Having trouble painting my Tamiya bike model

apple tango · Crazy Courier Joined: 03 Apr 2007 Karma :

This is the first model i've ever built, so like a newbie i'm having issues.

I'm trying to paint some parts using black enamel paint with a brush. It's not working properly though. When applying the paint, it looks kind of watery on the shiny plastic part.

https://s13.postimage.org/uczm957lj/11012012196.jpg
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Am i meant to sand the part down first with sand paper?

Or am i meant to use a primer or something?
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-Savage- · World Chat Champion Joined: 10 Jun 2005 Karma :

Have you mixed up the paint properly? the paints settle easily, and need mixed either by shaking, or if stood for a while they will need stirred to re suspend the pigments.
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Wafer_Thin_Ham · Super Spammer Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Karma :

Have you washed the parts in warn soapy water first, the release agent they use to get them out of the mould can give some weird effects sometimes.

Also consider that you'll probably need to do a couple of thin coats rather than one thick one, even more so if you're brush painting.
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apple tango · Crazy Courier Joined: 03 Apr 2007 Karma :

apple tango · Crazy Courier Joined: 03 Apr 2007 Karma :

stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

#33 matt black humbrol enamel is one of the best covering ones out. The #21 gloss black is much harder to work with. If I wanted gloss black I always used to use #33 then paint over it with clear gloss.

Buy a packet of cocktail sticks to stirr the paints with. They DO need to be stirred as has already been pointed out.

While you have the black out, undercoat any parts that are going to be painted with metallic paint using it too. Matt black makes an excellent undercoat for a very realistic metallic finish if you use a "drybrush" technique with the metallic colour. I used to use #11 for pretty much all metallic finishes and just drybrushed it on more or less over the black to achieve different effects.

Picture related. It's a 1:72 scale airfix model I made.
https://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f216/stinkwheel/mustang1.png
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ninja_butler · World Chat Champion Joined: 19 Oct 2011 Karma :

Extra tip: Most enamel paints need to be thinned before application; build up the layers to full opacity rather than try to do it it one hit.

D O G · World Chat Champion Joined: 18 Dec 2006 Karma :

Frost · World Chat Champion Joined: 26 May 2004 Karma :

I always used to use Black/White/Grey undercoat before using any other colours depending on what range of colours the final thing was going to be. Metallic paint often needs stirring AND a good shaking.

Visitor Q · $25 whore Joined: 30 Apr 2004 Karma :

Spray painted base coats are also very helpful.
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