MRP paints, they're great yes, but not really worth it in my opinion

[antonlemmy@yahoo.com]

MRP sell little glass balls that I add to each color of MRP. It really helps when mixing.

So the paint it a little spendy but not that much more than any other brand. I have dozens of bottle of Vallejo Model Air that I’ll most likely never use again as I can’t stand the hit or miss results with it. It isn’t particularly durable, I still would get pull off when masking no matter how well I prepped and primed and it would take quite a while to dry. It’s completely the opposite using the MRP stuff. After all the money wasted on Vallejo, the MRP seems like good value.

[cbk57]

I would call myself a paint whore.  I bet I have at least 7 varieties of paint in my shop.  Let me think Tamiya, Tamiya LP, MRP, Mission Models, Gunze Mr Color, Vallejo, Gaia Notes, Life Color, Zero, Model Car World.  I am probably missing something there, but you get the point.  I have made my share of good and bad paint decisions.  I pick up different paints for purpose.  My go to for brush work is Vallejo.  But I am guilty of chasing all sorts of stuff depending on what I need for a given use.  I cannot say it is all a good decision.  I am liking MRP for some uses not for others.

 

To finish my thought on this subject, I was drawn to MRP because it was supposed to be good straight from the bottle and it offers almost every specific color imaginable for military modeling.  From a usage standpoint of all the paints I have used, for airbrush use if I Tamiya would make the same variety of color, I would use strictly Tamiya acrylic with leveling thinner or tamiya lacquer thinner.  I do like Tamiya lP for some uses as well and would put it up there to.  From a consistency and easy to use standpoint it is hard to beat tamiya acrylic which with leveling thinner is unbelievably forgiving.  By whhich I mean you can thin it to a ridiculous degree and still get it to hold but you do not have to be perfectly consistent in your process.  The paint basically lasts forever.  

 

MRP I am finding somewhat inconsistent and at times over thinned.  It might be easier to use if they cut their thinners by a quarter or half and then when we shoot adding back in our chosen amount of leveling thinner.  

Edited April 8 by cbk57

[Ginja Ninja]

Apologies for going slightly off topic.

 

I noticed some of the paints on my shelf had really started to settle, mostly Hataka which I had barely used in years and my AK Xtreme Metal. So just over a month ago I picked up a cheap mini vortex mixer and I was really impressed. Cost me £20 on Amazon and saved me lots of arm ache, but then again I am pretty feeble 😂

[TankBuster]

Be careful of the vortex mixers as they have caused problems with my hands, my doctor called it Raynaud's disease when I first told her what was happening with my fingers on cold mornings. It was months later that I realized it was my vortex mixer causing the problem as vibration can cause it. I stopped using the vortex mixer and the problem has gone away for the time being. Cheers Bob.

[Jager]

9 hours ago, TankBuster said:

Be careful of the vortex mixers as they have caused problems with my hands, my doctor called it Raynaud's disease when I first told her what was happening with my fingers on cold mornings. It was months later that I realized it was my vortex mixer causing the problem as vibration can cause it. I stopped using the vortex mixer and the problem has gone away for the time being. Cheers Bob.

For clarification, what are you calling a 'vortex mixer'? 

Thanks,

Jager

[RCPlym]

29 minutes ago, Jager said:

For clarification, what are you calling a 'vortex mixer'? 

Thanks,

Jager

 

It is a little electrical device that wobbles the living daylights out of anything put onto it. 

 

Search Vortex paint mixer.

[TankBuster]

Hi this is link to one I have, I brought mine before they became popular for model paint mixing. Cheers.

https://www.4es-usa.com/products/mini-vortex-mixer-mi0101001

 

[Jager]

12 hours ago, TankBuster said:

Hi this is link to one I have, I brought mine before they became popular for model paint mixing. Cheers.

https://www.4es-usa.com/products/mini-vortex-mixer-mi0101001

 

Thanks. I was unclear. I call it a test tube shaker but it's the same thing. It's what I have been using now for a few years with no issue. 

Shake-on

Jager

[Duncan Doenitz]

I'm a huge fan of SMS lacquers but buy do they need a lot of shaking if they have been left to stand for a period of time. I looked on the big river website and vortex shakers seem to be the answer with some even coming with small ball bearings to mix the paint in the bottle. The challenge is to find one that takes Mr Color / Tamiya jars as well.

 

I spoke to a mate who ran a terrific model supply shop before the economics caught up with him and asked if he only had access to one supplier, who would it be. As his model making is the best I have seen in many a year, his answer is worth a lot. After some contemplation......... Mr Color. I will build some Japanese aircraft if only to use some of their wonderful shades. I built a McLaren F1 car and their Shine Red is absolutely spot on. 

 

The chemistry of paint needs to be appreciated. Levelling fluid also breaks down the plastic bonded to the pigment which causes separation. A thorough shake sorts it all out and so far, has not adversely affected any results.

[Maketar Productions]

On 4/12/2026 at 4:25 AM, TankBuster said:

Hi this is link to one I have, I brought mine before they became popular for model paint mixing. Cheers.

https://www.4es-usa.com/products/mini-vortex-mixer-mi0101001

 

oh yeah, i am using that one, wakes the dead in paint bottles :-)

[Hubert Boillot]

Even though I recognize that a paint work can make or break a model, I have never been a great practitioner in painting, and it’s never been my favorite part of modeling …

I have nevertheless learned to use, passably, an airbrush …

But the thinning of the paint for airbrushing is certainly the least likeable part of preparing an airbrush session : select the paint, get a plastic pipette to suck-in some paint, pour the paint in a jar, get another pipette for the thinner, gauge what you need to get the proper consistency, pour it on the paint in the jar, close the jar, shake and mix, take another pipette to transfer the mix into the airbrush, start spraying, discover that the mix is not thin enough - or too thin - empty the airbrush cup in the jar, adjust the mix, use the pipette to put the new mix in the airbrush cup, do another spray trial … You see the drift. Plus, you have to prepare enough mix to make sure you will not have to prepare another batch. So, if you have prepared too much, what do you do with the extra in the jar ? You keep it, just in case you need to do some touch-ups. And when the model is finished, do you keep the jar, empty it in the original paint tin or bottle, or throw it away ? Add to that all the opportunities for a mess that  these multiple liquids’ transfers entail … 😱 

 

So, with any non-airbrush-ready paint brand, it’s three pipettes, a spare jar, a lot of hassle, and some waste because the quantities are never right …

 

With MRP paints, on the other hand, just pour some in the airbrush cup, try and spray … You can put too little in the cup, and it’s no problem, because you can just add one more drop if needed, without wasting paint …And the result is fairly fool-proof in all cases … Ditto for touch-ups : just a drop from the same bottle, et voilà !

 

So, IMHO, MRP paints are very expensive, yes, but not so much more expensive than other paints, when you add the accessories needed and the almost inevitable waste … And the convenience, for a very average painter like me, is worth the extra expense …

 

Hubert

[RCPlym]

45 minutes ago, Hubert Boillot said:

So, with any non-airbrush-ready paint brand, it’s three pipettes, a spare jar, a lot of hassle, and some waste because the quantities are never right

 

Way too complicated.

 

One pipette. One small dropper bottle for thinners. One paint mixing jar/tray. Experience gives right mix ratios and minimises waste.

 

Too much 'ready to go' things only reduce skill sets in many disciplines.

 

Now, where'd I put that bottle of MRP Light Aircraft Grey... 🤣😜🤣😜🤣 

 

 

[monthebiff]

MRP have a fabulous business model, expensive they are and most of what you are buying is solvent which is very cheap so big profit margins which will be a little less now as the trickle down from the problems in the middle east are causing huge problems with big surcharges per litre on solvents such as ethanol, mek and acetone to mention a few.

 

Personally I'm not a huge fan of MRP paints and much prefer Tamiya acrylics and AK Real Colour, Im very happy to thin my own paint and sometimes you dont really need as thin as you get from MRP.

 

Regards  Andy

Edited April 26 by monthebiff

[Out2gtcha]

3 hours ago, monthebiff said:

MRP have a fabulous business model, expensive they are and most of what you are buying is solvent which is very cheap so big profit margins which will be a little less now as the trickle down from the problems in the middle east are causing huge problems with big surcharges per litre on solvents such as ethanol, mek and acetone to mention a few.

 

Personally I'm not a huge fan of MRP paints and much prefer Tamiya acrylics and AK Real Colour, Im very happy to thin my own paint and sometimes you dont really need as thin as you get from MRP.

 

Regards  Andy

 

Its all down to personal taste on what you like. My late father always said taste is the one thing you can never count on.

 

For me personally, Tamiya acrylics (specially without rerarder) are awesome brush paints but are some of the worst shooting air brush paints out there.

[mozart]

On 4/26/2026 at 7:29 PM, Hubert Boillot said:

Even though I recognize that a paint work can make or break a model, I have never been a great practitioner in painting, and it’s never been my favorite part of modeling …

I have nevertheless learned to use, passably, an airbrush …

But the thinning of the paint for airbrushing is certainly the least likeable part of preparing an airbrush session : select the paint, get a plastic pipette to suck-in some paint, pour the paint in a jar, get another pipette for the thinner, gauge what you need to get the proper consistency, pour it on the paint in the jar, close the jar, shake and mix, take another pipette to transfer the mix into the airbrush, start spraying, discover that the mix is not thin enough - or too thin - empty the airbrush cup in the jar, adjust the mix, use the pipette to put the new mix in the airbrush cup, do another spray trial … You see the drift. Plus, you have to prepare enough mix to make sure you will not have to prepare another batch. So, if you have prepared too much, what do you do with the extra in the jar ? You keep it, just in case you need to do some touch-ups. And when the model is finished, do you keep the jar, empty it in the original paint tin or bottle, or throw it away ? Add to that all the opportunities for a mess that  these multiple liquids’ transfers entail … 😱 

 

So, with any non-airbrush-ready paint brand, it’s three pipettes, a spare jar, a lot of hassle, and some waste because the quantities are never right …

 

With MRP paints, on the other hand, just pour some in the airbrush cup, try and spray … You can put too little in the cup, and it’s no problem, because you can just add one more drop if needed, without wasting paint …And the result is fairly fool-proof in all cases … Ditto for touch-ups : just a drop from the same bottle, et voilà !

 

So, IMHO, MRP paints are very expensive, yes, but not so much more expensive than other paints, when you add the accessories needed and the almost inevitable waste … And the convenience, for a very average painter like me, is worth the extra expense …

 

Hubert

Stated accurately, eloquently (as ever) and 100% correctly in my experience and opinion Hubert!