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Currently building a Tamiya model tank and am looking for advice on which paints to use, once assembly is semi-finished.

I was thinking of using Tamyia Spray paints http://www.tamiya.com/english/products/list/spray.htm., first adding black as an undercoat and then a layer of a different colour as the base colour for the tank, and then hand painting camouflage/detail/effects with acrylic paint?

Does this sound like a sensible plan, should I undercoat? Generally i don't like the way models come out if they don't have a layer of black underneath.

Is it alright to use a different brand of acrylic on top of the two layers of Tamyia spray paint, or should I use Tamyia Acrylics (which I want to avoid as I hear they require thinning and are not good for drybrushing etc).

Not keen on airbrushing anything.

Coming from a Games Workshop background, I'm currently a little confused by my own plan.

If you can manage full coverage with the spray (most serious model builders paint in parts, for this exact reason), undercoating in black shouldn't be necessary. Enamel and lacquer model spray paints generally have pretty good opacity, anyway.

As for detailing with acrylics, it should be fine, once the spray has fully cured. Mixing different types of paints directly is asking for trouble, but applying one type over another is fine, with a few exceptions (brushing on solvent-based paints, for example, can strip unsealed acrylics, which are generally weaker, water-based products).

One thing to look out for is the luster of your chosen spray undercoat. Most of the Tamiya cans I've seen (obviously not the whole range) have a gloss finish, which has no tooth for successive acrylic brushwork to grab onto. If yours is, too, you may need to give the undercoated model a dusting of matte varnish to prep the surface for further detailing.

Ok, thanks for your help (: