Model Forum / General / Models / July 2007

I am always using the WalMart acrylic paints; they also cost around a
buck or so each, come in hundreds of colors, and are cheap enough that
you can mix specific colors to match your project's paint scheme at low
cost that often seem to be a better match than the commercially
available ones.
By finishing the model with conventional enamel, and adding wear and
highlights using the acrylics via dry brushing and washes (if the washes
bead up, an bit of liquid dish soap added to the mixture will make it
lay down smoothly), good results can be achieved.
The advantages to this approach are that the acrylics won't affect the
underlying enamel unlike thinner-based enamel washes can, and if you
completely botch it, you can get the  acrylic off with a toothbrush
after soaking the model in hot water.
This works particularly well for simulating mud on tank models; the
acrylic can be mixed with flour to thicken it, and stipple-brushed on
the model to make convincing dried mud splatters that protrude slightly
from the surface.
In fact, if you thickened it enough, you might have a good basis for
Zimmerit paste.

Pat

Maybe so. But being a Dollar Store paint, it'll probably decompose and
melt off your model in a year or two.  And it is probably loaded with
nasty toxic chemicals :-)

Peteski