I wasted a lot of money on various aerosol paints until I noticed something! I used to use FB offcuts as barriers to overspray and to protect already painted parts of the job. I noticed that even without sealing I was able to get paint onto the offcuts without the blistering. I surmised that this was because of the much less solvent being able to soak through the paper and attack the foam.
Then the penny dropped, (my father was a painter), and what the offcuts were getting was what my father called a "Dry Coat". With a little practice I was soon able to "Dry coat" the models and so save a great deal of materials and time. Using the cheapest Rattle Cans of paint and keeping the coat very light and the distance between the spray can and the job such that the paint never appeared to be wet I could get a rather nice and even finish.
Sadly even gloss paints looked Matte but when the paint was really dry, and often after a few light coats, a wet coat of gloss clear made them Pop! Since then I have been able to afford a little more quality ingredients and materials and can no longer afford the time the Dry method took.
I recommend that you expend a little time and some scrap FB to see what finish you can get and even the money you can save using your own methodology!
Have fun!
Once again, Sage Advice!! I fully plan on using scraps for paint testing....
What your Father was describing, we call "dusting" in the US. It's the same thing! Basically, if you're using a Rattle Can, holding it back some distance essentially dissipates the solvents
before it hits the subject.
I plan on Airbrushing.... which has its own challenges, painting 2 or 3 different types of surfaces being the biggest. There's shade variations, and more pertinent - how the differing types of surfaces will react!
Painting Models, I'm GOOD at. Been doing it since I was a kid. You should see the Color Changing Paint on one of my 1:10 Scale Crawlers....
@skymaster - so
THAT'S what Camp Dry is!!! I've heard Bixler use that term many times, with hardly an explanation. I guess I was supposed to know??
Anyway, I've got to find that for my Work Mat, and Minwax for my Bodies...