painting without brush strokes

[niwotwill]

I have never been able to paint flat surface without brush strokes and would like to hear how other people do it. Any and all help is appreciated.

 

[BenD]

Thinning the paint you are using will help.  Acrylics tend to mostly need water and a bit of flow improver if needed.  Don't apply the paint in thick glops but in a thin film and do 3+ coats.  Getting a near airbrush finish is possible with some practice.

 

What paints are you using? 

[georgeband]

I agree with what Ben says. I usually paint with acrylics and have used up to 6 thin coats for a large area. The drying time for acrylics is short so the method does not add a huge amount of delay. 

The other suggestion I would make is to use a larger brush. The typical small modelling brush is fine for little things like cannon but does not provide enough coverage for a larger area such as a hull bottom. Go to an artists' supplies shop and buy something there. 

 

People at a modelling club near me (mostly aircraft and tanks) split between those who use an airbrush and those who prefer a hairy stick. The airbrush users seem to spend much of their time masking which is a different skill. Personally I do not much like an airbrush finish which to me looks speckled and toy-like, but an airbrush can achieve things which a brush cannot, and vice versa. 

 

George

 

[niwotwill]

Thanks guys I go and give it a try.

 

[Danstream]

As already said above, one key point is to use thinned paint and many layers. At the beginning the coverage is very poor, but it quickly improves by adding layers. It also helps to have a very light fine sanding in between, it allows paint to 'bite' and makes the surface even and free from strokes and irregularities. Matt paint is easier than gloss paint. In several occasions, I started with a matt color and then switched to the gloss version of the same color. For the a gloss finish quality of brushes is essential, especially for the last 2-3 layers.

 

Good luck,

Dan.

[kurtvd19]

On 5/26/2021 at 3:09 AM, georgeband said:

I do not much like an airbrush finish which to me looks speckled and toy-like,

I don't like them either, but this isn't a good paint finish and it's not the fault of the airbrush (unless a total piece of junk is used ie: Harbor Freight Chinese rip offs)

An airbrush properly used will produce a very fine finish.

[James H]

On 5/26/2021 at 9:09 AM, georgeband said:

Personally I do not much like an airbrush finish which to me looks speckled and toy-like, but an airbrush can achieve things which a brush cannot, and vice versa. 

 

 

Here's my speckled and toy-like airbrush result  

 

To be honest, if that's what you're getting or seen, it's because the paint isn't being thinned enough. 

I work almost exclusively in acrylics now, and this Typhoon was done entirely in acrylic.

[Justin P.]

I agree with what everyone has said.   @Chuck has a good explanation of his process in one of his many published tutorials and build logs - of which there are too many for me to dig through at the moment to find, but the essence is to thin out your paint and use many layers.  

 

My personal process is to first make sure I have a well sanded and sealed surface, and then to use a thin wash, almost 1:1 paint/water.   I sand with fine sandpaper between each coat and apply until the color saturates to the desired level.   

 

I have used airbrushes in the past and do like their results, but find the apparatus and additional setup to be cumbersome and annoying.   

[James H]

3 minutes ago, Justin P. said:

I agree with what everyone has said.   @Chuck has a good explanation of his process in one of his many published tutorials and build logs - of which there are too many for me to dig through at the moment to find, but the essence is to thin out your paint and use many layers.  

 

My personal process is to first make sure I have a well sanded and sealed surface, and then to use a thin wash, almost 1:1 paint/water.   I sand with fine sandpaper between each coat and apply until the color saturates to the desired level.   

 

I have used airbrushes in the past and do like their results, but find the apparatus and additional setup to be cumbersome and annoying.   

Yup. 

 

My basic formula is a 50:50 paint to thinners. If enamel, I think a little more.

[niwotwill]

I want to thank everyone for their comments and suggestions. I've taken them to heart and bought a set of good water color brushes. I also started to use acrylic artist paint in the tubes and if the color is correct I used Winsor & Newton Crimson and a cup palette. Below is my first attempt on the Cheerful windlass mini-kit from Chuck. This is three coats and its looking like one or two more will do the trick.

 

 

Again a BIG THANK YOU this forum is fantastic.

 

 

[Bob Cleek]

The method of application isn't really the critical factor. There is much more to a successful finish than learning to use a paintbrush or an airbrush alone. What most of those who haven't been taught by professional painters don't understand is the art of conditioning their paint, as pros call it. "Thinning" is only one conditioning factor. Flow control is essential. Flow is basically "drying time." Drying time is a function of both simple evaporation of the water, alcohol, or hydrocarbon solvents that hold the pigment (solids) and binder (oil or acrylic) in suspension so they can be applied. Brush stokes can be minimized if the brushing is done well and if the paint is thinned, but it really takes conditioning the paint to eliminate brush strokes completely. Retarders slow the polymerization of the binder so that the binder and pigment "lay down" evenly on the painted surface. When your paint is properly conditioned, you don't have to worry about brush strokes because they will "lay down" and disappear of their own accord if you give the paint time enough to "lay down" before the carrier evaporates and the binder stiffens. Check out manufacturer's instructions (reading the labels on the bottles does help!) for conditioning and search YouTube for instructional videos. Once you get the hang of conditioning your paint, that is, balancing the amount of carrier and its evaporation rate to the speed of the binder's hardening using the materials for your type of coating, be it traditional oil paint or modern acrylics, you will be surprised how easy it is to get a great finish. I'm sorry, but it isn't something that lends itself to text instruction. You have to be shown, or experiment yourself until you get the hang of it. Part of that has to do with the other variable in the equation, the environmental factors. The ambient temperature and humidity will effect the drying and curing times, as well, so getting it right is an exercise in rubbing your stomach and patting your head at the same time.

 

I'm not a big fan of acrylics, although they do seem to be getting better over time. One tip I can share which may work for others is that  when I do use them, I use an acrylic coating that is soluble in alcohol, not water. There are two reasons for this. 1) Water will raise the grain on bare wood, while alcohol (and solvents when using oil based coatings) does not, and 2) alcohol evaporates much faster than water. A "hot" (fast evaporating) thinner will almost always produce a better finish. (This is why the old Floquil paints were so loved by those old enough to remember them. Their Dio-Sol proprietary solvent was extremely "hot.") So, if you feel the need to thin your acrylic and it's soluble in alcohol or water, try using alcohol and see how you like it. Similarly, when airbrushing oil paints, I will sometimes use acetone to thin oil paint because of its high rate of evaporation. 

 

 

[georgeband]

This has been a lively discussion and I apologise unreservedly to James H and others who achieve wonders with an airbrush. As mentioned by Kurt it is not the airbrush itself which is the problem but the skill and ability of the user, and James's Typhoon shows what can be achieved. Unfortunately pictures like this give some people the idea that all they need is an airbrush and everything will become good, whereas it requires practice and experimenting and sound advice and an aptitude to get to that high level. There is a saying "all the gear but no idea" which applies to so many hobbies. 

 

Personally I enjoy painting with a hairy stick and occasionally I use a rattle-can of car paint for some jobs such as a 'silver' aircraft model. I realise that a feathered edge is much simpler with an airbrush, as is a graded dusting of dirt, but they are rare on the models I make. Perhaps I choose models which suit my style of work. I do enjoy adding fine details with a steady hand and shy away from masking which is a different skill that does not attract me. Each to his own, be happy with what you can achieve and make the next one better. 

 

George