Paint sets

[BeautysBeast]

Hello, Thanks for taking the time to help.

I have recently purchased a 3d printer, and I have to say, it is amazing. It has been three days, and I havent stopped printing yet. Box cars, Gondolas, buildings, and even miniature cars. My question is, what is the best starter paint set to buy? I want to be able to weather my rolling stock, and also add realism to the building I am printing.

So what set do people usually either start with, or finally end up with? Or do most people just buy the colors they need as they go. Any suggestions on basic "Have to have" colors?

Thanks in advance

M.

[bobo1160]

primary colors are really all you need to get started.
with those you can mix infinite shades and hues. I find I use lots of black and white too . usually to mix with other colors . depends on what youre painting too . doing lots of ground an rock ? lots of brown and grey . doing asphalt or concrete? lots of black and grey etc.
specialty colors in bottles are good for when you need to maintain a consistent color -or- you can mix up batches of special colors in quantity and pour it in a bottle or whatever to save it for later .

[Janbouli]

I've accumulated over 200 colors from different brands through the years , I can't really remember what I started with . I guess for weathering and buildings you could start off with sets from Vallejo, the ones containing , grime , rust , weathered wood etc. If you want to paint brick buildings you will need several reds, browns and tans and maybe gray's and concrete colors . There are so many colors . You will also want primer , I do most of my priming with cheap primer from spraycans from the dollar store , in gray , white , black and oxide red.



Good luck.

[jimbo.0455]

If your just starting out I use the cheap acrylics from the Art/craft stores and Walmart for about $1 a bottle, These I buy as needed and have accumulated quite a few now.
If you have a filament 3D printer you will want to get a spray can of Rustoleum Filler/Primer, a few light coats will help the layer lines disappear with minimal sanding.
For weathering I got a couple of Pan Pastel colors, they are not cheap but a small amount goes a long long way.

[ChicagoNW]

There isn’t one type of paint that can do everything best.

But the cheap acrylics from Michael’s or Hobby Lobby can do a lot. Nice smooth flat finish with good coverage.

Other than the rust Trio of paint marker pens for my rails, weathering is best learned with chalks/pastels. Easy to change if not satisfied. A coat of flat clear can seal it up quick.

For modern automotive needs, the real thing gives you the best result. Dupli-Color paint especially the metallics are great even in N scale. For adding decals you need a glossy finish for them to go on smooth. For older cars go with duller colors.

For landscaping I like big bottles of Tempra! This water base paint has a bit of a rough texture when applied thick. It looks a lot like dirt. By dabbing black, brown and white in different proportions I’ve duplicated Georgia clay and Illinois black dirt. Be careful of black. It can be a dark navy blue. I found this out when I wanted to paint some rock outcrops. Instead of dirty gray limestone, I got blue granite. When I mixed 50-50 of white and black. It had been fine when black and brown dominated.

If replicating Railroad colors. It is very difficult to consistently mix colors. Just buy a specific Model Railroad paint. From jar to jar the color will be very consistent. They put a lot of effort in matching the real thing.

No matter which kind of paint you use. Paint in an area that has exactly the same type of lighting as your layout! Colors can vary widely, when you switch from one light source to another. Even though color temperatures may match, each source has quirks that change the quality of the light. There are huge color differences between an incandescent, LED, Halogen and fluorescent light.

Remember wet and dry paints can be very different.

[African Pirate]

Has anybody tried True-Earth paints? They are out of Portugal. I would be interested in hearing if anybody has any experience with them.

https://www.true-earth.com/

https://youtube.com/@TrueEarthWeathering

[Seanifer]

From a pro artist view point. I would not try mixing colors....stick to colors you can purchase. Only do that if ya really get into this aspect of the hobby and enjoy painting. And the truth is...you don't need to stick to any one brand of paint and can just buy the colors you like, as you go.

Now I have used all the name brands. But never really landed on one until recently. I now have a larger collection of Vallejo paints, plus a hand full of others on my hobby desk. But I did like the Vallejo for a few reasons over the others. 1.) Easy for me to get online and in local stores in my area. 2.) The consistency in there airbrush line of colors is spot on IMO and not to thin for a regular brush...I can always produce nice even lines without brush strokes, airbrush solid coats etc. 3.) Plus the squirt type bottles make it super easy for me when I am airbrushing from a top feed and I just need a couple drops of this or that added in.

Primers, sometimes I use them. If the object I am painting has a solid base color...I don't think its always needed. It only really helps (or saves you from multiple coats) if your going from a dark or vibrant color to light color. I use it mostly on my wood building kits to hide any burnt edges on a laser cut wood piece if a ton of that is showing. However if I am feeling lazy...I'll just hit it with a few coats of color instead...that happens the most to be honest.

One more thing. Don't rule out powders for weathering effects or stains for wood kits you make. Stains can have great effects on wood kits. And I think every building I have has some powders on it now. The powders gives it that added touch in many cases.

Have fun.

[OTFan]

Lots of good responses already. For painting the things you 3D print, acrylic paints. I have this set: https://www.amazon.com/Vallejo-Basic.../dp/B009162PWU You could probably do it cheaper going bottle by bottle for just the colors you want, but I went for the convenience of having a set of colors on hand. The details of what you get probably matter less than just practicing.

Many 3D printed pieces will benefit from a coat of primer. Like @Janbouli said above, a rattle can works fine.

For weathering, if you have an airbrush then you can do a lot with those acrylic paints. If not (and I still don't), then pan pastels, weathering powders, and/or a cheap set of oil paints are easier to weather with. Acrylic paint dries too fast (at least for me) for effective use in weathering unless you are using an airbrush.

[ChicagoNW]

About your color choices. Don’t use one single color for any type of material. While bricks do come in a reddish color, not all bricks are the same red. The clay and minerals they are made from vary depending on the source and firing. Despite modern mass production, identical color is difficult to reproduce. Two otherwise identical buildings can be different in color despite being built as the same time. Slight color variations can be found by buying the “same” color from different manufacturers.

Concrete has many shades as well. When freshly poured, it has a slightly greenish cast. Which goes away as it cures. Finished concrete has a smooth surface of gray “cream”. This is the finer materials brought to the surface. As this cream erodes away, the aggregate is revealed. This stone can vary widely from place to place and over time. Around Chicago really old concrete can have a yellowish or red/brown cast as they used river gravel which contains quartz, iron ore and sandstone. Most modern concrete uses crushed limestone, which give the worn material a whiteish cast.

Same conditions affect asphalt as will although tar is used as the binder. Now the tar fades from black to pale gray. It too wears off the stone aggregate and reveals the color(s). Around Chicago again the switch from river stone to crushed is apparent. But I really noticed a difference when I lived in Georgia. The aggregate had a lot reflectivity. A side effects of the granite used for the roads.

Unless you have factory fresh equipment everywhere on your layout include slight color variations. Paint colors can vary from batch to batch. Depending on your era, the paints can be very different. Before the 1960s colors were not as hardy and often faded rather quickly. So don’t freak out when two colors with the same name aren’t identical. This is really apparent when comparing retail paints to production models. Identically colored equipment is the product of the advertising agency airbrush, not the equipment roster. By the way “boxcar red” is about fifty different colors.

[spiralcity]

The best thing to note is there are some paints that will dry up quick, they have a very short shelf life. Mission Models comes to mind as paint with an extremely short shelf life. Also, some paints do not brush well, so be aware of that. Experiment with suggested brands and see what works for you. I actually use some Badger paints straight through my airbrushes no thinner needed and they work well for me, no clogs or tip drying in my experience, plus the cost on the Badger sets works well on my budget. I also found that I like Tru-Color paints, they are acetone based and have a bit of an odor, but they have worked well for me. It's all up to you to get out there and start experimenting until you settle on something you like and works well for your needs.

Chicago's suggestion about Michaels is spot on. You will find Americana branded paints in 2 oz bottles. I use these paints for painting my sculpt-a-mold and other such ground treatment. They sell a light and dark Mocha that I found to be rather good.