Hobby Paint in 2026: Spray, Acrylic and Enamel Explained

Most ruined paint jobs are not a skill problem. They are a wrong paint problem. Acrylic on a lexan RC body will flake off in the first crash. Enamel on a plastic miniature will stay tacky for a week. A spray can used in cold, damp air will leave a fuzzy coat that never dries smooth.

This guide covers the three paint families we stock, what each one is for, and the order to work in.

Which paint goes on which model?

Start with the material, not the colour.

Acrylic paint is for plastic, resin and metal miniatures. It is water based, dries fast, and cleans up with water before it cures. Citadel, Vallejo and Army Painter all make acrylic ranges built for miniatures, and they cover well at two thin coats. Acrylic is what you want for Warhammer, D&D miniatures, Battletech, and any tabletop figure.

Enamel paint is for model kits and hard plastic bodies. Testors and similar enamels are solvent based. They dry hard, cure slowly, and produce a smooth finish on car, aircraft and tank models. They need enamel thinner for cleanup and never water. Enamel over a soft plastic can attack the surface, so test on a sprue first.

Polycarbonate spray is for RC bodies. Clear RC shells are made of lexan, and only a paint designed for polycarbonate will bond to it. Tamiya PS is the standard. Paint goes on the inside of the shell, in thin coats, and the lexan stays flexible. Standard hobby spray will crack off on the first impact.

Standard hobby spray (TS type) is for static models. It is a lacquer for styrene kits, not for lexan. Using it inside an RC shell is the most expensive mistake in this article.

If you only remember one line: acrylic for figures, enamel for kits, PS spray for RC shells.

How do you prime before painting?

Primer is not optional on bare plastic, resin or metal. Paint needs a surface to grip, and bare plastic is too smooth.

• Clean the model first. Mould release agent and finger oils stop paint from bonding. Warm water with a drop of dish soap, then dry completely.
• Spray in light passes. Six to eight inches away, short bursts, moving across the model. Two thin coats beat one wet coat every time.
• Check the weather. Spray between roughly 50 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit, in low humidity. Cold or damp air makes spray dry before it lands, and the finish goes chalky or fuzzy.
• Let it cure, not just dry. Twenty to thirty minutes between coats, and a few hours before brush painting.
• Grey primer shows detail best. Black is faster and hides mistakes. White makes bright colours pop. Most painters start with grey.

If you cannot spray outdoors, brush on primer works, or use an airbrush. Neither is as fast, and both are better than painting straight onto bare plastic.

Spray can or airbrush?

For most people starting out, a spray can.

A spray can is cheap, needs no equipment, and covers a whole squad in ten minutes. The limits are control and colour range. You get one colour per can, and fine detail work is impossible.

An airbrush gives you control, smooth gradients and any colour you can mix. It also costs several times more, needs a compressor, and takes practice plus a cleaning routine after every session.

The middle road most hobbyists take: spray can for primer and base coats, brush for everything else, airbrush later if the hobby sticks. You do not need an airbrush to paint a good miniature.

How do you thin acrylic paint?

Thin it with water, on a palette, until it flows like milk. Two thin coats always beat one thick coat.

Thick paint is the most common beginner mistake. A heavy coat fills in detail, dries with visible brush strokes, and leaves the model looking melted. Thinned paint sits in the recesses and leaves the raised edges sharp, which is why it reads as detail.

A simple method:

• Put a drop of paint on a palette or tile.
• Add water a brush tip at a time and mix.
• Test on a thumbnail. If it covers the skin while still showing the texture underneath, it is right.
• Apply, let it dry fully, then apply the second coat.

For washes and shades, thinning is different. A wash is meant to be thin enough to run into recesses, so follow the bottle rather than adding water.

Why do enamel paints need their own thinner?

Enamel is solvent based, so water does nothing to it. Cleaning a brush with water after enamel leaves the bristles stiff and the paint in the ferrule.

Use enamel thinner for cleanup and for thinning. Testors enamel thinner is the standard match for Testors enamel. Keep a separate jar of thinner and a separate brush set. Once a brush has been used for enamel, do not put it back in your acrylic water pot.

Ventilation matters here. Enamel and lacquer sprays produce strong fumes, so spray outside or in a garage with the door open, and wear a mask. This is the one part of the hobby where the safety advice is not optional.

How do you seal the paint?

A clear coat protects the paint from fingers, dice and table contact. It is the step people skip, and skipping it is why a painted army looks worn after a year of play.

• Matte varnish for miniatures. It kills shine and looks natural.
• Satin for vehicles and models that should have a slight sheen.
• Gloss for glass, lenses, water effects, and anything that should look wet.

Spray varnish outdoors, in the same weather window as primer. Two light coats. Let the first dry fully before the second, or the finish goes cloudy.

What does a first paint kit need?

You can start with less than you think.

• One primer spray in grey
• A starter set of acrylics with a black, a white, and three or four colours you actually want
• Two or three brushes, a size 0 and a size 2, plus something cheap for mixing
• A palette, a water pot, and paper towel
• A wash, because a wash does more for a beginner's model than any other single product
• Matte varnish to finish

That is a complete first setup. Do not buy twenty paints before you have painted ten models. Buy the colours for the army in front of you.

What are the most common paint mistakes?

• Painting on bare plastic. No primer, no grip, and the paint rubs off at the edges.
• Spraying in the cold or the rain. Chalky, fuzzy finishes that cannot be fixed without stripping.
• Thick coats. Detail disappears and the model looks soft.
• Using the wrong thinner. Water in enamel, solvent in acrylic, both end badly.
• Skipping the varnish. Paint wears off wherever the model gets handled.
• Painting inside the RC shell with the wrong spray. The shell cracks at the first bump, and the paint comes with it.

Fix those six and your models will look better than most of what sits on a store shelf.

FAQ

Can you use acrylic paint on an RC body?

No. Lexan bodies need polycarbonate spray applied to the inside of the shell. Acrylic will flake off on impact.

Do you need primer on plastic miniatures?

Yes. Bare plastic is too smooth for paint to grip, and unprimed paint rubs off at the edges.

What temperature should you spray paint in?

Roughly 50 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit with low humidity. Cold or damp air causes a chalky finish.

How long between coats of spray paint?

Twenty to thirty minutes for a recoat, and several hours before brush painting or varnishing.

Is enamel paint safe on plastic miniatures?

Usually not. Solvent based enamel can attack soft plastics and stays tacky. Use acrylic for figures.

Do you need an airbrush to paint miniatures?

No. A spray can for primer and a couple of brushes cover most of the hobby.

Suggested internal links (in body): Miniature paints and supplies as the primary CTA, plus hobby tools, Warhammer, bodies and finishing for RC shells, and spray paint, enamel thinner, Retributor Armour.

Target keyword note: the store already ranks for individual paint SKUs and for Warhammer unpainted miniatures, but no page owns the how to paint miniatures query. This guide captures the head term, absorbs the spray paint and thinner long tail, and routes buyers to the paint wall and hobby tools collections.