how can i brush paint the body of a car without you being able to see the brush strokes. one of the probelems is i am tryinng to snad it down but i can because i am sanding away the details.

Tim

I suggest don't. If you want to brush, you need your paint to be super thin and requires a lot of multiple coats to expose the color (white and yellow is the hardest). Go grab a spray can and it'll make your painting easier.

Hey Tim,

Are ya brush painting because you are not old enough to buy spray paint in IL? (18+ and they check ID!) There are ways around that you know. Older brothers or sisters, Dad or Mom, Boy Scout leader, etc.
Spraying is much better for color coats on cars and trucks (and planes, trains, buildings). It's really worth the aggrevation of asking for a bit of help from others.
Get the spraypaint.

Cuhail

Thx my dad is always at the home improvment store so when hes there ill ask him to check the prices for me

Tim

I sometimes brushpaint cars. Since I don't have a spraybooth, I have to do all my spraywork outside. So spray painting a car body in the middle of a snowstorm is not posible. Airbrush or spraycans are by far the easiest/best way to paint a carbody, but with lots of practice and the right paint/paintbrush you can get some fairly good results with a brush.

A few month ago I had a Dodge Viper on display, witch is brushpainted.

Painting model cars with a brush, I use a flat and very soft sable. I once bought a very expensive flat W&N Kolinske sable, for painting cars, but the bristles were not soft enough, it left brushmarks. I then bought a quite inexpensive and very soft sable, which did the job.
When brushpainting modelcars, I always use Humbrol enamels. I find them superior for this particular use.
When painting large gloss areas, with a brush, I do the opposite of what I would usually do when painting. I put on a fairly thick coat of paint, rather than applying many thin coats. I don't slush the paint on, but apply a coat thick enough for the paint to level it self out, but not so thick it will start to run down the sides of the model. Always paint in the same direction, not back and forth.

You could experiment on a piece of scrap plastic.

If you MUST brush paint a car - go super thin on the paint (as mentioned). Use a very nice brush, I'd go with a square tip brush and as large/wide as I could manage and still get the majority of the body. This will reduce the number of strokes to cover it. Plus pull in the direction of the longest line, front to back and make your pull as contiguous as possible.

Hey all,
A bit off topic but what is dry brushing? I have seen it brought up but I have no idea what is ment by it.

You take your brush with a little paint and brush it on (I use a cardboard plate) an object until the paint is almost dry and then brush it lightly across the surface you are trying to detail. I use it to bring out highlights of my models. As far as Tim, brushpainting is what I like to do and why I model strictly military. I can't brush paint car surfaces!!!

Gary

Gary,
Thank you for the quick reply. Now I know what is ment by the term and this will also help in my modeling.

Good luck with that Frank and let us see an axample of your dry brushed work sometime!!!

Gary

Tim hello,...
as the boys have said keep your paint thin,use a wide brush,BUT, when you have thinned your paint, stand it in a bowl of very hot water even while applying it to the surface of your model.....It wont dry your paint any quicker ,but it will cause your paint to run far better and will make it lay down , thus not causing the lose of detail...
give it a go Phil...