Brush painting wagons..

[Sweet pea]

Some advice needed on brush painting wagons with Vallejo acrylic paint. With larger area is it best to use a flat brush and should the paint be applied thinly and build up with several coats. Any advice will be greatly received.

[Jeff Smith]

A flat brush is always IMO the best type of brush to use as you can get a better finish in the flat areas and is also good for edges.  The viscosity of the paint is also important, Vallejo Model Color can be a bit too thick but can be thinned with a drop of water.  Vallejo Model Air is thinner but I have no experience of brush painting with this.  Remember, with acrylics, several thin coats are better than one thick coat.

 

You might want to sample other brands of acrylic paint as IMO there are better paints out there.

[Right Away]

Ditto to what Jeff advises above.

Thinner coats will also allow you to better gauge how fine relief details, planking, hinges etc will be rendered with each application.

[Steven B]

I've found that Vallejo Model Air brushes on very nicely and has good coverage too.

 

As modellers we often reach for a small brush as we're painting something small. Often a larger diameter/width brush will give a better finish.

 

Steven B.

[Hal Nail]

I removed a panel from a loco so had to repaint a small area about 1cm high. I used a 1cm soft flat brush in one pass. Thinned paint and the least brush strokes the better for a good finish.

 

Incidentally you can always sand/buff out any imperfections using 2000 grade wet and dry.

Edited April 10, 2022 by Hal Nail

[Campaman]

I use both Model Colour and Model Air, and although the Model Air is thinner I still thin it both for brush painting and spraying.