[Random note]Here are some of the paints I often use to paint my garage kits and how I use them! (Patreon)

When it comes to garage kits, the best part is assembling and painting them yourself, and I have received requests to introduce what kind of paints use for painting.

As a precaution, the paints introduced here are generally distributed in Japan, but many of them are difficult to obtain outside of Japan (Gaianotes, Accel S, Modelkasten, etc.).

Therefore, I think it would be a good idea to use Tamiya's lacquer paints or paints made by other manufacturers that are distributed worldwide as a substitute.

As long as you can mix the colors properly, paints from any manufacturer will work. However, please note that if you really want a bin raw color, the manufacturer's ready-made color will shine the brightest.

Also, as I always say, if you have any comments or requests, please feel free to leave them!

■Commonly used paints and how to use them1 (for base paints)

Now let's get started!

┃White surfacer and clear paint are the foundation for color mixing

The first thing you need when doing rubble is not only each color paint (any lacquer from any manufacturer will do!), but also white, gray and black surfacers, and lacquer clear (gloss).

I am using Creos finishing surfacer 1200-1500.

The difference between a primer surfacer (plasaf) and a finishing surfacer is the number and whether it contains a primer.

I only use 1200 for gray because I don't often use a surfacer to fill in scratches, but if you also want to fill in scratches, you should get a lower number as well.

As for the surfacer white 1500, I use it quite often in color mixing. Many people may think that mixing surfacer and paint is difficult because of the large particles. However, I personally dilute it with solvent and clear and use it for color mixing, so I don't have any trouble with the particle size.

I find it especially useful when making the base color for the base of the painting.

Everyone has their own way of painting, but for non-surfaced areas such as skin, I apply a base color (pigment) and then coat with pigment or dye (clear paint) diluted with clear and solvent to create a gradation.

Therefore, the only white paints I have are Gaianotes Ultimate White and Clear White. Actually, it would be better to have multiple colors, but I don't have a chance to use them because I substitute all of them with white surfacers...

┃The only primer that can be used is Finisher's Multi-Primer.

High grades of surfacer, such as 1500, do not contain a primer, so the paint will not adhere to the substrate. So primer is essential for proper adhesion.

Although various paint manufacturers sell clear primers, I sometimes hold parts with my bare hands before painting, so I find it difficult to use the types that stick to the surface (e.g., Mitchacron).

So as far as primers go, I am currently only using Finishers' Multi-Primer.

This primer is not sticky at all when I touch it after it dries, and I wonder if it is really effective as a primer? I tend to think so, but there is no problem.

If you apply this primer after removing the mold release agent and then apply the paint, the paint will not come off due to masking.

In terms of ease of use, this is the best primer for models available today. It can also be used as a primer for brass wire and aluminum round bar, making it versatile.

┃It is easy to replenish a large volume of  lacquer clear by dividing it into smaller portions

For clear, of course, I use lacquer clear, but since I use it heavily in paint dilution and clear coats, I buy a 4kg can of Axel S #100 clear and replenish it in smaller 1kg cans when needed.

The characteristic of this Axel S lacquer clear is that after curing, it becomes a fairly hard paint film. Also, the paint in the can is slightly yellow from the start.

Of course, it can be diluted, and since it is unlikely to be applied thickly, this is not a problem, but if you really want something clear, we recommend Gaianotes' EX-03 Clear! 

It was not uncommon for EX-03 to become difficult to obtain due to the covid19, so this has been very helpful in terms of eliminating that hassle.

┃Pure colors cyan, magenta, yellow, and violet, the key to color mixing

Basically I never use colors straight from the bottle. I try to mix colors to get as close as possible to the color of the character I am painting, but when I mix solid (not clear) pre-made colors, the colors inevitably become muddy. The reason for this is that pigments such as white or black are mixed in.

Therefore, in order to achieve the best possible color mixing without muddying, pure cyan, magenta, yellow, and violet are often mixed with surfacer white or other pre-existing colors.

I used to use Gaianotes pure colors a lot, but I am switching to Accel S for frequently used color pure colors and clear colors. (Creos also has a series of pure colors called "Iro no minamoto.")

As for the color, I think it is generally the same as the pure colors of Gaia and Creos, so I recommend it for those who frequently use color mixing.

However, this is a special paint that is not generally distributed in Japan too and must be purchased through official mail order sites.

Cyan, magenta, and violet are especially used in many situations. Violet is recommended for use as a shade black (a black used in areas where you want to reduce saturation) by mixing it with a little bit of clear black. Using this shade black on white and other colors will bring out the fullness in areas that would otherwise be blurred.

On the left is a homemade clear black. And right is black for shade mixed with violet.

As we have mentioned in previous posts, this can be done by mixing the pure colors cyan, magenta, and yellow to make clear black itself. If you mix them all 1:1:1, you will get a greenish color, which can be neutralized by mixing in the right amount of violet.

The reason it can be neutralized is because the complementary color of green is purple to magenta. As you can see from the hue circle, mixing the complementary color of a certain color brings it closer to black (not strictly speaking black), so it can be neutralized.

Instead of just neutralizing it to a clear black, leaving it slightly purplish makes it a very usable black for shades.

■Frequently used paints and their usage2 (clear colors, metallics, matte coats, homemade stocks, etc.)

┃Red, green, blue, and yellow paints, both clear and solid, are useful to have

Now that I have told you about the basic paints, let's move on to the paints that would be applied over the base color.

I buy both clear and solid red green blue yellow in bottles because it is difficult to tone them myself, but I don't have many other solids because I can make most of them by toning pure colors and white.

I buy it in bottles because it is difficult to make around natural brown, clear brown, and clear orange.

Natural browns are easy to use because they can be mixed with black to make a textured brown that looks like aged leather.

As for green, it is not enough to keep it in stock because it is used very infrequently in figures. Even if you don't have it, you can make it by mixing pure cyan and yellow.

Incidentally, fluorescent paint is also a good thing to have, but I have not used it so far.

I use enamel fluorescent paints a lot (in eye paint), but it's strange that I never really have a chance to use lacquers...

┃Various metallic paints are used, such as Gaia, Creos, and Bone Paint.

The metallic often used is gold, but there are two types of gold, red gold and blue gold. I think that red gold is probably the most commonly used in the figure type. I avoid using blue gold because it often looks like it doesn't fit the atmosphere.

In red gold I often use SM207, Super Rich Gold 2. It is the only gold I use now.

It is a beautiful single-color gold, but if you use it extensively, it will result in a monotonous and boring paint job.

Therefore, it is advisable to use black or clear red for shades and add shadows as needed.

The good thing about this is that it does not require topcoat, and the gold particles are small, so the color is beautiful.

I like the good coloring that only red gold can give. Incidentally, it is a well-known story that the color of metallic gold and silver depends on the base coat.

If you want to make the best use of the base color, it is better to paint thinly.

As for silver, I would like to switch to Super Rich Silver, but I have yet to try Gaianotes' Premium Mirror Chrome (smaller particles) and Star Bright Silver (larger particles), which I also quite like.

Premium Mirror Chrome can be made shiny chrome as the name suggests if the substrate is polished gloss (or fully cured urethane), but since the solvent is an organic solvent, it will not become chrome if the substrate is a solvent-soluble material.

Naturally, if it is applied over lacquer clear, it will not become chrome, but will look like a matte coat. However, it has a nice texture, so I personally use it quite often.

For bronze, I recommend Gaianotes' 133 Pearl Copper, which has quite a nice texture. Most recently, I have been using it for Kashima-style buttons. It is a profound color that is totally different from gold, so I think it is easy to leave a lasting impression when used as a single point, unlike gold, which tends to be used more frequently.

Also, Creos Graphite Black is quite useful to have. It looks cool just by applying a solid coat to weapons and other items that you want to give a metallic texture.

For chrome, I often use Bone Paint's Bone Mirror for ease of use. (Not Bone Chrome.) It is quite tricky to paint, but it is useful because it does not require the use of urethane.

The thing I don't like about urethane is that it is too hard to remove the paint film when it fails, and if you use it only once a year, the hardener hardens after one use and becomes unusable... (I sometimes cry when the contents of a whole can hardens if it is a one-component type...)

So personally, when I say chrome, I think bone mirror. It is a bit, or rather quite expensive paint, but I have no other choice at the moment.

As for pearl paints, I only use Gaia's premium glass pearl paints these days. I don't often use pearl, but this paint is easy to use because it is a simple pearl paint without any polarizing color. If you want polarized colors, Creos' Crystal Color series might be good and easy to use.

┃GX114 for matte coated, EX-09 for semi-gloss

As for the matte coat, I think GX114 is the strongest. This paint has a different matte texture depending on how it is applied, so I would need to change it depending on the texture needed.

For a moist, glossy finish, apply one coat; for a neat matte coat, apply two or three coats. Note that too much dilution will not result in a matte coat. It is best to stir well before painting, as it tends to accumulate at the bottom of the bottle.

It is a versatile matte coat that can be used anywhere, but since it also mattifies metallic gloss, semi-gloss EX-09 is used for such areas.

To be honest, I thought semi-gloss was a paint that I did not know how to use, but in fact, it is quite useful because it gives a good matte finish to parts that contain metallic, while retaining the texture of the metallic.

However, it seems that different solvents are compatible with each other, and my main use of Accel S #35 thinner left white lumps on the painted surface. However, when I used Kreos T104 Thinner, there were no lumps at all (I learned this from Suzuki Shinya-san, he is one of a grate painter), so I recommend using T104 as a set when using this paint.

┃Basic skin tones are pinkish using Gaia + Modelkasten

The skin color is mainly a surfaceless paint, so clear color is used.

1 Gaianotes paint mixed with 059 and 060

2 Mucous membrane clear of Model Kasten

Paint these two in order. First, apply a thin coat of 1 and a very thin base color of yellow to orange. Be careful not to apply too much here, or the color will look strange. After that, carefully apply 2 coats in layers.

We have also done a test to create a similar color using paints other than these, so if you are interested, please read on.

▶Sukima's skin color painting method memorandum (paints needed to create pinkish skin)

https://www.patreon.com/posts/sukimas-skin-to-73845556 

Incidentally, if you make a slight mistake in painting and the color becomes too dark, you can retouch it by mixing Gaia's GS-05 (skin color surfacer) with a little white surfacer and applying a top coat locally with an airbrush.

The trick is to use only a little bit, as too much can cause a blatant color change.

┃Store leftover paint after mixing in a sealed sauce bottle

To be frank, isn't it a hassle to manage paint in bottles? (True intention).

When I have a lot of excess pre-mixed paint, I've grown tired of keeping it in bottles (bottles are too much trouble to dispose of and clean), so I try to store the excess paint in sauce-bottles and seal them in freezer bags.

Since the sauce bottle is made of plastic material, it must be stored in an airtight container to prevent the solvent from evaporating and coming out.

However, apart from this disadvantage, sauce bottle is easy to use and manage, and has the added advantage that it can be disposed of as soon as the contents are finished by volatilizing the solvent.

┃Best to find a painting and toning method that works for you

So I have tried to give you a light idea of the paints I use and how I use them.

Of course, there are other ways to use paints than these, and I am sure that some of the paints I use are wrong (especially white surfacers).

So, I hope that you will find your own way and optimize your own painting method by reading various people's painting methods and model magazines!

There is a textbook magazine for garage kits called How to Paint Bishojo Garage Kits, and I think that if you watch my videos, you can get a general idea of how to move the airbrush and other techniques.

Although not the main focus here, I often use the pure colors cyan, magenta, and yellow from Gaianotes for enamel paints as well. Then, if you have solid white, black, clear red, or Tamiya's smoke (equivalent to clear black), you will have no trouble with eye painting and retouching.

Even if you have knowledge of various paints, if you can't complete a project, it's a waste of treasure, so I would be happy if you could try various things in your own way!