Some things you might not know

50 shades of brown.

This is just a simple guide for beginners, it might even include something you didn't know!

A few basic what’s what. Do remember though, a few of these products can be dangerous! Read the labels and packaging they come with and take care with sharp knives, they’re like scalpels and will easily slice through a finger etc.

Acrylic.

(Paint) less durable than enamel but much easier to work with. Soluble in water.

Basecoat.

This is the basic colour used with normal paint applied to your model.

Brushes.

It pays to have at least one detail (fine tipped) brush and standard brush (for most work).

• Synthetic- cheaper than sable. Do not hold point as long as sable. But ideal for those on a budget, and also ideal for dirty jobs such as  pigment or white spirit where you don't want to ruin more expensive brushes. 

• Sable- artist quality brushes. More expensive. Kolinsky Sable are the best available- with brands like Winsor and Newton series 7 leading the way.

Craft knives.

These are available from model and hobby shops, choose a small craft knife for plastic and resin, but you might want a separate knife or cutters for metal.

Enamel.

(Paint) Quite tough paint, this will need specialist products like white spirit to thin it out or to clean your brushes and can be very difficult to remove from clothing etc. Enamel is a solvent based paint, you may thin it with white spirit or turpentine. Dries as a really strong layer and is perfect for base coats. More suited to airbrush due to quick drying times. Also used in weathering products like Ammo of Mig Jimenez and AK interactive. Once dry can be reactived with white spirits.

Files.

Fine files (hobby or needle files) are available from hobby shops, these are good for detail work and hard to reach places. A heavy rasp is also useful.

Flash.

Similar to mould lines, but often far more prominent. Flash may appear as a ‘fin’ or ‘flake’ extending from a moulded model, particularly on plastic and resin models.

Gloss.

This paint dries with a shiny finish (like the paint used on a car).

Glue.

Super Glue does it all, but isn’t too strong. Impact adhesive takes several hours to set, but is much stronger. Liquid Poly(styrene) is great for plastic (but not resin or restic).

Highlighting.

The aim for highlighting is to create a smooth gradient from a dark colour to a lighter one. To emulate light shining on the model.

Matt.

The opposite of gloss paint, it dries so as not to reflect much light. good for painting clothing, foliage or military hardware.

Metal.

Models made from metal normally come in one single piece (not requiring assembly) and often have better detail than plastic or resin. Metal however is more difficult to prepare and modify.

Paint.

There are countless brands and colours available, you may find it good to try a couple of brands a see what suits you best.

Plastic.

Normally cheaper than metal models, but sometimes lacking a little detail. Plastic is fairly easy to modify.

Resin.

This often has a rough look about it, making it ideal for realism (particularly with larger models). It resembles plastic, but tends to be a little softer and will not bond with liquid poly (or cement).

Restic.

A hybrid material, part REsin, part plaSTIC. Tends to have slightly better detail than plastic and is normally quite cheap.

Satin.

Not true matt, not gloss. Majority of paints are satin. Especially suited for flesh etc. 

Undercoat.

Or primer is used to coat your model (thinly) to allow your base coat something to adhere to better. You could paint straight onto your model, but an undercoat will improve its finish and durability.

Varnish.

This is a (mostly) clear type of paint, that you apply to your finished model to protect the paint from wear and tear. This available in mat, satin or gloss.

Water.

Used to thin acrylic paint and clean it from brushes, keep your water clean and fresh too, replace it when it becomes dark or clouded.