Paint Review: Golden So Flat

For years, long before Testors quit the hobby business, I’ve wanted to find a high quality artists’ paint that could be used to paint plastic model kits. I found that this was not as easy as I thought it would be.

I reviewed one attempt when I tried Golden Liquid Acrylic.

It was good paint, but not good for what I wanted to do. In fact, it was bad.

But now Golden has introduced a new type of acrylic paint, call So Flat— that is, pretty much, the answer to my prayers. This is the real deal. As far as I can tell, this product is exactly what I was looking for.

It has all the qualities we expect from professional art supplies. The paint is sold the way that paint should be sold to professional artists. No malarkey. No goblin blood or Panzer Paints.

And, like something out of a dream, it smells just like Polly Scale. The same faint odor of ammonia is there. This may a problem if you are sensitive to ammonia, and it will eat the seals on your expensive airbrush, but for me, I feel like I’ve found my long lost paint.

Testing produced dreamy results (see below).

So I’ll cut to the chase. You have to mix your own colors. You could try to “match” colors but if you are one of those people who just can’t mix colors, then you’d be better off trying to get some Hataka Blue. I’m just telling it like it is. If you have money to burn, you could buy Golden So Flat and try to match colors, but really, this stuff is meant for people who can take black, yellow and red and make RAF Dark Earth or RAF Dark Green.

You can buy a six color set of “primary” colors from Amazon. Here’s a link (I get no money from this…yeah, me dumb):

Golden So Flat at Amazon

This set will get you TWO OUNCE bottles of yellow, blue, red, black, white and just for fun, green. These are the perfect colors to start mixing, and believe me, you could probably mix about six ounces of paint for every two ounces in the set. In other words, yes, it’s a bit expensive, but you can “stretch” it to an amazing degree– and all you need to add is (distilled) water.

That way, it’s actually the CHEAPEST good hobby paint you can buy. And this isn’t just good, it’s great.

But, for some, the mixology is a deal-breaker. So you’ve been told, and you can make your own decision.

  • Self Leveling
  • Need for Additives
  • Coverage
  • Proper Drying Time
  • Compatibility
  • Stippling
  • Fingerprinting
  • Adhesion
  • Line Drawing
  • Color Selection
  • Smell
  • Price
4.9

Dreamy

I’m super excited about this paint. I know that time marches on. One day, Golden will be bought by RPM and everyone will be fired or assassinated and they’ll post “fuck you, customers” signs at Dick Blick and Michael’s– but right now, at this point in time, I just want to bask in the glow of this remarkable product. Excuse me, we’d like to be alone now…

12 Replies to “Paint Review: Golden So Flat”

  1. How’s the drying time of artists’ acrylics? I’ve never used them, but seeing your rating is tempting me to try them out

    1. Very fast. Similar to my other favorite ammonia paints– but this is the version you get in Heaven. I’m going to get one of those six-packs of primary colors and use this stuff to replace my old favorites. I haven’t tried mixing it with MM Acryl or Polly Scale but I’m reasonably certain that it’s a match. Of course, God won’t let me be happy, so this paint will go off the market soon. Get it while you can, pilgrim.

      PLEASE NOTE: This IS NOT “artists’ acrylic.” Artists’ acrylic is more like Golden Liquid Acrylic. I don’t know what to call this stuff. It’s weird. It seems like Golden made a paint just for me (hence my mildly disturbed comment about God). It is Polly Scale WRIT LARGE. It’s very thick, like mini paint, but when you thin it you get a creamy, smooth kind of paint that can be used to do anything. It’s crazy that this exists. I’m still pinching myself on a regular basis.

      To see if I’m dreaming! Stop that giggling in back!

      1. Sounds great then. Sorry, I should have asked this in my initial comment: how much do you need to stir them compared to Revell acrylics?

        1. Revell Aqua takes some serious stirring, if I remember correctly. They would separate very quickly and this was one of the drawbacks that my rating system doesn’t incorporate– yet.

          But the Golden So Flat doesn’t seem to have that problem at all. It really is the best of both worlds. You get the performance of Polly Scale and the quality of Golden’s art supplies which is world class. Also, it’s important to remember that this stuff is THICK. It can be thinned (I’ve tried 50% water) and it’s STILL ROCK SOLID.

          I realize my credibility is “iffy” after my Army Painter debacle and my inability to convey what’s not-so-good about Revell but this stuff is DA BOMB.

          1. I know what you mean, I have a battery powered paint stirrer and depending on the pot I have to thoroughly stir the Revell acrylics for a good few minutes. I can only imagine how long it would take with a BBQ stick. But I’ve had some very clumpy paint turn into smooth flowing magic after getting the electric stirrer treatment and some water.

            Great to hear these acrylics don’t require that!

            1. One thing I see very often in forums is the modern need to use power tools for everything. I see nothing on a plastic model kit that could ever require a power tool. I feel the same way about paint stirring. If I could only grab the sweaty little hand of the reluctant chap and FORCE him to stir it by hand, he’d see the light and realize that a power stirrer is not needed. But alas, my ability to grab and control people at a distance is somewhat limited for the time being.

              1. It’s not needed but it’s convenient. 2 AA batteries and my wrists get to rest. The downside is it gets little bubbles into the paint, but still nowhere near as bad as shaker bottles.

  2. Alright then, “Somebody stop me!”
    I definitely will buy some of this, nowish, cause Dans right, you never know when a product will just go poof in today’s world of marketing
    Meanwhiles Im learning Revell which I already invested in.

  3. So I looked on Amazon at the details. This paint contains cadmium, and warns that you must not spray it, as inhaled cadmium is known to cause cancer, per state of CA.

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