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Acrylic Paints

The friendliest paint on the bench. Humbrol acrylic paint comes in dropper bottles rather than pots: shake, drop a little onto a palette, and paint. It's water-based, so mistakes rinse off the brush rather than setting in.

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Acrylic model paint that forgives

Acrylic model paint is the sensible default for most builds, and for every first build. It dries quickly, blends easily when a colour isn't quite right, and cleans up with water, no thinners required. It's happy on more than polystyrene too: the same bottles work on wood, glass, ceramics and metal, so nothing is wasted when the kit is finished. It's also the paint type in every Airfix starter set, which tells you who it's for: everyone.

Looking for acrylic paint pots?

Ours come as dropper bottles instead, and the format is the point: you dispense exactly what you need, drop by drop, instead of dipping into an open pot that dries as you work. If you'd rather brush from a tin, enamel model paint is the other camp entirely, and drying time is what separates them. Both are shelved under modelling supplies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is acrylic paint OK for plastic models?

More than OK, it's the easiest place to start. Humbrol acrylic is made with plastic kits in mind, goes on evenly over a coat of primer or straight onto the plastic, and dries fast enough that a build keeps moving. Water-based also means no solvent smell at the kitchen table.

Is water based model paint durable enough?

Once dry, yes, it holds its colour and takes handling well. Give each coat time before the next, and seal a finished model with a varnish if it will be handled often. The water base matters while you paint, not after.

What brushes work with Humbrol acrylic paint?

Any decent set from the modelling brushes range: acrylic is kind to bristles because everything washes out in water. Work large areas first with a broad flat brush, then details with a fine tip, rinsing between colours so each one stays true.