White Paint Issues

[rynmss]

I'm having issues finding a good white paint. I'm midway through building the Emma C Berry, but finding the model expo white is really terrible. The eat of the paint kits cover well, but the white makes me feel like I'm painting with skim milk. Is there a better white, or a different method that would give better coverage?

Edited January 31, 2016 by rynmss

[mischief]

Did you apply a coat of sealer first ?

[druxey]

And is the paint well stirred? In some paints the pigment tends to settle out fairly quickly.

[Maury S]

Any of those paints will perform better if you thin them (yes, I know, even more like skim milk), and apply 5 or 6 coats.  Amazing difference in the finished product.  BTW, what are you painting white on ECB?  Just the spars?

Maury

[PAnderson]

White is the worst paint color to get good coverage without 3 or more coats. Something we need to live with. I bought Model Expo paints for my HMS Bounty Launch. They are terribly thin. Might go through an airbrush well, though. To me, Tamiya has really good paint. I always prime with, of all things, Kilz for wood and plastic. Acrylic compatible, thins with water, although I don't thin mine generally because it fills wood pores better without thinning.

[Jack12477]

Did you try using artists Gesso to prime the wood first before applying the paint?  Works well for me regardless of color or paint brand. You can get Gesso in any Michaels store or any art supply store. It's water based.

[Canute]

Brush or air brush to apply? I know what it is, but I've never used it.

[Jack12477]

Gesso ? Ken ? Brush application - no airbrush - it's used by artists to prep their canvas for painting

[ScottRC]

White and Yellow, especially acrylics, are noted for the tendency to bleed and show brush marks or faded areas if airbrushing. I too am going to repeat what has been said.  When painting light colors, especially on wood, make sure the wood is sealed and then paint a base coat of a light colored primer,  I like Kiltz, Krylon, and Tamiya Mr Surfacer,  then lay the top coat.  You may still have to put on a second coat, but a good base of sealer and primer will allow the top coat to apply evenly and you will have a nice, balanced finish. Also make sure the brush is the correct type and will load up well and discharge the paint evenly with your stroke. Too many us us will stir, shake, and then start thinning the paint when in fact we are not using the correct type of brush.

For large areas, such as the bottom of a hull, I pretty much use the airbrush.  On plastic modern ships, I do almost all my painting with an airbrush, but for wooden models and models of period sailing ships, I like to use a brush because I like the artistic affects I can do with paint on wood better with a brush.

[rynmss]

There is some white on the mast, and currently painting the buffalo rails.

 

I ordered some Humbrol acrylic and find it to be world's better than the Model Expo paints. The cream and buff paints from Model Expo covered great.

 

I am using the primer supplied with the paint kit.

[mikiek]

I would just add - when you say primer, for paints like white, buff, even yellows  use a white primer. Not light gray. Not that gray won't work but you may need to apply a couple of extra coats of paint to get rid if the dingy look of white over a darker color.

[Captain Poison]

Have you ever tried with Tamiya paints? the brand offers white base and flat white paint ideal not only for plastic but also for wood.

[thibaultron]

Thaks for the advice to used white primer. In the next couple of weeks, I am going to be painting a mostly white ship!

[Telp]

Car spray paints are wonderful, a white primer followed by a few easy coats of white finish will give you a great finish. if you can brush finish then you can again get a first class finish by building the paint up gently between the coats, on one coat brush lengthways, the next coat brush widthways, then lengthways then widthways, rolls Royce cars which were hand painted for many years were painted by coach painting techniques which were and still are as good as any spray job. Trouble with acrylics is they dry too fast when painted with a brush and they drag, you can use house paint as well, just give a nice gentle scuff over between coats. To get rid of dust you can get a thing called a tack rag which when wiped gently over the paint will lift any dusty bits.