3 Colours Up Review – Tamiya Paints
August 31, 2011 by elromanozo
From Japan with love, Tamiya is a well known brand... At least to the model builder. They offer loads of models and building tools and they have an excellent range of paints for beginners and confirmed painters alike.
The range is systematically divided in "flat" and "gloss" pots, and most colors have a matte and a glossy variant... Black even comes in semi-glossy ! There's also a range of smaller pots, and a range enamels (they're not acrylics, be careful !), as well as a special range for aircraft colors and a whole lot of small spray cans in different colors.
The paint is smooth and easy to use, even if some colors are a bit thin to my taste, and it doesn't dry too quickly (which admittedly can be a flaw, especially when working with their inks).
The Tamiya inks are among the best I've ever seen, their texture is thick and oily... they should, of course, never be used pure! So, there is a slight learning curve, as it's quite different from the inks in other brands. Their "Smoke" ink is legendary among painters (much like Devlan Mud or Hull Red from other ranges...), and rightly so: this is a multipurpose colour that can be used for shading, for charring, as well as for oil stains, worn metals, greasy engines...
Unfortunately,there's a problem with Tamiya pots... they suck!
Seriously, they're smooth glass with a plastic screw-on lid. If you get some paint on the screw (and you will... trust me on this...) you're likely to need a feat of strength to open that pot again. You can reduce this inconvenience by wiping the screws clean every time... but it's a hassle, and I've had the displeasure of finding many an old pot completely sealed shut!
The Tamiya range is, incidentally, the one I started painting with... They're as good a range now as they've always been, and, while not overall "special", they feature some great paints that no hobbyist should do without!
Supported by (Turn Off)
Supported by (Turn Off)
Supported by (Turn Off)
Never had a problem with the lids myself but the pots do get gunky and when sirring the paint have found that the dried bits can conataminate the paint if you are not careful.
Note that Tamiya paints will not work with water as a thinner. Unlike Vallejo or Citadel acrylics, Tamiya are an alcohol based paint and require Tamiya thinners to work. You maybe able to use Isopropyl (rubbing alcohol) but not tried that.
Am not a big fan of Tamiya paints. Have heard they work well with an airbrush though.
They work fine with water… At least one of their ranges does. Enamels need alcohol or thinner.
BoW Romain
Not come across Tamiya enamels Romain, they don’t seem to be as widely availble. A quick google indicates that ther enamel range are in square bottles. I have acrylics. It might be that with fust water as a thinner they are okay on small areas such as miniatures. My first experience with Tamiya acrylics was painting a 1/48 Northrop F-5 Tiger II and with water only the paint was hopeless. It just had no flow. For large surfaces I definitely had to use the Tamiya Acrylic thinners. Had the same experience as @joasht. The smell is possibly the alcohol content… Read more »
Well, the Tamiya flow isn’t exactly paramount, I’ll give you that…
I’ve never tried large quantities as I don’t paint models.
It may well be that caution is advised if you’re painting surfaces larger than a simple miniature…
BoW Romain
I was into military models before 40k, and as such, my 1st paints were also Tamiya, especially given that back then, other brands (even Citadel) were extremely rare. Years of working with them has given me decent “control” of the paint in a sense as its thickness often throws off those who are unprepared, but I’ve found that Tamiya paints are usually more hard-wearing than other brands (i.e. don’t chip as easily). My BIGGEST problem with them however (aside from the pot design) is the terrible smell they have. I have no clue what is causing it, but I reckon… Read more »
I must say the smell is off putting, the only other paint that I fould wich smell worse where an old Citadel wash that had a almost nutty smell – but not in a nice way
The lids are pretty much impossible to loosen once they get paint on them. I have a pair of multi grips to fix that. Doesn’t leave much of the lid though.
@chibi I use Isocol to thin these. It is isopropyl and works great. These are the finest paints I’ve ever airbrushed with.
Romain. I cannot brush with Tamiya. They are singly the worst paints I have ever put a brush too. They need a ridiculous amount of thinning otherwise it goes on so thick it is unusable. I only use them in an airbrush. What am I doing wrong?
I’d say you’re using enamels… They do have a water based acrylics range.
That said, they do have a tendency to “eat” your brushes a lot.
BoW Romain
You’re right chibi, they are great through an airbrush (with their own thinner x20) , I use them a lot on model aeroplanes, you can also but a little wrench thing that helps open the lids if they are stuck.
They do some great military colours if you were painting something like flames of war, and the clear paints are really nice for simulating lights on vehicles, paint silver underneath, cover it with the clear, presto, coloured lights.
Tamiya work beautifully as airbrush paints. 50/50 thinner to paint and they go on matter than any other brand of paint i’ve ever seen. I also use the Fine Surface Primer in light grey which gives the smoothest finish i’ve ever seen in a primer. Sometimes it’s so smooth you’ll have problems brushing paint over the top, but it’s not a problem for the airbrush. Not sure i’d want to use them as a brush paint though as whatever they’re mixed with that makes them smell so odd can’t be good for brushes. Plus, i’ve found the consistency to be… Read more »
Agreed on the pots! I’ve only tried a couple of the metallics and love them to bits 🙂
It seems you have uploaded the Citadel paints chart again. Could you change it for Tamiya?
Whoops! 😀
Naughty links not doing what they’re supposed too… all better now.
I’m glad to hear its not only me that has had trouble with their lids. They’re a nightmare at times. Honestly I have no idea how I’d live without my Tamiya smoke I really don’t. Its just so darn good. I use a few other Tamiya paints but I’m mainly using Vallejo paints now.
I have exactly one pot of Tamiya paint and that is their XF63 German Grey that I needed for my wehrmacht tanks in my Imperial Guard army. I have to say that, while the color was quite easy to work with, it did have some interesting qualities. The extremely matte finish put me off since it doesn’t mix very well with other colors that are not as matte when dry. In the end I resorted to using German Grey as a quick base color and then covering it completely with a mix of Codex Grey and and Black that I… Read more »
I love the Tamiya range. When thinned properly it airbrushes beautifully. But as Romain says, the pots are the letdown.
That said they have a great range and I will forever hold them dear to my heart when thinking back to all those Normandy era Panzers and Shermans I painted when I was 9.
And I can still look at them and find new uses and methods, as all paint in my box.
I have some Tamiya paints that I use for airbrushing which I thin with their X20a thinner but they do have a habit of fillnig a room with rather unpleasant fumes so I tend to stick with Vallejo Air paints now.
I think Tamiya are well respected by ‘serious’ painters though.
‘serious’ as in writing articles for magazines not ‘serious’ as in being a bit of a killjoy 🙂
Tamiya were the first acrylics I ever used, they came in sort of square segmented pots back then. What a godsend they were over the Humbrol enamels I had been using thought at the time there was a pretty limited range of colours. Might have a look at them again after I’ve tested out the Vallejo Game & Model colours I’m ordering right now.
When I was just a wee lad I used Tamiya paints for a battleship. I look back and boy was I a newbie with painting. As of late I have used the small spray cans that have a great range of earth tones. Most of my paints today are Vallejo, Citadel foundation paints and P3 paints. I’ll have to look into this “smoke” ink if its that good.
@ BoW Romain
You mentioned the “Smoke” ink is a must for people who like specific paints from specific manufacturers, but are there any other ‘must have’ colours from the range you think we must look at?
Not that I can think of… None that I haven’t mentioned anyway. It depends on the painter and his project ! If you have an army to paint quickly, look at their small spray cans for basecoating. The inks are definitely worth a look, no matter what you’re painting… The basic Tamiya putty is an interesting product, a paste in a tube rather than a proper putty… It’s useful for filling gaps and joint lines on models, but don’t use too much, or the plastic of your models will melt slightly (depending on the type of plastic). You won’t have… Read more »
The putty we are used to is usually known specifically as “epoxy putty”, Tamiya does also have one but theirs is closer to Miliput than Kneadatite. For scale model builders, normal “putty” is often just that pasty stuff.
The south eastern United States must be bizzarro land. I have actively went out looking these paints before and I cannot find them. I’ve heard good things about the clear paints they offer, like clear yellow, but never found any to buy. Of course it doesn’t help that there are no dedicated hobby stores within 50+ miles of me.
I can’t even find a website that sells this paint line along with anything else I would buy. A man can’t be expected to eat $8 shipping for 3 tiny bottles of paint alone.
I hear you loud and clear where I lived in Arkansas it was 30 miles to the nearest gas station .You might try looking for a Hobbytown USA for Tamiya paints or Hobby Lobby for Model Master paints by Testors .