Mr. Color - hull red - spray

Mr. Color hull red, 40 ml spray (Gunze)

The aerosol version of a modeling paint from the Mr. Color range by the Japanese maker Gunze. Watch the chemistry: Mr. Color is NOT an acrylic; it is a solvent-based lacquer (cellulose) paint that forms a hard, thin and very durable film, dries quickly and holds excellently on plastic. The manufacturer lists this shade in a semi-matte finish and directly as a ship color.

What hull red is and why a ship modeler needs it

Hull red is the red-brown color of the underwater part of a ship's hull, that is, of everything below the waterline. It is not an aesthetic whim: below the waterline an antifouling finish is applied to the hull against mussels, algae and other growth settling on it, which would otherwise slow the ship down. Classic antifouling finishes were based on copper and iron compounds, and it is precisely the copper and iron pigments that give them their characteristic brick red-brown color. The red bottom of a ship thus became the norm and holds to this day.

For the modeler only one thing follows from that: every ship built as a full hull, that is, with the whole hull including the underwater part, needs a red-brown bottom, and hull red is exactly that shade. It is a color a ship modeler should simply have.

A second, less obvious use: hull red is an excellent base under rust. Rust effects are often built on a red-brown base, over which orange, brown and ocher shades and pigments are layered, so it also suits weathered wagons, equipment and industrial dioramas.

Use and safety - read before you press the valve

• Shake thoroughly before use: the pigment settles at the bottom.
• Spray in thin coats from a distance; saturating the surface all at once means runs and orange peel.
• A lacquer paint is aggressive to plastic: a heavy coat from close up can attack thin parts.
• Never spray over uncured acrylic or enamel: the solvent will dissolve them.
• Strong fumes: spray outdoors or in a well-ventilated area and wear a respirator, not just a cloth mask.
• Flammable: do not spray near open flame and do not store the can in the sun.

Spray or airbrush?

For the large smooth area of an underwater hull a spray is ideal: it is quick and you do not have to thin anything. With a spray, though, you cannot thin the paint or control the pressure, so for soft transitions, misting and graded weathering along the waterline you need an airbrush.

A solvent-based lacquer (cellulose) paint. Flammable. Spray outdoors or in a well-ventilated area, use a respirator and protect your eyes. Keep out of the reach of children.