Painting Plastic

I have been on a steep learning curve [re-newed learning, I might add..time dims the skills, y'know]....having to paint my son's latest fetish, Games Workshops LOTR soldiers..plastic and whitemetal.

GW have some excellent painting manuals, and their paints are excellent quality, being acrylics especially formulated for this wargaming lark.

They suggest painting a base coat of either black or white....depending on how bright the finished scheme needs to be....

their 'chaos black' is the most usual..not only providing a base coat, but also getting into all those nooks and crannogs that abound ....just in case one misses a bit with one's top coats?

Humbrol car spray is also useful.....I'd basecoat first, followed by the top coats..which will be variable?

I've also tried some matchpot-type paints, sold as 'emulsion'......bought for pennies years ago, I have used Wiko's black flat emulsion....this is variable....but as a black, it has a subtle grey tint....somewhat akin to washed and dried coal.
I take it, emulsion, being water-soluble, is a type of acrylic? am I right there?

Tamiya make a superb range of water soluble acrylic hobby paints these days. Available in a wide range of colours both matt and gloss, they will result in a superior finish where correctly applied. Tamiya also offer a limited range of colours available in spray cans for those not owning or wishing to invest in an air brush. A superb finish can be achieved with these given a little practise and care in application.

I used Humbrol enamel model paints as a kid in the 60's. Haven't used them since I discovered Tamiya unless I can't get Tamiya or due a specific (camouflage) colour requirement. From what I glean, Humbrol have reinvented the brand image and are still OK, but IMO Tamiya surpassed them long ago including both volume and packaging of the product.

All the above including Tamiya's enamels are intended for safe application over plastic. The water soluble acrylics are also styrofoam safe AFAIK.

getting back to painting plastic,

I work primarily in plastic for scratchbuilding, i use halfords acrylic as an undercoat which is imperitive to alow a good cover. To paint the top colour -

if i am painting a large area on say a coach or locomotive etc - i will spray with halfords car paints as there are close matches to most railway colours. I normally use Games Workshop acrylics for all colour work as they are probably the best Acrylics on the market. I also use Vallejo acrylics as well for weathering.

For oil i use good old humbrol and sometimes railmatch as well.
For weathering both acrylics and oils, wood and various other items i use Revell Aquas (acrylic ), Floquil and woodstains.

As long as you have a good undercoat on the plastic then you will be able to use all of the above on it .

Strangley the floquil needs an undercoat on plastic as it seems to damage it otherwise............

Hope it helps

nikki