Tamiya Acrylic Paint Review

- Gunpla Supplies -

Tamiya Acrylic Paint

Hey guys, like I said in my previous post, i'm really keen on getting back into the blog and increasing my activity and content here. So without getting off topic (for now) here's a review of the Tamiya Acrylic Paint Series:

 A small collection of Tamiya Acrylic paints.

Now to get things started, I will say this: The Tamiya paint series, whether it be the acrylics or the enamels - they are made to be airbrushed. If you are planning to handbrush the entire model kit; the paints will still work but may be a bit of a hassle as they are made specifically to be airbrushed. For those modelers who wish to get into handbrushing; I would recommend you look into the Vallejo Model Color range as they are specifically targeted for handbrushing.

Handbrushing smalls details however should not be a problem as long as it is not as diluted as the mix you use for the airbrush. If you are planning to use the Tamiya Acyrlic range to paint the entire kit, I would recommend you thin the paint for airbrushing then detail the kit with the paint unthinned. That means just dip our brush into the jar and then apply the paint. This will ensure that the paint will stick to the surface, will only take one coat and will also reduce the risk of paint dripping off and ruining the model.

Now the next question might be: "Should I use the gloss colors or the flat colors for my kits". I believe that it is preference. Some modelers say that using the gloss will reduce the amount of paint used for the kit but I have personally seen no difference. The only recognizable difference is the varnish. The flat paints generally look a little grainy when painted on whilst the gloss paints look smoother. I guess this is what gives it the different looks. However, although saying this, the complete result will look the same whether you use the gloss or flat. The reason is because after painting on the surface, you are most likely going to apply a topcoat of some sort (most likely gloss due to panel lining and applying decals) which will change the varnish or look of the paint's surface. The effect of putting a topcoat on a flat surface or a gloss surface will not look any different. Therefore, the decision of whether to use a flat paint or a gloss paint is entirely up to preference.

NOTE: The flat and the gloss of a particular colour, (e.g. blue) usually varies ever so slightly. This means that a flat blue against a gloss blue will not look exactly the same in colour. The difference is very small but the shade of color may influence your decision in buying a flat vs a gloss.

All paints bearing the XF prefix are all flat based colors

All paints bearing the X prefix are gloss based colors

All metallic colors have the X prefix

The metallic paints from the Tamiya Acyrlic line were (to be completely honest) a little disappointing. The way they came out just seemed a little cheap when compared to other metallic paints such as the ever so popular Alclad II chromes (Laquer paints) or even the Gaia metallic paints (also Laquers). This is because when spray painted on, or even hand brushed on -  the paint appears to separate. By this I mean that the paint doesn't look consistent. It looks as if the sparkles/glitter product they use to make the metallic finish separate from the base colour and ends up looking a little cheap. From far however, it looks pretty nice and consistent. This observation however seems a little inconsistent because the metallic blue seems very poor in finish when compared to the gold. The gold looks pretty nice and that separation was not really present. This could be because of the different thinners I used for the two colors or perhaps it could be due to the amount of coats you apply to the surface. With the gold, I applied perhaps 4 coats of paint thinned with the Tamiya Acrylic thinner whereas the metallic blue was thinned with 70% Isopropyl Alcohol and applied only 2 or 3 coats. If you have some supply of Tamiya Acrylic Paints, please test this out and see if there is a difference in finish. But for now - to achieve the best reflective chrome finishes you can use Alclad II, Gaia paints or for the absolute best chrome finish -Kossutte Gin San. Kossutte is a very very fine graphite powder that you rub onto a surface which gives a very nice reflective effect.

If you can get a hold of some, use the Tamiya Acrylic thinner for the best look. The Tamiya thinner is designed by Tamiya specifically for their Acyrlic paint line so it yields the best consistency. And of course use a pipette to collect and drop the thinner into the paint.

Windex Glass cleaner to clean surfaces from acrylic paints 

Acrylic paints are very easy to clean when compared to enamel and laquer paints. You can use either Isopropyl Alcohol or for the best and cheapest option, you can use Windex Glass cleaner to remove the paint. I use Windex to clean my airbrush, paint stirrer and mixing tray and it comes right of no problem. Just use a Q-tip to gently rub it off the surface. This can also be used to clean off paint off the piece if you wish to start again.

Note: Windex can be diluted 50% and still remove acrylic paints with no hassle. The bottle of Isopropyl Alcohol in the picture contains Windex as I ran out of Isopropyl Alcohol and just use it to squeeze Windex into the cup of my airbrush to clean it.

So finally to conclude this review I just want to say that I previously had alot of trouble looking for reviews on the Tamiya Acrylic paints and the information regarding the paints I have been found to be a little dated as Tamiya has since changed their formula from 2007 (I believe from memory). So I just wanted to have an updated review of the paints for all those modelers that want to give it a try or perhaps just curious. I hope that you were more informed by the conclusion if the review and hope you enjoyed it.

Well that about does it for this review guys. I hope this helps all of you out there and as always, thanks so much for viewing and tune in again soon for more updates, reviews and gunpla related content. Enjoy!

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