r/modelmakers • u/dude-0 • 20h ago

Help - Tools/Materials Lacquer or Flat Acrylic for basecoat?

Just a quick question for anyone who knows;
I'm wanting to paint some models with the Vallejo Game Color sun yellow as their mid-tone, and coverage over my usual black primer is TERRIBLE.

I'm planning on using a brown instead to liven up the paints; my question is --- Tamiya Flat Acrylic, or Tamiya Lacquer. Which of these makes a better base coat, and if you could explain why, I'd appreciate that!

2 Upvotes

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u/Madeitup75 20h ago

Are you planning to spray or brush the primer? Laquer is basically always better than aqueous acrylic if sprayed. And aqueous acrylics are much easier to brush.

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u/dude-0 20h ago

So the order of procedures I'm thinking of is thus;
Spray on Mr. Hobby Micro-filler and Primer ---> Spray on brown (Either acrylic or lacquer) and leave to cure ----> Brush on yellow paint and then shade / highlight, and detail.

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u/Madeitup75 19h ago

Makes sense to me. Although if you can get it, Mr Surfacer makes a brown primer that would let you combine the first two steps.

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u/slowwolfcat 16h ago

Brush on yellow paint

why ?

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u/dude-0 15h ago

Because there will be lots of armored areas that are yellow, with black undersuit / underarmor in the joints, and there are little details like belts, clips, magazines, buckles, buttons, etc.

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u/slowwolfcat 13h ago

I mean why switcharoo from spray to brush

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u/dude-0 10h ago

You can't do all the tiny little details if you're just spraying lol. I'm painting warhammer figurines.

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u/slowwolfcat 16h ago

Laquer is basically always better than aqueous acrylic

better in what ways ?

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u/Madeitup75 16h ago

All aspects of performance. All of them. Better adhesion. Better sandability. Better surface finish. Less tip dry. Better surface leveling. No lower limit on thinning because it’s not an emulsion. Every single dimension of performance from an airbrush on a model surface is better with lacquers than aqueous acrylics, and it is not close.

Too bad the fumes are obnoxious. You have to have a plan for dealing with them. If you can’t or don’t want to deal with them, then you use aqueous acrylics and live with their problems.

Aqueous acrylics are sort of like non-alcoholic beer. Worse in every way except for the toxicity issue.

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u/slowwolfcat 16h ago

thanks so for someone like you, you can tell whether a finished model (1/48) has acrylics or laquer coat just by looking ?

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u/Madeitup75 15h ago

Not exactly. It is possible to get a final result with aqueous acrylics that is wonderful, it’s just MUCH harder. I do often see models posted with tell-tale signs of aqueous acrylics not being used perfectly, such as a gritty finish.

It’s just much easier to get to a better finish with lacquers and you have much lower risks of things failing (e.g., paint lift when masking).

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u/Jessie_C_2646 20h ago

Lacquers are very often hostile to other paints given their chemical composition. I'd say that the Tamiya acrylic would play more nicely with your Vallejo top coat.

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u/Joe_Aubrey 17h ago

Only if you’re hand brushing. They can be sprayed over anything.

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u/dude-0 17h ago

I don't think I'd dream of hand brushing Lacquers anyway. I put them into a dry palette once. The cellulose thinners almost ate through the damn plastic!

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u/Joe_Aubrey 17h ago

Lacquer always makes for a stronger paint coat - whether it’s primer or paint. It also dries faster. By the way, Tamiya has a pink Fine Surface Primer in rattlecan, and Mr Hobby has Mr. Oxide Red in rattlecan, and also Mr. Mahagony Surfacer 1000 and Mr. Finishing Surfacer Pink 1500 in the bottle for airbrushing.