LP-4 Flat White

The color

A matte white carried under the designation LP-4 Flat White from the Tamiya LP lacquer range. A white with no sheen behaves differently on a model than other colors: a matte surface scatters light in every direction, a shadow has nowhere to hide and every unevenness of the surface is suddenly visible. It is therefore worth spending more time on sanding than with dark shades.

Working with a lacquer paint

• Stir the bottle thoroughly before use, the pigment settles to the bottom
• Thin it with the lacquer thinner of the same range; neither water nor acrylic thinner is suitable for this paint
• The paint dries quickly and forms a thin hard film that takes masking and further coats
• Spray carefully onto bare plastic, and preferably over a primer coat, as a lacquer paint is more aggressive to plastic than a water-thinnable one
• Work in a ventilated room or at an extraction booth

Painting tips

White covers the worst of all shades, so apply it in several really thin coats and do not try to cover the area at the first attempt. The faster route runs over a light base: on a gray surface white just goes gray, whereas on a white or very light base it comes alight after two coats. The shade also serves where pure white is not the aim, that is as a component for lightening camouflage or as a winter finish that is then worn through in places down to the color beneath it. Let the layer cure before you put masking tape on it, not merely dry to the touch.

Terms of supply

The paint alone is supplied. The thinner, primer, final varnish and brushes are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.