I have been on this quest for many years, searching for the perfect titanium white paint that is easy to work with, truly opaque and doesn’t yellow or crack over the years.
Titanium white is a great resource in your paint palette as it is one of the most opaque white paints on the market, making it great for building up white markings. By itself, it is too stark of a white to be realistic, but when you combine its opaque properties with a warmer white like unbleached titanium (also known as titan buff in some brands) you can achieve some wonderful and realistic results.
After a failed attempt with student grade acrylics (one brand yellowed within a year), I honed in on artist grade paints about 7 years ago. I haven’t had any of these paints yellow like the student grade titanium white, but the hunt continued for better opaque color that also didn’t bubble when mixing or painting (granted, any paint will bubble if you add too much water, but they shouldn't bubble when using water in moderation). I'm happy to report that none of the paints featured in this post bubbled when thinning them to a milk-like consistency. So now let's talk opacity and performance.
Titanium white is a great resource in your paint palette as it is one of the most opaque white paints on the market, making it great for building up white markings. By itself, it is too stark of a white to be realistic, but when you combine its opaque properties with a warmer white like unbleached titanium (also known as titan buff in some brands) you can achieve some wonderful and realistic results.
After a failed attempt with student grade acrylics (one brand yellowed within a year), I honed in on artist grade paints about 7 years ago. I haven’t had any of these paints yellow like the student grade titanium white, but the hunt continued for better opaque color that also didn’t bubble when mixing or painting (granted, any paint will bubble if you add too much water, but they shouldn't bubble when using water in moderation). I'm happy to report that none of the paints featured in this post bubbled when thinning them to a milk-like consistency. So now let's talk opacity and performance.
My main experiments of late have been with the ever-so-popular in the hobby Vallejo brand in their Model Color and Mecha Color lines, as well as the popular Golden brand.
Both brands yield generally acceptable results, but are not fully opaque. The Vallejo Mecha and Golden titanium I found to be the least opaque of the three and requiring many layers (although in fairness, these paints are certainly more opaque than student grade brands like Liquitex Basics and considerably more opaque than popular craft brands like Apple Barrel).
The Vallejo Model Color is the most pleasant of the three to work with and builds up color in a fraction of the number of layers I would need to do in Golden. While I hesitate to call it truly opaque, it builds up color nicely and quickly.
As far as yellowing or cracking, I haven’t had issues with either of these options over the years. Golden has an ASTM rating of I (excellent) for lightfastness and, while I can’t find ASTM ratings for Vallejo’s Model Color or Mecha color, Vallejo claims both paint lines are UV safe and permanent. If independent research ratings are important to you, Vallejo does make a line of artist grade paints that are tested by the ASTM.
Both brands yield generally acceptable results, but are not fully opaque. The Vallejo Mecha and Golden titanium I found to be the least opaque of the three and requiring many layers (although in fairness, these paints are certainly more opaque than student grade brands like Liquitex Basics and considerably more opaque than popular craft brands like Apple Barrel).
The Vallejo Model Color is the most pleasant of the three to work with and builds up color in a fraction of the number of layers I would need to do in Golden. While I hesitate to call it truly opaque, it builds up color nicely and quickly.
As far as yellowing or cracking, I haven’t had issues with either of these options over the years. Golden has an ASTM rating of I (excellent) for lightfastness and, while I can’t find ASTM ratings for Vallejo’s Model Color or Mecha color, Vallejo claims both paint lines are UV safe and permanent. If independent research ratings are important to you, Vallejo does make a line of artist grade paints that are tested by the ASTM.
Which brings me to my first premium grade experiments. First up is a brand you probably have never heard of but has made waves in the art community for their “blackest black,” Stewart Semple’s Culture Hustle brand. Full disclosure, these paints are very expensive (as are most premium grade paints) but they are so pigmented that you will use less of them and get more models from a bottle. I have had mine for almost two years now and still have over three quarters of the bottle left.
Culture Hustle’s titanium white is VERY opaque. I was able to get this medallion to 90% complete in JUST THREE LAYERS 😱. And that was even with the paint thinned down to a milky consistency. It certainly packs a punch. It has a slightly more matte consistency than the other brands I have. I don’t like this personally, as I can often see grainy texture (this one is no exception) but I know many in the hobby love matte white and it is easier to sand if you need to (I do love that). If you are looking for an easy, matte white that is opaque, this might be it.
Was one of these brands the perfect option for titanium white? Hmmm, maybe not 100%. But I can say I love using Culture Hustle for the bulk of the work and finishing off with a more glossy brand like Golden for a smoother, more satin topcoat. The two together are pretty powerful and the best option I have found so far.
There are certainly a few different brands I want to try, including Vallejo’s artist grade paints. And there is a whole new world of opaque paints coming to the market, across the different paint grades, that seem promising. So I’ll keep you posted on any other titanium white paint options I explore!
Was one of these brands the perfect option for titanium white? Hmmm, maybe not 100%. But I can say I love using Culture Hustle for the bulk of the work and finishing off with a more glossy brand like Golden for a smoother, more satin topcoat. The two together are pretty powerful and the best option I have found so far.
There are certainly a few different brands I want to try, including Vallejo’s artist grade paints. And there is a whole new world of opaque paints coming to the market, across the different paint grades, that seem promising. So I’ll keep you posted on any other titanium white paint options I explore!