You know those acrylic paints found in Michael's and Hobbylobby that are $.44 and come in those plastic squeeze bottles? Are those okay to use with models and figures? Or, am I requred to spend $2.00 a bottle on every color I need? Also, what do you recommend mixing colors in? I'm new to painting figures and I need to mix colors, but I don't know whether to do it on a paper plate (it dries before I can use all of it up). What is a good way to mix the paints. (I'm using enamels--Testors). Thanks for the advice!
- Jason

I use those 50 cent acrylics for my ground work, cheap easy to use, and easy to mix the colors I need. Haven't tried them for models or figures, but for a half buck a bottle, you can't beat them.

I use Mars Black from a squeeze bottle, that's the only color that I got from AC Moore. The paint is very thick and needs thinning - if you can thin these paints all right than it's a fair value for airbrushing. The only drawback for me is that these paints don't stick to plastic as well as model paints.

P.S. It was just this week that I airbrushed the tracks for my ASU-85 with this paint and when on the next day I went to drybrush them, the black paint actually came off! So it's up to you weather you want to use these paints or not, Grumpy's idea of using them for dio bases sounds good to me.

Ive tried those paints on figures and vehicles but they didnt stick too well I use them for ground work now.For mixing paints I use a ceramic tile it dont soak up any paint and is easy to clean.

I use those paints on a regular basis, Micheals carries several varities, Delta Creamcoat, Folkart, Applebarrel, and Michaels own name brand. All are excellent, but I must say that the Creamcoat is the best. It's a little more expensive, but worth it. I've used them for everything, figures, whole vehicles, ground cover, etc. I've even used them to airbrush a Tiger tank! And when they dry, they dry FLAT. You can mix them all together with ease, and water washup is a breeze.

Anders Heintz uses the applebarrell and modelart paints for his figures. Im sure he has experimented quite a bit in his time, and he was happy with them.

I used to use a plastic palett, with 12 or 15 little hollows for my paint mixing. I use oils and humbrols mostly, and it was horrible having to clean it. I just use it for washes and for when I need really thin paints now. For most of my painting, I use the plastic lid of an "easy spread" butter container. Paint doesnt soak in and doesn´t flow too much. I throw it away when the next one is available. Works perfect for me!

I use them for painting figures, there is a whole book out on painting figures with acrylics is to have a good primer coat down....the paints act like any others.

Thin them down with water so they are a little easier to work with, they work great.

I started experimenting with these a few years ago and think they work pretty well for most applications. They don't lay down very well on bare plastic or resin, so it helps to put a primer down first ( I use white or gray car primer from a rattle can).

I've seen Anders' figures in person and can say they look even better "in the flesh." Seeing what he does with them inspired me to try some new techniques. I'm trying to do a group of figures for a dio using nothing but Apple Barrel paint from Wal-Mart!

I have long used this stuff for painting dio buildings and groundwork. It is great on wood, plaster, Celluclay, styrofoam, etc.

I recently started trying to use them for washes and filters. I thin with water and add a tiny droplet of cheap dish-washing liquid to cut the surface tension of the water. So far, it's working pretty well.

Jason -- I use plastic can lids (like on a coffee can) for paint pallettes. They are easily available and don't react with solvents. My favorites are the smaller lids from Pringles potato chip cans. They are good for an evening of painting and I can either try to clean them ot just toss them when I'm done.

Can't comment on the paint, never used them.

But for mixing paint, go to your local Wal-Mart pharmacy or a local pharmacy and get a sleeve of medicine cups. They are usually about $1 for a sleeve of 100. These are the little clear plastic cups they give out pills in a hospital.

They are great, you can mix a little or a lot, paint doesn't stick, and so cheap you can toss them when you are done. If you can't find them, let me know. I am next door in Louisiana and I can mail you a sleeve. We use them here at work and get them for about $.40 a sleeve.