SPA Modeler

I forgot about the Hataka paints I have. They're pretty good too.

I'm partial to Tamiya and Vallejo with a little Citadel on the side. Getting V and C to airbrush properly was a bit of a curve but now I can do it while taking out the trash.

Mr Hobby is superb but that's only available on-line for me. Their Super Clear is a thing of beauty.

If Tamiya fine came down in price I would have many cans, but it's not justifiable when I have cheaper alternatives.

Hand painting Tamiya can be a chore but I am almost all acrylic at this point. Vallejo with flow improver and distilled water in the right ratio is tough to beat for smoothness. Citadel is much the same and the base paints cover very well.

For metallics I still use what is left of my Model Master buffing laquers. Alclad and I have also become fast friends.

I like lacquer-based acrylics like Tamiya, Mr Hobby Aqueous and most recently, AK Real Colors. Similar behavior among the three lines of paint so it's easy to maintain a consistent work flow. Of those three, I would rank Mr Hobby as the best in terms of colors and spray consistency across the color range. AK Real Colors are also very good but I find some of their colors questionable. Rarely brush paint anymore but any detail brush work is with the same paints. I use the cap as a palette and drop some iso alcohol in there, which seems to help brush flow. Still haven't found anything better than the old school Testors (or Model Master) Chrome Silver for dry brushing or brush painting silver details. For metal shades, I use Alclad and some AK Extreme Metals, which are very similar. Alclad Aqua Gloss is my clear gloss and Model Master Flat Acryl is my clear matt.