Paint Review: Mission Models

Hello friends. It’s me, your kindly old uncle Dan, to provide you with another kind and generous review of a fine American product for everyone, regardless of their race, religion or creed.

I’m only a little disappointed in Mission Models Premium Hobby Paint, because, given the single-minded way they promote airbrushing, I kinda had an idea they weren’t in it to win it with the brushing set.

Put on that damn respirator, Airman!

I can’t recommend this paint, as much as I like these folks and their approach to hobby paints. The color of this “RAF Dark Earth” looks exactly right to me, and that counts for a lot. But it’s not enough to overcome the simple fact that this is, in truth, airbrush paint.

Maybe Mission Models will contact me and tell me what I did wrong (HAH!) but it shouldn’t be this hard. By comparison, I had a hunch that Vallejo Model Air had brushing potential right away. Two brush strokes and I thought “Hey, this stuff could work!” Not so with Mission Models. I was impressed by it, but it was more like “I bet this stuff really airbrushes well!” and not “Where has THIS been all my life?”

I really tried to get a good result but it missed the mark. Not by too much, maybe, but when I have paint that “just works” like MM Acryl or Revell Aqua Color why do I need a paint that does not work “first time every time?”

I think you can see the “streaky” nature of the finish.

I realize that a clever holler-back girl on Yelp could gut my argument by saying that I don’t know how to paint with this digital-native product. Maybe so. Maybe so. But I stirred and stirred and even put the evil paint in a shiny glass jar, and still it would not cover. After three coats of paint, I’m calling it a FAIL.

This is three coats of paint. Wassup???

I got better coverage with Modelmaster Acryl on ONE coat. Better on one coat. I mean, come on! I can’t give Mission Models paint the review they would like and I would like. I’d like us to be BFFs. But that is just not going to happen.

So what about adhesion? Does it stick like plaster on an ape and thereby gain credibility with those of us who use masking tape?

Initial results were not all bad. I painted it over some MM Acryl and, for some reason, it stuck like glue.

Cat couldn’t scratch it.

But on bare plastic it sucked.

It just tears off.

MM Acryl does not tear off. Why doesn’t the MM Acryl tear off like the Mission Models, Daddy?

Because it just does, son. It just does.

This paint reminds me of Lifecolor and all the stuff that goes with it. Priming (?) and multiple coats and…oh, who cares? Buy better paint, my brushing friends. Go in peace.

  • Self Leveling
  • Need for Additives
  • Coverage
  • Proper Drying Time
  • Compatibility
  • Stippling
  • Fingerprinting
  • Adhesion
  • Line Drawing
  • Color Selection
  • Smell
  • Price
3.4

Summary

The problem with this paint is coverage. I suppose that if you put on more and more coats, you’d eventually get a good finish. For some reason, I’m thinking of the old Tootsie Pop commercial from the 1960’s.

“How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?”

“One…Two…CRUNCH…Three. The answer is three.”

6 Replies to “Paint Review: Mission Models”

  1. A Shame. But a big thank you for saving me money; this stuff is expensive, and I often looked at it wonderingly, remembering your enthusiasm after watching that video review of it back in the day. No, I will stick to the good old Acryl and Revell…oh and the new Humbrol.

    Yes, the new Humbrol.

    I tried it out, and it has a place with us. I suggest you purchase a couple of bottles yourself when you get the chance…however, caveat time (I knew you were waiting for this…), Only get the paint in the new 18.2ml bottle. DID YOU HEAR THAT DAN?? Only get the pain in the 18.2ml bottle. I say this because gallons of the old crap still haunts the marketplace, and even in old Blighty you will find a few colours in the new stuff. So, if it isn’t in a new 18.2ml bottle, and it don’t say ‘Made in the UK’ on it, steer clear. Otherwise, it reminds me of a cross between Acryl and Revell.

  2. I’m glad to hear that Humbrol has upped their game. The day when Humbrol and Airfix go away will be the same day that a certain celebrity scuba-diver will deliver a certain sword to a certain once and future king…

  3. Celebrity Scuba Diver? I can only think of Jacques Cousteau or Elle McPherson. I know which one I would rather have a sword delivered to me by…

  4. Yah, tried hard to airbrush with MMP. Got some good results after losing my hair color. It’s just too finicky what with the required additives etc. So I finally got a nice spray result on my caudron c-460. But when it dried there is very strong purple cast. Nobody knows why. Go figure. More hair loss. I also found it difficult to mix for a better match, in some cases, impossible. So fooey on you MMP .

  5. “Mission Models” paint is a runny mess!!!!

    I got sucked into the hype, but could never figure
    out how to mix/use it properly. Followed the website
    instructions to a “T”, and have never had some many runs :/

    I’ll stick to the paint I know…….PLUS, their “customer service”
    is not good. I emailed, asking to return new, un-opened
    bottles, and was basically told to buzz off.

    You, can of course, suit yourself, but I’d say save your money.

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