Tamiya Color Acrylic Paint: X Gloss – XF Matte

The Modeller’s Favourite Paint

by James Wooldridge: Updated August 03, 2022

For the Hobbyist to Advanced User

The Basics

Why Use Tamiya Color Acrylic Paint is a long-time favourite among modellers. The paint comes in much more durable Gloss or Matte colours that apply easily with a brush or an airbrush. The “X” line of designated colours has a glossy finish, while the “XF” line of assigned colours is a flat finish.

The colour range covers cars, trucks, AFVs, tanks, aircraft, ships, submarines, miniature figures and metals in the form of metallic paint.

These paints can be used on styrene resins, styrofoam, wood, plus all the common model plastics. The paint covers well, flows smoothly, and can be blended easily. Before curing, paint can be washed away with plain water.

💡 Tooltip: When using a brush, use X-20A for thinning to minimize previous coat reactivation. Tamiya Paint Retarder Acrylic 40ml (87114) is recommended to help eliminate brush strokes, promote self-levelling and produce a high-quality, smooth finish.

Easy To Use – Tip-Dry Free

Tamiya Acrylic Color is a very easy-to-use, forgiving paint. Unlike water-based acrylics, the constant hassle of tip-dry forming on the needle is nonexistent when airbrushing.

Mix Ratio

The paint in the bottle is thick, so thinning is required. A 1:1 thinner-to-paint ratio is a good starting point. With some colours, further dilution of 2:1 thinner-to-paint ratio may be necessary. Advanced users can thin the paint further without concern for weakening the paint composition, adhesion, and surface strength.

Paint Primer

Priming is an excellent technique for proofing the quality of your build and locating any areas that need to be addressed, such as seam lines, mould separation lines, surplus cement, etc.

Thinners

• X-20A Acrylic Thinner: White Cap
• Tamiya Lacquer Thinner: Yellow Cap
• Tamiya Lacquer Thinner Retarder Type: Orange Cap
• Mr.Color Levelling Thinner: Yellow Label
• Mr.Color Thinner: Blue Label
• Mr.Color Rapid Thinner: Red Label (For Metallic Paint)
• Real Color Thinner

Cleaners

• Tamiya Airbrush Cleaner
• Any of the above Thinners

Water-Soluble Acrylic Resin

Tamiya Color Acrylic Paints are made from water-soluble (miscible alcohols) acrylic resins and are excellent for brush painting or airbrushing. These paints can be used on styrene resins, styrofoam, wood, and all the common model plastics. The paint covers well, flows smoothly, and can be blended easily. Before curing, paint can be washed away with plain water.

When airbrushing, make sure to use any of the following Tamiya Thinners: 81020, 81030, 81040, 81520, 87077.

The “X” line of designated colours has a glossy finish, while the “XF” line of designated colours has a flat finish. The paint can be thinned for airbrushing using Tamiya X-20A Acrylic thinner or Tamiya Lacquer Thinner, which will yield faster-drying results and a harder finish.

Tamiya Acrylic Color Paint Thinners

Brush Painting

For better paint brushing results, use Tamiya Paint Retarder 87114 for a smoother brush-stroke-free finish.

Solvent Thinners

Tamiya Acrylic Color Water-Soluble Acrylic/Poly Solvent-Based Thinner

• Acrylic/Poly Thinner X-20A (White Cap)
• Cure Type: Polymerization (Evaporation)

💡  Pro-tip: X-20A produces a Gloss Finish when using X Series Paints.
🛑 CAUTION: Do not use incompatible Tamiya Enamel Thinner X-20 (Blue Cap)

Solvent-Based Lacquer Thinners

• Tamiya Lacquer Thinner (Yellow/Orange Cap)
• Mr.Color Thinner (Yellow/Blue Label)
• Mr.Rapid Thinner For Metallics Or Matte Paint (Red Label)
• Real Colors Thinner (Blue Cap)
• Cure Type: Solvent Off-Gassing (Flash Off)

💡 Pro-tip: Solvent-based Lacquer Thinners produce a harder surface and a high gloss when using X Series Paints.
🛑 CAUTION: Do not mix Water, X-20 (Blue Cap), or X-20A (White Cap) with Lacquer Thinners as they are incompatible.

Tamiya Lacquer Thinner Retarder Type (Orange Cap)

Tamiya Lacquer Thinner Retarder Type is a new product not only thins lacquer paints for airbrushing but also includes retardants to slow the drying of the thinned paint, particularly useful in covering up any overspray and getting a glossy finish. Available in 250ml size.

Features:

• Can be used to thin Tamiya Color Lacquer Paints and Spray Paints, in a ratio of between 1:1 and 2:1 (thinner: paint).
• Retarder slows drying, beneficial when undesired overspray can ruin a glossy paint job if it dries before you can get to it.
• It helps to avoid blushing (when moisture gets trapped with paint, and you end up with a foggy white finish) in humid conditions.

Tamiya Color Lacquer Paints can be used on styrene resins, styrofoam, wood, plus all the common model plastics. The paint covers well, flows smoothly without blushing or fading, and can blend easily.

Thinning Tamiya Acrylic Color Paint

Tamiya Color Acrylic Paints are made of water-soluble acrylic resins dissolved in solution. Using the specified thinners above, the dilution rate can be 1:2 to 1:9 parts paint to thinner, or greater, without degrading or weakening the paint.

⚠️ Adding thinner to the paint bottle degrades the acrylic resins over time. Thin paint as required in a separate container or in the airbrush paint cup.

Why Two Types of Thinner‽

Tamiya Paint is a hybrid paint that produces a stronger finish than water-based acrylic/latex paints. When thinned with X-20A (White Cap), the paint behaves like a lacquer with a mild scent. When any of the aforementioned Lacquer Thinners are used, Tamiya Color Acrylic Paint acrylic resins perform like lacquer paint, producing a stronger finish.

Depending on the application, X-20A (White Cap) may be preferred over Lacquer Thinner because it is more resistant to reactivating the previous coat. X-20A also produces a softer matte finish when using XF Series Paints to a harder, slight sheen created by Lacquer Thinner.

Tamiya Lacquer Paints (Tamiya LP), a different formulation, is an actual lacquer paint requiring appropriate lacquer thinners.

Tamiya Color Lacquer Paints is a versatile, easy-to-use paint with excellent results. Its tough surface provides a solid foundation for weathering effects and is unaffected by enamels or acrylic paints.

Chipping Fluids and Hairspray Chipping Weathering Effects

Tamiya Paint can be thinned with water and applied over Chipping Fluids or Hairspray to create paint chips. The water weakens the paint structure, causing the paint membrane to chip or wear off more easily, creating the desired weathering effects.

For the best chipping results, use distilled water to reduce the paint viscosity for airbrushing.

⚠️ Water, although it mixes, used as a thinner, weakens the paint structure. Use only over Chipping Fluids or Hair Spray.

James Wooldridge is An enthusiastic scale modeller, researcher, amateur historian, and contributor to scale modelling sites, including Scalemates. He is an active and progressive Facebook Group Expert, Presenter, and Scale Modelling Club Video Host.