sided, you interpret and warp my opinions to your own advantage and make accusations about my ideas that are also false. I really think we need to avoid each others conversations with other people but don't worry I will still correct you when you are "wrong."
lol, I want to get Tamiya because I've heard good things about them and they're Japanese (I like Japan alot for some reason). They work well with the Tamiya model kits. So I should paint the parts I want to drybrush black then use Silver metallic to do the main Drybrush? Sorry for so many questions. I never did transformers before.
I think your questions are actually helping others out as well, so if these guys don't mind sharing, it's all good. (I just really started getting into the whole Transformers kitbashing/repainting thing about a month or so ago--I have a few projects that are near completion, so I'm hoping to slap them up before long and hopefully gain more insight into doing them through encouragement and constructive criticism). So, what's the first project you have lined up? (not sure if you mentioned it earlier or not).
Yup you got the right idea, take a look at my Optimus Prime(link) He was nothing but Tamiya drybrushed over a coat of Krylon fusion. He was my first Transformer custom and I love the way the drybrushing looks. I think the best way to go about drybrushing your figure it to really start with almost no paint at all on your brush and lightly brush back and forth over the area to get a feel for how much paint actually goes onto the figure and how it looks. I also think I need to do a tutorial just on Drybrushing because your not the only one who has asked the question even though I am sure there are some Tutorials already out there. BTW this is your thread if you want answers please ask away, I know I certainly don't mind. Also I am sorry, please ignore mine and SonRay's discussions it wont help you any, we just bicker a lot.
there are so many differing oppinions on paint, so simply state what you prefer and leave it at that. don't go badmouthing someone else's preference, I'm not asking again.
I have one last thing to say about this particular discussion with T&C, its not a flame or anything like that, just my side of the story as i constantly have to defend what i say on these boards it seems, and constantly explain why. Did i not say that he needed to start off with acrylics because they are easy? Did i not say they are good for someone like him? I dont like acrylics so im not going to "big em up" ever, hence why i said that once he feels comfy with them he should move on to something more professional. I am sorry if you cant accept my opinions on acrylics, but dont expect me to go around and say good things about them just because you and a few others like to swear by them. They have ruined two of my projects so i know how much of a pain they can be and when someone asks about them, especially a beginner im going to do my duty as a customizer to let them know about the risks and draw backs of acrylics. I still stand by what i said that they are only for beginners, its not my fault if a large majority of people like to use them. I think they are only good for beginners or only good for very small detail work on sections with no impact or rub areas. THAT IS MY PERSONAL OPINION BASED ON MY OWN EXPERIENCE. I dont just make this stuff up as i go along. Its different opinions and experiences with different paints like these that allow people to make up their own mind and explore alternatives and develop their own unique styles like i have. Like i said if everyone used the same things the custom world would be very bland indeed.
Dont forget (i havnt seen it mentioned here yet, or i missed it) but to dry brush you have to paint the area you want to dry brush black first, and then drybrush over that once its dry. If you just dry brush the silver over the toy's normal color, say red for example, it wont work and will look awful and you'll end up with just a lumpy silver painted area. How to dry brush: 1: Paint the areas you want to dry brush in black first, make sure it is matte black. 2: Once dried dip your brush of choice into the silver you wish to use then wipe the excess off on a paper towel until there is almost no paint left on the brush or until it looks like you have dry paint on the brush (hence the name) 3 : Rub the brush over the area until the look you desire is achieved. And as much as i hate to say it, acrylics are best for dry brushing since their consistency is more suited to the job and they dry quicker than enamel so this helps a lot too. Just dont put too much acrylic around joints or high wear areas, but you should be ok with dry brushing because the amount of paint applied is so little theres not enough to chip off, but it will wear off over time. Bobs your uncle.
duel) <- Us LOL, no one will ever win so we should just stop from now on. K LOL 1-Point Tony. J/K You use only Tamiya for acrylics right? Let him know how much you like it for what you use it for. Nice explanation BTW, I'm hoping to compile a picture tutorial cause I know it would really help a lot of people.
You cant go wrong with acrylics for small detailing and dry brush work. I'll give them that much. And using Tamiya isn't by choice, its all thats available near me in this useless cess pit of a country, and color choices are very limited. And people wonder why i use different kinds of paints. And Lobo, your Alt customs are amazing!
I don't want to get in another bicker fight w/ SR, but his comment above STATES incorrect facts. Instucting artists with incorrect facts = not good. It needs to stop, or an artist can become frusterated, make huge expensive mistakes, and in turn, drop this hobby. I have another opportunity to prevent this, so here it is. Black paint for drybrushing? I'm going to have to disagree with this, because, IMO, and from my 10+ years of experience, this is VERY incorrect. To drybrush, you only need to lay a base color of a darker hue...NOT black(?!!?) black is a decent PRIMER color for TF, because they contain a lot of dark parts. You may also use a base color (main color or color underneath) in a gloss or any finish. Also on the topic above, I disagree with Acrylics being a more suitable medium to drybrush with. Again, not true at all. Enamels take a longer time to dry, therefor, the threshold where the paint is the correct 'dryness' is a longer period of time, allowing the artists a larger window to apply his/her dry brushing. Typically, when I drybrush, using enamels, It's only necessary to dab 1 brush worth of paint to drybrush a HUGE area. the paint remains 'wet' longer, so I have a good 5 minutes opposed to 1 minute. I would refer to jin's tut on drybrushing, it is very accurate, and following it will yield great results. *On a side note, when I worked w/ McFarlane, we used nothing but acrylics. Just a little trivia. However, personally, I use primarily Enamels AND acrylics (usually both on the same figure)
Me? 90% of the time, Krylon Fusion Flat Black. it's $3.00 a can. I ALWAYS use a thinner based primer, not even sure where to get a water based. The easiest + most versitile primer for transformers is Fusion. PERIOD. The strongest would be a car grade or sandable primer, though very time consuming and expensive. You can spend 10+ hours sanding even a figure 8 inches tall, and still not be content with the end result You CAN prime with regular acrylic as well, but be sure to create a nice pourus surface so that the actylic can stick to it. Also, be sure the acrylic you are priming with contains chemicals to help it bond to plastic (see:citidel/WH/hobby brands ONLY)
I've heard quite a few people suggest Krylon flat black as a good primer. Looks like that's what I need to try It also sounds very cost-effective. As far as a acrylics go, I've been sticking to the Testors model-master and Tamiya.