Painting

A sable brush is a very high-quality brush often used in modelling for detail work thanks to its ability to be finely shaped at its tip.The brushes are made from the tail hair of the kolinsky (a variety of weasel) and not an actual sable as its...

Brown! everybody knows that a tree trunk is brown! end of story! or is it?The question "What colour is a tree trunk?" is more about modelling as a whole than a debate about tree trunks, and the point to be suggested is that what we have learnt and...

Scale can be a difficult subject to get your head around, this is because scale is portrayed in different ways depending on what model is being described and as if that wasn't confusing enough, there are also many ways to represent what scale a...

The answer to the question "What is the colour of rust?" is more a tip about modelling in general than a lesson in rust.The problem is, that we all have predetermined concepts of what colour everything in the world should be, probably ingrained in...

'Basing' is a term mainly used in wargaming and is the process of attaching plastic bases to miniature figures enabling them to stand upright. Bases can be purchased from most model shops that deal in miniatures and come in a variety of shapes and...

Primers are a special type of paint used to prepare surfaces that are to be painted. The primary purpose of a primer is to create the best possible surface for a topcoat of paint to adhere to. Primers are also handy for creating a consistent, even...

Most Airfix kits do not include any paint or glue, if you are not used to making models this may seem like a bit of a con, but there is a valid reason for the absence of these important materials and that is that most modellers have very different...

Most airbrushes will come with a pressure regulator built-in, but what is this facility for, and which pressure setting should you select?If you are new to airbrushing, both these questions can be a little mystifying (excuse the pun). As a rule of...

When using an airbrush, there are a couple of reasons why modellers use thinners. Firstly, if they are using paints that are not specifically designed for an airbrush, they will likely require thinning to pass through the fine nozzle without...

For somebody who has never used an airbrush before, the process involved when painting with one may not seem immediately obvious. So here are a few tips to give you an idea of what's involved.Once you have decided that airbrushing is for you...

The primary objective of using a primer is to allow your paint to better adhere to your model. What you don't want to do is create any unnecessary thickness to your layers of paint as this will destroy any fine details or in the worst-case...

Traditionally, primers have been available in black, white and a few shades of grey, but nowadays, there is a whole range of colours to choose from, so which colour should you use?Unfortunately, there is no right or wrong answer to this...