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I actually found some time to paint yesterday (between the new dakka code, the xbox 360 and the wife), so finally got to experiment a bit with the Vallejo model color set I got for christmas. Nothing too special to show but I thought I would share just for the sake of sharing.

The BfsP goblin spearman has been sitting in my bits box since I got it free with White Dwarf, so I thought it was about time I painted it. I had not played around with snow bases before and so I had a go at one with some dead grass to see how it would look.

The FW ripper swarm is one of six that I am doing, and at 20 rippers per base it gets a bit tedious painting them. This is actually done using (mostly) GW paints and was more of an experimentation with the foundation paints than Vallejo. Obviously the ripper swarm is still very much WIP and needs claws, carapace, teeth, eyes and cleanup before it is done. I'll update the thread (very very slowly) as and when I get more done with them.

Do you like the Vallejo stuff? They tend to dry up if you
leave em' alone too long (though it takes longer than the
old Citadel stuff). How do they compare to the Foundation
paints?

I think it is really down to the individual colours malfred. The foundation paints are excellent for coverage but are not very flexible and are easy to use too thickly. The Vallejo Model Color range need a lot of shaking before you can use them as they separate easily but are very good for mixing with water due to their high pigment count. From what I have found so far, I will probably continue to use GW for greens and browns, but Vallejo for yellows, reds and black. Still early days with my experience though so we'll see how it goes - I have not had them long enough to see them dry out, but have had one blockage in the nozzle already and I can see that becoming an annoyance. I have always had to add water to my GW paints to stop them drying out though which is one of my main complaints about them.

a good trick with vallejo is to pull the nozel off and drop in a couple of tabs that offen come attached to your minis. this will shorten the time you need to shake up the paint - remember to put the nozel back on 1st however!

i like alot of the vallejo line. i tend to stay away from the darker greens and the lighter reds though, just use GW paint for that stuff. the inks are superb in my book, much better then the GW ink line.

ive yet to delve into the foundation paints yet, i might do it though, someday.

studderingdave wrote:ive yet to delve into the foundation paints yet, i might do it though, someday.

Dheneb stone is perhaps the best paint GW have ever sold. If you only get one, get that

And bubber, that is a very good idea. Once I have used enough of the paint so that they are no longer overflowing, I think I will go and pick up some ball bearings!

ill look into dhened stone today when i hit up my shop. whats the thickness of foundation paints when compared to vallejo?

They are a bit thicker and have a little bit more pigment (especially the yellows and reds). They do not mix very well and do not water down that well (compared to Vallejo), but if they match as a base colour that you want to use then they are good. Dheneb stone is the most useful colour and provides a very good shaded basecoat for bleached bone.

I'm getting ready to assemble and pain a Company box and I want to do Imperial Fists. From what I've been reading here so far I should go with Vallejo paints? If so, is there a color that matches the Citadel yellow used for Imperial Fists?

To be honest, if you are doing a whole company at once then an airbrush will probably save you a hell of a lot more time than a just using a higher pigment paint. Iyanden darksun is a good base for imperial fists, but I find it a little bit hard to work with and would probably recommend vallejo instead for the base yellow. The main problem with Vallejo is that the model colour (which has the best consistency) is aimed at display rather than gaming. This is not a problem if you are going to varnish your models afterwards, but if you want bare paint then you would need the Vallejo Game Color (instead of Vallejo Model Color) which have a different formula which makes the finish better for gaming but they tend to be runnier. The game color range are a drop-in replacement for GW's paints though so they have 100% colour match, and you can find a list comparing the range here: http://www.game-mart.co.uk/colour_chart.cfm
I am not aware of a model color range comparison with GW though

Take what I say with a pinch of salt too as I have not had the Vallejo paints that long so am far from being an expert! I would recommend trying them out and seeing how well they work for you though.

Dave, I really like the Foundations. I haven't used Vallejo, though I might break down and get their complete kit one of these days, and relegate the 1$ bottles to scenery.
The foundations though help a lot. I use the Skin tone one and the Red the most on my sisters. I find the skin tone is good for doing cloth and purity seals as a base where you want a slight brown tint, and I use the grey as a base for white metals, like my marine legs.
I have the yellow, but I don't use it for much. It makes a nice base for blond hair, but that's about it that I can think of.

I like to use matte medium for thinning rather than water. For some reason water gives me spotty results, though it might just be the difference between my crap tap water and bottled water I happen to be drinking at the time.

legoburner wrote:And bubber, that is a very good idea. Once I have used enough of the paint so that they are no longer overflowing, I think I will go and pick up some ball bearings!

i'd be careful of anything that oxidises easily (which is why i use lead or tin bitz from models) as it could rust & discolour the paint.