Model Paints: Acrylics, Enamels, and Lacquers — A Guide to Choosing and Using

Paints are the heart of every static model-making project. Understanding the difference between acrylics, enamels, and lacquers, knowing which thinner to use, which primer to apply, and which clear coat to protect the work is what separates an amateur finish from a professional one. The market is crowded and confusing: this guide brings order, explaining each product family, their compatibility, and correct use.

The three main families of paints

All model making revolves around three types of paint, distinguished by their base solvent. Understanding this distinction is key to avoiding ruining your work by mixing incompatible products.

Acrylics

Acrylics are water-based (or water/alcohol hybrid) paints. They are the most used by beginners because they thin and clean with water, have reduced odor, and are relatively safe. The main ranges:

• Vallejo Model Color: 17ml dropper bottle acrylics, opaque, designed for brush painting. Opaque and pigmented, a reference for figures and detail work. Approximately 3€ per bottle.
• Vallejo Model Air: pre-thinned for airbrush, ready to use. A vast range of military, aircraft, and naval colors.
• Citadel (Games Workshop): designed for wargaming, excellent for brush, with the famous range of Contrast and Shade (ready-to-use washes). 18ml bottle approximately 4€.
• AK Real Colors: hybrid acrylic-lacquer with very high color fidelity (real RAL and FS colors), excellent for airbrush, ultra-matte finish.
• Ammo (Mig): complete acrylic range with products dedicated to weathering, washes, and special effects.

Tip: not all "acrylics" are the same. Classic Vallejo are pure water-based and easily re-workable, while AK Real Colors and Mr. Hobby Aqueous are acrylic-lacquers: more resistant and harder when dry, but require dedicated thinners to perform best with an airbrush.

Enamels

Enamels are solvent-based (white spirit / mineral spirits). They have a long drying time (an advantage for blending) and a robust finish. Historically the standard in model making, today they are less used for base coating but indispensable for weathering (washes, filters, oils). The historical ranges:

• Humbrol: tinlet enamels, the standard for entire generations of modelers, especially British. Wide range of military and civilian colors.
• Revell Email Color: the German brand's enamels, matched to the numbering of their kits.

Enamels thin and clean with odorless white spirit. Oil washes and enamel weathering products (AK, Ammo, Mig) belong to this family and are applied over a clear-coated base.

Lacquers

Lacquers (strong solvent-based, like acetone/toluene) are the most resistant paints with the smoothest and hardest finish. They dry very quickly and adhere to any surface. They are preferred by experienced modelers for base coating, especially with an airbrush. The leading ranges:

• Tamiya (X and XF series, in jar and spray): technically acrylic lacquers, thinnable with Tamiya X-20A or even better with lacquer thinner (Mr. Color Levelling Thinner). Excellent finish, perfect adhesion.
• Mr. Color (GSI Creos): the quintessential Japanese lacquer, an endless and highly accurate range, an absolute reference for aircraft and ships. Mr. Color Thinner or Levelling Thinner.
• Mr. Hobby Aqueous (Hobby Color): GSI's water-based acrylic-lacquer line, milder than Mr. Color but very good.
• Gaianotes: premium Japanese lacquers, exceptional pigmentation and coverage, loved by high-level modelers.

Caution: lacquers have aggressive solvents. Adequate ventilation and a mask with organic vapor filters are necessary. They can attack bare plastic if applied too wet, so they are always used over primer.

Thinners and mediums

Correct thinning is half the battle, especially with an airbrush. In addition to the specific thinners for each system, there are additives that improve application:

• Flow Improver (Vallejo, Liquitex): reduces the surface tension of acrylics, prevents airbrush clogs, and improves fluidity without over-thinning the paint.
• Retarder: slows down the drying of acrylics, essential for wet blending with a brush and for preventing paint from drying on the airbrush needle (tip dry).
• Levelling Thinner (Mr. Color, Gaianotes): lacquer thinner with a self-leveling additive that eliminates brush strokes and orange peel effect with an airbrush.

Primers: the foundation of everything

Primer evens out the surface, provides adhesion for the paint, and reveals defects to be corrected. Never paint on bare plastic for serious work. The references:

• Mr. Surfacer 1000 / 1200 (GSI): lacquer-based primer-filler, in jar (for airbrush) and spray. 1000 is more opaque, 1200 is finer for already smooth surfaces. The gold standard.
• Stynylrez (Badger): acrylic airbrush primer, exceptional adhesion and robustness, water-based. Much loved for figures and vehicles.
• Vallejo Surface Primer: acrylic primer in a bottle for airbrush, convenient and low odor, excellent for those working indoors.
• Tamiya and Citadel spray cans: practical and reliable spray primers for those not using an airbrush.

Varnishes: gloss, satin, and matte

Clear coats (varnishes) protect the model and define the final finish, as well as preparing surfaces for decals and weathering. Three types:

• Gloss: smooth and reflective surface. Applied before decals (to prevent silvering) and before enamel washes.
• Satin: intermediate finish, realistic for many subjects (semi-worn vehicles, ships).
• Matte: typical final finish for military vehicles and camouflaged aircraft, eliminates reflections.

Reference brands: AK Gauzy Agent / Ultra Matte, Vallejo Mecha Varnish (very robust), Tamiya (X-22 gloss, XF-86 Flat Clear) and Mr. Color GX for competition glosses. For mirror-like glosses (cars, shiny aircraft), Mr. Color Super Clear or AK Gauzy are the best.

Compatibility between systems

The fundamental rule to avoid ruining hours of work: the stronger solvent attacks the weaker one, but not vice versa. In practice:

• A lacquer applied over an acrylic can dissolve it. Therefore: lacquers first (base), then acrylics and enamels on top.
• An enamel (white spirit) applied over a well-dried acrylic is safe — this is the basis of oil weathering on vehicles. But a clear protective coat is needed between the two layers for safety.
• Water-based acrylic is the "gentlest": it can be applied over almost anything without attacking the underlying layers.

The winning sequence tested by generations: primer (lacquer) → base (lacquer or acrylic) → gloss clear coat → decals → gloss clear coat → washes and weathering (enamel/oil) → final clear coat (matte/satin).

Tip: if in doubt about compatibility, always interpose a coat of acrylic or lacquer clear coat. It acts as a "barrier" between layers of different systems and also allows you to correct a weathering error by removing it with its solvent without affecting the underlying base.

Paint storage

Paints degrade over time, but good management makes them last for years:

• Airtight seal: always clean the rim and cap before closing; dry paint on the rim allows air in.
• Agitation: pigments settle. Shake vigorously before use; inserting a steel ball (agitator) into the bottle helps to remix.
• Purchase date: write it on the bottle. Acrylics last 3-5 years, lacquers and enamels even longer if well sealed.

How to revive dry or thickened acrylics

A thickened (not completely solidified) Vallejo acrylic can be recovered by adding a few drops of Flow Improver + distilled water (or the specific Vallejo Thinner Medium) and shaking for a long time with the agitator ball. If a film has formed on the surface, remove it first. A completely solid (block) acrylic unfortunately cannot be recovered. Thickened lacquers can be revived with their own thinner.

Test strips: try before you err

Before applying a new color or dilution to the model, test it on a test strip: a plastic spoon, a piece of scrap sprue, or a piece of plasticard. This way you check coverage, correct airbrush dilution (it should produce a fine, even line), and the final effect of the color once dry, avoiding irreversible surprises on the model.

Brush painting vs airbrush for each type

Not all paints perform best with the same tool.

• Opaque acrylics (Vallejo Model Color, Citadel): designed for brush painting. Excellent for figures, details, and touch-ups. For airbrush, they need careful thinning.
• Airbrush acrylics (Vallejo Air, AK Real Colors): designed for airbrush, they perform best on large surfaces and camouflage.
• Lacquers (Tamiya, Mr. Color): ideal for airbrush for a smooth finish. With a brush, they dry too quickly and leave streaks, except for small touch-ups.
• Enamels (Humbrol): excellent for both brush (long drying time that levels brush strokes) and airbrush for weathering.

The airbrush and paints: a fundamental pairing

Much of the choice of paints depends on the application tool. The airbrush has transformed model making, allowing smooth and uniform finishes impossible with a brush on large surfaces. Each paint family has an optimal dilution for the airbrush: pure acrylics often need to be brought to a consistency similar to partially skimmed milk with water and flow improver, while lacquers perform best with leveling thinner that self-levels the spray. Typical pressure varies from 1.5-2 bar for large coverage to 0.8-1 bar for feathered camouflage and fine details.

The most frequent airbrush problem is tip dry: paint drying on the nozzle tip and clogging it. This is combated by adding retarder and flow improver, and regularly cleaning the tip. For brush painting, on the other hand, the paint's pigmentation (opaque covering acrylics like Vallejo Model Color and Citadel are ideal) and thinning in multiple thin coats on a wet palette that keeps the paint workable are important.

Weathering products

Alongside base paints, there is an entire universe of products dedicated to weathering, which deserve a mention because they often confuse beginners. They are divided by solvent family:

• Washes (AK, Ammo, Citadel Shade): fluid dark glazes to fill recesses and create shadows. Available in both acrylic and enamel bases.
• Filters and oils (Abteilung 502, AK Oilbrushers): oil paints to modulate tones and create chromatic variations, always solvent-based, to be used on a clear-coated surface.
• Pigments (MIG, AK, Vallejo): powders for dirt, dust, mud, and rust, fixed with specific fixers or mineral spirits.
• Special effects: products for oil, fuel, fresh mud, snow, dry mud — all dedicated and ready to use.

The compatibility rule also applies here: work from bottom (base) to top (weathering), interposing clear coats as a barrier between layers of different systems.

Health and safety in painting

Model paints are not harmless, especially solvent-based lacquers and enamels. Some fundamental precautions:

• Ventilation: working with lacquers with an airbrush requires a spray booth with external extraction, or at least a very well-ventilated environment.
• Mask with filters: for strong solvents, an organic vapor filter mask (type A) is needed, not a simple dust mask.
• Skin and eyes: nitrile gloves and goggles when handling aggressive solvents.
• Storage: away from heat sources and flames; lacquers are flammable.

Tip: if you work indoors without a spray booth, prioritize water-based acrylics (Vallejo, Stynylrez) which have significantly lower odor and toxicity. Reserve lacquers for sessions in adequately equipped and ventilated environments.

Metallic paints

Metallic paints, notoriously capricious, deserve a separate chapter. They are divided into two main families. Metallic acrylics and enamels (Vallejo Metal Color, Humbrol Metallic, Tamiya X-11/X-31) contain metallic particles in suspension: they are easy to use but their "shine" is limited. Metallic lacquers (Alclad II, AK Xtreme Metal, Mr. Metal Color) offer an unparalleled chrome and mirror effect, indispensable for natural metal surfaces of aircraft, but require a perfect glossy base and careful handling because they mark to the touch until sealed. For small metallic details (barrels, jewelry, mechanical parts), there are also metallic waxes like Rub'n Buff and rub-on inks.

Diluting correctly: the golden rule

More than anything else, dilution makes the difference between amateur and professional painting. The golden rule is: many thin coats are better than one thick coat. Paint that is too thick drowns details, leaves brush strokes, and produces an "orange peel" effect or spatters (spidering) with an airbrush. Paint that is too thin runs and loses coverage. The ideal consistency for an airbrush is often compared to milk; for a brush, slightly thicker. Each color and brand has its optimal point, and test strips are precisely for finding it before applying the color to the actual model.

Recognizing and correcting defects

Even experienced modelers encounter painting defects. Knowing how to recognize them allows for correction:

• Orange peel: rough and grainy surface, caused by paint that is too thick or incorrect pressure. Remedied by light sanding and repainting with more dilution.
• Crackling: typical when a lacquer attacks an unprotected underlying acrylic layer. Preventable by respecting system compatibility.
• Tip dry and spatters: paint drying on the airbrush nozzle. Prevented with retarder and frequent cleaning.
• Decal silvering: the silvery halo around decals applied to a matte surface. Avoided by applying decals on a glossy base.
• Retraction and hazing: paint retracting from edges. Indicates an un-degreased surface or missing primer.

Organizing and numbering your paint collection

Those who practice model making for a long time inevitably accumulate dozens, if not hundreds, of bottles. Managing this collection rationally saves time and money. Some good practices: store bottles vertically and tightly closed, group them by system (acrylics, lacquers, enamels) and by color family, and label the cap with the color code visible from above, so you can spot it at a glance in a drawer. Keeping a small inventory (even just a note on your phone) of owned colors avoids repurchasing shades you already have and helps plan purchases for a specific project. Dedicated modular racks (wooden or 3D printed) are an investment that pays off in order and work speed. Finally, remember that paints have a lifespan: rotate your stock by using older bottles first to prevent waste.

Which paints to buy to start

For those starting from scratch, it's best not to immediately fill your drawer. A reasonable starter kit includes: a universal acrylic primer, a small selection of basic colors in the range best suited to your subject (Vallejo acrylics for figures and vehicles, Tamiya or Mr. Color lacquers for aircraft and ships), the three fundamental clear coats (gloss, satin, and matte), a panel line wash, a dedicated thinner, and basic mediums (flow improver and retarder). From this base, expand your collection according to actual projects, avoiding the typical beginner's mistake: buying dozens of colors only to always use the same five.

Conclusions

There is no "best paint": there is the right product for each phase. A proven strategy for beginners: Stynylrez or Vallejo primer, base with Vallejo Air acrylics with an airbrush, brush details with Model Color, AK clear coats, and oil weathering. As you grow, introduce Mr. Color lacquers for smoother bases. Always remember the compatibility rule, do test strips, write the date on the bottles — and your paints, like your models, will last over time.