Acrylics: Water based paint (Hand Painting) 

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Acrylic paint is a fast-drying paint made of pigment suspended in acrylic polymer emulsion. Acrylic paints are water-soluble but become water-resistant when dry. It can be thinned with water, however, this leaves a risk of the paint colors being faded. It is better to use the appropriate acrylic thinner.

Notable brands include: Mr. Hobby Aqueous, Mr. Hobby Acrysion, AMMO by Mig Jimenez, Tamiya Acrylics, and Games Workshop Citadel.

Advantages:

  • Less Toxic and safe to general use. You may use them in less ventilated areas.
  • Can be easily thinned with water, though the best results are obtained using the Aqueous thinner.
  • A curing time of 1 hour per layer for most paints.

    • Disadvantages:

  • Doesn't apply well to plastic surfaces if used without primer or surface preparations (either by lightly sanding the surface or washing the piece in soapy warm water, then left to air dry)
  • Difficult to blend paints without the proper techniques (for example, camouflage patterns)
  • Once dried, coats become waterproof. Sanding may be the only way to remove paints which can damage the model if not done properly.

    • Lacquers: (Air brush/Spray cans)

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    Lacquer based paint uses Cellulose as a solvent. They are normally highly toxic and very strong smelling, fast drying, very flammable, but often leave a hard and durable shell coating with a high flash quick drying/evaporating time. It does require thinner.

    Notable brands include: Mr. Hobby Colour, Mr. Hobby Spray Cans, Gaianotes, Tamiya Lacquer.

    Advantages:

  • Coats of paint dry quickly (in about 5-10 minutes) with hard, durable shells.
  • Can be polished with extremely high grit sandpaper for a gloss finish.
  • Relatively quick and easy to learn and apply. Painting entire models can be done in just a few hours.
  • Mistakes can easily be removed by brushing the paint by thinner.

    • Disadvantages:

  •  Highly toxic and must be applied in a well-ventilated area.
  •  Plastic pieces must first be primed, as the thinner may weaken the plastic.
  • It's not suitable for hand painting due to the quick drying time and may lead to brush strokes being visible.
  • An Airbrush is required for application which may be a costly investment. Spray cans are an alternative but can only be used on painting large areas (precision work is nearly impossible unless heavy and precise masking [tape] work is done beforehand)

    • Enamel: Oil Based paint (Hand Painting)

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    Enamels are oil based paint, which typically takes up a long time to fully cure though they are very rich in pigments. Often this is the slow and steady option which gives the consistent coating of color throughout the model. Enamels are some of the best options suited for hand painting. They are a bit difficult to apply without appropriate thinner as they better spread out the paint over the model surface whilst curing.

    Notable brands include: Gaianotes Enamel, Tamiya Enamel.

    Advantages:

  • Adheres well to smooth plastic surfaces.
  • Once dried, paint coats are very durable.
  •  A slow drying/curing time means the paint has plenty of time to level out, giving some of the best finishes for hand painting, reducing visible brush strokes.
  • Blending colors and patterns is very easy
  • Mistakes can easily be removed by brushing the paint by thinner.

    • Disadvantages:

  • Must be used in well ventilated areas as the toxic fumes from the paint may cause health problems.
  • Must be thinned with Enamel thinner or white spirit, which is also quite toxic.
  • Curing time can take up to 3 days to a week. (Longer when thinned)
  • Some Plastic pieces may need to be primed first or protected with top coats as the thinner may weaken the plastic.