Several of my modeling friends have been using Mission Model Paints and telling really good things about them. When I had the chance to review some of them I jump on that opportunity.

The very first thing you notice is the volume you get in each bottle: 1 fluid oz. That would keep you painting for a while. You might worry about the fact that the paint might go bad before you are out of it, but don’t worry. Based on the chemistry of it, it is shelf stable. I don’t know if after 5 or 10 years it will still be as good as pristine, but it should last you a long, long time.

Another thing to highlight is that each bottle has a “mixing ball” inside. I’m not sure if it is truly a ball, but you can shake that bottle and the little “rattle” will help you mix the paint thoroughly.

The Mission Models Paint website has an extensive section on “FAQ” and “Tips”. I would recommend you read it before you use this paints. As they say there “…we are teaching you new tricks”.

This paint seems to be thicker than other paints, yet it sprays wonderfully. The recommended way to prepare it is 10:1:1 parts of Paint, Thinner and optionally a Urethane finish for enhanced strength.

The bottles have a small opening, which works like an “eye dropper” of sorts making very easy to get the correct ratios. Even if you get the “wrong ratio”, based on my tests this paint is still very forgiving.

To prepare the paint I simply counted drops into a beaker, mix the paint and additives well and then pour into the airbrush. Set the pressure to about 20 psi and spray away.

In this case I sprayed about 4 inches/10 cm away from the surface. I was doing my best to make sure I had a light, slightly wet coat to have good coverage. You can see from the pictures the paint covered the part very well, without obscuring any detail while providing a uniform color coat.

Another consideration to have is how little these paints smell. While spraying I had a respirator on (always do that), but once I was done with the spraying, I didn’t need to keep my respirator on while cleaning the airbrush as there was no remnant vapor or smell.

Cleaning of the paints is trivial as well. Simply put some water in the airbrush cup and scrub gently. Spray it out and then put a few drops of the thinner in the cup. Spray it out and you are done!

Regarding the color shade of this paint (Extra Dark Sea Grey) I would simply say that to my eyes it looks spot on. I don’t have any chip paint to compare against but I would expect the manufacturer to have done their research and get the color right.

In short, I’m so impressed with these paints that I ordered a bunch (you can do that from their website).

Highly recommended.

I would like to thank Mission Models and IPMS/USA for the review sample