Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Not trying nothing fancy, just IG green and going to make camo netting.
Ok so ive got the basics... Large Brush, Water down.... now i have a problem because im getting lots of little bubbles as im painting the base... so maybe i have watered it down to much, so i add more paint... same problem... maybe its not watered down enough, ad more water.... same problem... i notice if i blow on it they go away but spreads the paint to thin and to thick in crevices... Any Tips? Help!?! thnx

I have two suggestions:

1. Get some disposable foam paintbrushes (which I think are usually used for house painting or crafts). You can find them at Walmart, Target, or any craft store. They help you lay down a nice, even coat of thin paint on flat surfaces like you find on tanks.

2. Consider getting some acryllic painting medium, like liquitex matte medium. This stuff increases the flow of the paint and helps it settle down into a more even coat after you stop brushing.

I really had a lot of trouble with the first couple rhinos tried to paint, but when I moved up to actual tanks I started experimenting.

Fisher001 wrote:I have two suggestions:

1. Get some disposable foam paintbrushes (which I think are usually used for house painting or crafts). You can find them at Walmart, Target, or any craft store. They help you lay down a nice, even coat of thin paint on flat surfaces like you find on tanks.

2. Consider getting some acryllic painting medium, like liquitex matte medium. This stuff increases the flow of the paint and helps it settle down into a more even coat after you stop brushing.

I really had a lot of trouble with the first couple rhinos tried to paint, but when I moved up to actual tanks I started experimenting.

Option 1. Watering Down paint the same with that brush?
Option 2. Will that work with GW paint?

1. Yes, water down the paint just like you're already doing.

2. Yes, GW paint is acrylic paint, meaning it works with all kinds of artist's media and additives. Just be careful how much of your expensive GW paint you're using when you start mixing it with other stuff!

Buy a spray can for like >$10 at any hobby shop and just spray the whole thing green. You'll never get a nice finish without brush strokes or bubbles or thick/thin spots without spraying it. No need for an airbrush, just simple spray paint.

Airbrushes will be your friend if you play ig, I play ig and empire. It was a chore to get anything done, I would spend 45 min to 1 hour 30 min painting 1 guy. Now with my airbrush and improved skill I can go through 3-5 guys in the same time and they look great. Also if you ever plan to do osl then the airbrush is great. It is a worth while investment. The more expensive they are usually the better they are but a great one to start out on is the sr-81 masterclass brush it cost liek $70.00 I think and buy a devent compressor on amazon for like $150-$200 and you'll be set for a very long time.

I hand paint all my tanks. You can get a nice smooth surface. tricks I've learned are use a large flat 1" or 1/2" brush. A small bristle brush can be useful for getting paint into nooks and crannys like road wheels etc if everything is pre-assembled. You do want to thin the paint enough so that it settles out flat but not so thin it puddles. There is no exact ratio for the water as it depends on local conditions like heat and humidity but somewhere around half and half water to paint (less if is cold and wet more if its hot and dry). Ok so thats revising what you probably know.

The bubbles you are getting could be from trying to apply the paint too quickly. Take your time and try to paint in long horizontal or vertical strokes along the hull of the vehicle. Make sure your brush isn't overloaded with paint. Thinned paint will be inclined to puddle and bubble in cracks if you put on too much in one go. Don't try to get it covered in one or two coats, for smoothness you are aiming at 3 to 4 thin coats so don't worry if you can see through the first layer or two in places. Take care to dry off your brush between rinses as you can be adding a lot of extra water to your mix particularly when using a large brush.

You don't mention whether you are priming or not, but a thin coat of spray or the vallejo brush on primer really helps the paint stick and apply more smoothly and so reduce the pooling and bubbling issue more. The brush on primer is better thinned and applied in two coats than straight out of the bottle. I like the brush on primer, because I have two small kids, rain, wind, and high humidity to deal with so spraying isn't always an option for me.

Hope this helps.

Lots of drybrushing is what I do. The paint isnt perfectly smooth but it does make the tank look weathered. High light and you should be great.

www.thearmypainter.com
they have some great colored primers after which you only have to do 2 layers of drybrushing and your done (excl. details)
depending on your painting standard ofc.

other then that, a acrylic medium is what you want if you wanna paint it with a brush. i dilute my paints with this ratio 2:1:1 which is 2 parts paint, 1 part medium and 1 part water.

the trick is to dilute it enough so it isnt streaky anymore, but you dont want it as watered down as you would do for a miniature, because there is way less tiny little details.

my hand painted rhino looks like this:


*edit*
cant get the picture to work but you can see it in my blog lol. page 3 at the bottom

pistolepete wrote:Buy a spray can for like >$10 at any hobby shop and just spray the whole thing green. You'll never get a nice finish without brush strokes or bubbles or thick/thin spots without spraying it. No need for an airbrush, just simple spray paint.

if they made castellion green or whatever its called now or if i knew the exact equivilint i would


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Wazzdig Dagga wrote:I hand paint all my tanks. You can get a nice smooth surface. tricks I've learned are use a large flat 1" or 1/2" brush. A small bristle brush can be useful for getting paint into nooks and crannys like road wheels etc if everything is pre-assembled. You do want to thin the paint enough so that it settles out flat but not so thin it puddles. There is no exact ratio for the water as it depends on local conditions like heat and humidity but somewhere around half and half water to paint (less if is cold and wet more if its hot and dry). Ok so thats revising what you probably know.

The bubbles you are getting could be from trying to apply the paint too quickly. Take your time and try to paint in long horizontal or vertical strokes along the hull of the vehicle. Make sure your brush isn't overloaded with paint. Thinned paint will be inclined to puddle and bubble in cracks if you put on too much in one go. Don't try to get it covered in one or two coats, for smoothness you are aiming at 3 to 4 thin coats so don't worry if you can see through the first layer or two in places. Take care to dry off your brush between rinses as you can be adding a lot of extra water to your mix particularly when using a large brush.

You don't mention whether you are priming or not, but a thin coat of spray or the vallejo brush on primer really helps the paint stick and apply more smoothly and so reduce the pooling and bubbling issue more. The brush on primer is better thinned and applied in two coats than straight out of the bottle. I like the brush on primer, because I have two small kids, rain, wind, and high humidity to deal with so spraying isn't always an option for me.

Hope this helps.

ya i undercoat with GW chaos black on all models... trying to do it the GW way lol. 3$ a GW paint dosnt seem to costly to me and the spray is cheap aswell, atleast where im getting it from lol

pistolepete wrote:Buy a spray can for like >$10 at any hobby shop and just spray the whole thing green. You'll never get a nice finish without brush strokes or bubbles or thick/thin spots without spraying it. No need for an airbrush, just simple spray paint.

This is the way to go if your not going to go with an airbrush. Tamiya or Testor spray can paints come in alot of great military colors ( get the flat model master if your going to use testors). Or matte spray paints from your local hardware store are a good option. I'm sure there are Save yourself the headache.