You wish to dabble in some paints and create something artistic or creative, but the sheer number and type of paints available in the market might leave you confused. There are a number of paint types available in the market. And similarly, a specific one for the type of material or surface you wish to paint on. But, how would you know which one is suitable for your particular project? A guide would be handy to help make the selection easier.
Guide to select the appropriate paint for your art project
Depending on the material you are going to be painting on, there are a number of types of paints. For instance, fabric paints are for painting on any cloth or fabric. Below we shall discuss some of these paints and their features and uses.
- Acrylics
These are water based paints that dry fast and are easy to use, free of odour and permanent after being sprayed or painted. Acrylics can be used with a paint brush or an air brush. When painted, applied or sprayed to a primed surface, acrylic makes it look much better. Acrylics are water soluble, but when applied onto a surface and upon drying they become permanent as well as water proof. Additionally, the acrylic painted surfaces are durable under most environmental conditions. The best acrylics are from the Tamiya brand and the good news is that these Tamiya paints for sale are at major hobby stores in Australia. These paints are available in translucent, flat and glossy colours. They can be used on surfaces, such as Styrofoam, resin, styrene, primed metal, wood, acrylic, ab and common plastic models. This paint can be rubbed with water before curing and gives a good finish.
- Lacquer paint
Similar to acrylics, lacquer paints dry very quickly and are available in a variety of colours in glossy, translucent and flat colours. Lacquer paints, on drying, are resistant to water, are fuel proof and are tough. Therefore, they are popular choice with hobbyists as well as modelers. Their biggest advantage is that they dry very fast and therefore artists can get back on to their projects soon since the paint dries quickly.
- Enamel paint
Enamel paints are oil based and take very long time to dry. These paints have a very strong smell or odour and the complete curing of these paints requires approximately 48 to 72 hours. The enamel paints require a thinner to ensure a durable finish, unlike acrylics, which can be applied as is. Another thing to remember about enamel is that they do not go well on vinyl textures. Thus, vinyl figures cannot be painted with enamel paints as the finish is tacky and is not completely cured. The enamel paints are appropriate to be used on textures, such as wood, metal, glass surfaces, most types of plastics and few other materials too, apart from vinyl. The finish obtained by enamel paints is more tough and durable. The finish obtained from these paints is mostly glossy.
There are a wide variety of paint types to choose from depending on what material you wish to paint on and the kind of finish you envision. The above information will help make the choice a little better and quicker for you.
Raymond Bilger 
Clare Louise