ES04 Essential Set Basic Colors Volume 1

The ES04 set of basic shades

A set of Lifecolor modeling paints listed under the designation ES04 Essential Set Basic Colors Volume 1. It is the first part of the basic range, that is the starting selection of tones for a modeler who is only now putting a palette of their own together.

Why reach for the basic range

A palette assembled a bottle at a time according to immediate need tends to be full of shades which get used once and then never again. A basic set goes about it the other way round: it brings together the tones you can start from every time. They serve for the first coat, for lightening edges, for toning down an over-saturated area and for mixing a shade of your own to match the subject. The first part of the range is therefore a sensible beginning even for a builder who has no idea yet which subject the building will lead them to.

How to handle the paints

• Shake the bottle thoroughly before every use; the pigment settles at the bottom.
• Rather apply two thin coats; a thick coat floods fine surface detail.
• Note a mixed shade down as a ratio of parts, so that you can repeat it.
• Do the test coat on waste plastic, not straight on the finished model.
• Store the bottles tightly closed, away from frost and direct sun.
• The manufacturer gives the procedure for thinning and for cleaning tools on the label; follow it.

Who the set is for

For beginning modelers who want a sensible foundation in one purchase, and for more experienced builders as a stock of tones to mix from. The shades are not tied to a single subject; they come into their own on aircraft, machinery and figures alike.

The package contains paints. A model, brushes, thinner and glue are not included, unless stated otherwise.