Painting Car Bodies with waterbased acrylics?

[MackDrop]

Hi folks, is it possible to airbrush acrylic matte paints on a car body and then hit it with clear gloss?

Due to health concerns, spraying enamels and lacquers is out of the question.

Thank you!

[Mark]

YouTube is chock full of videos where modelers do just that.  From name brand hobby acrylics (Tamiya, etc) to those cheap craft store paints, with various clearcoats.

[sidcharles]

certainly. before going off and experimenting, seriously consider keeping all products from the same manufacturer.

i like Vallejo brand for everything but primer. for that, i use Badger Stynylrez. the biggest irritant i have is when i clean the airbrush. 

water's fine, but the last pass i like to use https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003TJA0S6?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_23&th=1

or some other proprietary fluid (even Windex). that's where i need to be most careful.

and you're wise to realize the clear coat will be your first line of defense for the color coats; acrylics can be soft.

[MackDrop]

16 hours ago, Mark said:

YouTube is chock full of videos where modelers do just that.  From name brand hobby acrylics (Tamiya, etc) to those cheap craft store paints, with various clearcoats.

Yes, I was able to find some of the better ones. Thanks.

[MackDrop]

13 hours ago, sidcharles said:

certainly. before going off and experimenting, seriously consider keeping all products from the same manufacturer.

i like Vallejo brand for everything but primer. for that, i use Badger Stynylrez. the biggest irritant i have is when i clean the airbrush. 

water's fine, but the last pass i like to use https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003TJA0S6?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_23&th=1

or some other proprietary fluid (even Windex). that's where i need to be most careful.

and you're wise to realize the clear coat will be your first line of defense for the color coats; acrylics can be soft.

I'm actually coming from the miniatures painting hobby, so I have quite a few paints available. Airbrushing will be new, however. I'm researching affordable options for that now. I have always avoided airbrushing because of prep and cleaning. I always primed with rattle cans outside and even outside the fumes bother me. Looking at using acrylic on car bodies because they are relatively odor free, especially with a vent or booth. Enamels and lacquers are out of the question.

[Leica007]

Take a look at TCP Global tor some good deals on airbrush and compressors.  I use their products and have good results and am pleased with the selection/price.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[SpeedAndViolence]

I had the opportunity to hang out at the hobby shop for a few hours on Saturday, and noticed he was carrying a new line of water-based acrylic paint called 'Turbo Dork'. I have no idea how well they work, or their durability. What drew my attention to them was the massive amounts of unique metallic colors. I actually thought it was a 'House Of Kolor' paint rack at first glance. 

https://turbodork.com/

I hope someone here can chime in on their experiences with this line of paint. I was very intrigued.

[sidcharles]

10 hours ago, MackDrop said:

. . . Airbrushing will be new, however. I'm researching affordable options for that now. I have always avoided airbrushing because of prep and cleaning. . . . 

tons of advice and some is subjective.

i think it's fairly neutral to declare airbrushing has a steep but relatively short learning curve.

make sure whatever compressor you get is reliable. the best airbrush is only a paperweight without the wind to go through it.

 

 

 

[Dave G.]

Most of my models these days are painted in waterborne acrylic paint. A combo of craft paints and Createx, for the most part. Stynylrez is a fine waterborne primer. So is a quart of Zinsser 123, which sticks like glue to about anything, including plastic, but you have to know the thinning method well, as it's a thick primer. I haven't tried the 123 Plus yet on models, no need really.

But with craft paints and with Createx you have a ton of options, including true candy finishing usin Createx Candy 2o.. I've found that Createx 4030 poly additive and their 4021 reducer work in all Createx and all craft paints. This brings better bond, better flow out and a much harder finish. 4021 to me causes acrylic paints to lay down in a similar way as spirit based enamel.

I only use the Paasche H as the airbrush for acrylic paints, fwiw.

I've run many tests on acrylic paints over a time of about 10 years now. From thinner formulas, to tape pull tests and scratch tests. Just my own home brew testing methods, nothing official. But in so doing I've come down to where I trust the methods I'm using and that the finishes will last. So at that point I started dropping spirit based paint more and more.

[Cool Hand]

Ive been considering investing in the new Dspiae airbrush and acrylics as another addition to the airbrush painting arsenal. It seems to be getting excellent reviews amongst the Gundam community.

 

1 hour ago, Dave G. said:

Most of my models these days are painted in waterborne acrylic paint. A combo of craft paints and Createx, for the most part. Stynylrez is a fine waterborne primer. So is a quart of Zinsser 123, which sticks like glue to about anything, including plastic, but you have to know the thinning method well, as it's a thick primer. I haven't tried the 123 Plus yet on models, no need really.

But with craft paints and with Createx you have a ton of options, including true candy finishing usin Createx Candy 2o.. I've found that Createx 4030 poly additive and their 4021 reducer work in all Createx and all craft paints. This brings better bond, better flow out and a much harder finish. 4021 to me causes acrylic paints to lay down in a similar way as spirit based enamel.

I only use the Paasche H as the airbrush for acrylic paints, fwiw.

I've run many tests on acrylic paints over a time of about 10 years now. From thinner formulas, to tape pull tests and scratch tests. Just my own home brew testing methods, nothing official. But in so doing I've come down to where I trust the methods I'm using and that the finishes will last. So at that point I started dropping spirit based paint more and more.

Would be interesting to see some pictures of your builds and the results that can be achieved using waterborne acrylics.

I have seen some excellent paint work done with the Createx brand, certainly has an impressive line up of colours.

Also out of curiosity what psi and tip size are you shooting the acrylics through the Paasche H ??

 

 

Edited yesterday at 12:09 PM by Cool Hand

[Andrew McD]

If your issue is with the solvent in lacquer based paints just be aware that some "acrylic" paints are solvent based; Tamiya for instance.  I state this because I've seen plenty of instances on the internet where people think that acrylic defines a paint as being water based which is not the case.  

[Dave G.]

2 hours ago, Cool Hand said:

Ive been considering investing in the new Dspiae airbrush and acrylics as another addition to the airbrush painting arsenal. It seems to be getting excellent reviews amongst the Gundam community.

 

Would be interesting to see some pictures of your builds and the results that can be achieved using waterborne acrylics.

I have seen some excellent paint work done with the Createx brand, certainly has an impressive line up of colours.

Also out of curiosity what psi and tip size are you shooting the acrylics through the Paasche H ??

 

 

I like 23-26 psi working pressure, so with air flowing. Especially for the Createx lineup. I tend to use the #5 tip on the H, which likes air. Createx in general doesn't need to be thinned as far as some other paints, it flows and levels well when using the 4030 and 4021 combo. 

I've found 4030 and 4021 to be a great combo in most truly waterborne paints ( not the alcohol paints, never tried that). 

[Radretireddad]

Yes! Absolutely! Your results will depend on the quality of your equipment and how much time you spend refining your process. Things like thinning ratios, pressure settings and needle positions require fine tuning and may differ depending on the paint you’re using. Cleanup and maintenance does require more time and effort but the results are well worth the effort. Spraying gloss acrylic clear over matte colors will make them glossy but it takes a lot more coats than you may realize. I’ve gotten great results using Tamiya, Createx, Vallejo and a few other craft store brands. Avoiding the health risks of using enamels and lacquers is just one benefit of making the switch to acrylics exclusively. 

Edited 23 hours ago by Radretireddad

[NOBLNG]

On 9/27/2025 at 3:57 PM, MackDrop said:

Hi folks, is it possible to airbrush acrylic matte paints on a car body and then hit it with clear gloss?

Due to health concerns, spraying enamels and lacquers is out of the question.

Thank you!

This is painted with Vallejo Model Air 71.102 Red. Then clear coated with Mr. Hobby Premium Topcoat. I use winter windshield washer fluid for cleanup of the Vallejo. It works as good or better than their proprietary stuff.

[martsky]

I just finished a Ferrari airbrushed with Tamiya flat red and followed with Tamiya matte clear.  Cleaned up with water. Ended up looking nice kinda similar to the high dollar real car matte finishes.

I only use Tamiya bottled paints because of my wife's sensitivities. I have no idea what the airbrush or tank are set up are. All I know is I have lots of cars on the shelf in the same (limited selection) Tamiya colors.

Good luck

[peteski]

5 hours ago, martsky said:

I just finished a Ferrari airbrushed with Tamiya flat red and followed with Tamiya matte clear.  Cleaned up with water. Ended up looking nice kinda similar to the high dollar real car matte finishes.

I only use Tamiya bottled paints because of my wife's sensitivities. I have no idea what the airbrush or tank are set up are. All I know is I have lots of cars on the shelf in the same (limited selection) Tamiya colors.

Good luck

Actually the Tamiya acrylic paints in the glass jars aren't true water-based acrylic paints. They use alcohol as a low-odor solvent. They seem to behave more like the stinky solvent-based paints than true water-based acrylic paints.

[martsky]

Interesting! Fortunately they clean up with water.