Gundam Model Kits Paints Tutorial

Hi,

Now i will introduce what i usually use for painting my Gundam model kits. For you who
confuse how to paint gundam, the first step you should know is what type of paint do you
want to use. Now there are basically three types of paints i use regularly.

First is Enamel Paint.

Enamel paint is good for painting small details or engraving like chest part in master grade
sinanju, enamel paint however is not really good at painting large part such as legs, arms and
whole head/body.

For disolving enamel paint, you need enamel thinner (picture above). You only need a small
amount of enamel thinner to disolve the paint.

Now the good side for enamel paint that it’s very easy to use for brushing, yet the weakness
is that enamel paint dry very slow and easily scratched.

Next type of paint is Acrylic paint.

Now this one is a favorite of mine to paint my Gundam model kits. Acrylic paint is water
based paint that dries quickly and very easy to use with airbrush. It is not very good to use
with handbrush.

I personally use Tamiya Acrylic paint to brush most of my gundam kit nowadays. The texture
are smooth, the color is good, and there’s no strong chemical smell when used and the main
benefit is that acrylic paint is easily disolved by alcohol 95%, you don’t need to buy
expensive thinner to use acrylic paint.

The weakness is obvious, compared to the laquer based paint, Acrylic paint is fairly weak and
easily scratched. That’s why i use TOP COAT after painting with my acrylic paint (picture
below)
Now this top coat is used after you finish all your work, the main purpose of this topcoat is to
give one strong layer to your paint job. This top coat is laquer based (the strongest type of
paint). How to use it? just spray all over your finished Gundam model and you’re done.

There are many types for this top coat, gloss, semi gloss, flat and others. Choose which one
do you like the most.

Last but not least, Laquer Paint.

Laquer paint is the strongest paint and the most popular paint used for painting gundam
model kits. You need airbrush and laquer thinner (picture above) to use these paints. The
advantage of laquer paint is that laquer paint dry quickly, has a smooth texture, very strong
and not easily scratched, easy to use and has a lot of beautiful color. My main problem with
laquer paint is that this paint has a very strong chemical odor which i cannot stand. That is
why i choose acrylic paints (I still love my lungs).

Conclusion

If you only want to add details and make your Gundam model kits box color accurate, use
brush and enamel paint for the easiest way. but if you want total repaint, use laquer or acrylic
paint with airbrush and enamel paint only for detailing.