Strana 9
MR. HOBBY PAINTS (GSI CREOS) - JOSEF BLAŽEK
paint, which is particularly valuable when
correcting mistakes made by the modeler or
when debris has become embedded in the
surface. In such cases, the paint does not peel
off but is gradually and evenly removed by
sanding.
AThe Alchemy of Thinning
and Official Additives
Mr. Color base colors (C series) come in bottles
in a thick consistency and must be thinned for
airbrushing at a ratio of 1:1.5 to 1:3 (or even 1:4)
in favor of the thinner. It’s important to note
here that there is no single “ultimate” dilution
ratio for these paints, because the ideal dilution
varies depending on the specific conditions of
your work—such as the type of airbrush, nozzle
size, and compressor pressure settings—and
also depends on the ambient temperature in
the room. In general, I recommend aiming for
a higher dilution ratio of approximately 1:3 to
1:4. It is best to use genuine Mr. Hobby thinners
for dilution. The standard base thinner is Mr.
Color Thinner (blue label). Paint dried with
this thinner dries very quickly while retaining
the core benefits and advantages of Mr. Color
paints. However, when spraying from a greater
distance, at higher pressure, or at higher
temperatures, the paint may dry too quickly—
specifically, even while traveling from the
spray gun nozzle to the model’s surface—
which creates unwanted “speckles” on the
model and, in extreme cases, causes the paint
to dry on the spray gun needle. In such cases,
it is advisable to increase the dilution ratio
or use thinners containing additives. A good
example is Mr. Color Leveling Thinner (yellow
label). Personally, I consider it the most
versatile—and therefore the best—choice for
working with Mr. Color paints. It is essentially
a standard thinner with a drying retarder
added. This additive prevents the paint from
drying on the spray gun needle and helps
the paint, once it hits the model’s surface, to
have more time to “spread” perfectly across
the surface. Another option for thinning Mr.
Color paints is Mr. Rapid Thinner (pink label).
This fast-drying thinner is quite specific and
is intended primarily for matte paints and
metallic paints. It accelerates evaporation,
thereby preventing, for example, the heavy
pigments in metallic paints from clumping into
spots. Another way to further influence the
properties of Mr. Color paints is by adding the
Mr. Retarder Mild additive. This is a standalone
additive (drying retarder) that is added to paint
that has already been mixed. In combination
with Mr. Color Thinner, we can simulate the
properties found in Mr. Color Levelling Thinner
or, conversely, slow down drying by using
Mr. Color Levelling Thinner—which is very
advantageous when spraying extreme details
or thin, “snake-like” camouflage patterns.
Mr. Color GX
The GX paint series represents the next stage
in the evolution of Mr. Color paints (C series).
The chemical composition of GX remains
based on a synthetic lacquer, making it fully
compatible with C series paints . The difference
lies in the fact that the manufacturer has
used a finer and more densely concentrated
pigment with a new binding resin. The GX
series color palette is intentionally narrower
and focuses on basic shades and clear coats.
The improved properties are evident in
a significant advancement in terms of extreme
surface hardness—highly scratch-resistant—
and lightning-fast drying, making them ideal,
for example, for polishing model cars to
a mirror finish. Thinning the paints is similar
to that of Mr. Color paints; ideally, use the
aforementioned Mr. Color Levelling Thinner,
which, thanks to its slower drying time,
allows the thick resin to “settle” perfectly on
the model’s surface and create a perfectly
uniform and smooth coat of paint.
INFO Eduard
9
September 2026