Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Been out of the hobby for a few years so I'm getting used to a few new things... paints is one of them.

Any impressions of the new paint line from GW? Seems like they've added quite a bit (layers, glazes, etc)... but is it really necessary? In the past I'd just mix and dilute the paints. I'm sure I still can, just thought I'd see what people thought.

I'm a fan of the textured paints. It takes a step out of having to base basic models. Although, it's best to start with the base on said models.

Honestly, if you're starting over, don't go Citadel.

There are several other manufacturers that offer better value and quality, Vallejo probably being the most popular, but Reaper and P3 have a lot of fans too.

As for the necessity of the new paints? As a total beginner they have some value, and I do rate their washes, but for anyone with some experience they don't offer anything new other than perhaps some degree of convenience.

I rather like them, they're certainly not bad by any stretch, just slightly overpriced. The "base" colours are still better than their competitors' attempts at high-coverage high-pigment paints IMO, and the washes and glazes are very nice from a convenience perspective, but I wouldn't rely on the range as a whole by itself.

Grab a couple of colours from each of the other ranges and see what grabs you, I favour Vallejo Model Colour myself but it's all down to your style of painting at the end of the day, none of the available options are objectively bad except perhaps one or two specific paints from the Vallejo Game Colour line.

If you can though, get the Vallejo Liquid metallics. They're a bit of a pain to work with being alcohol-based(meaning you need separate synthetic brushes to paint with and 96%+ isopropyl alcohol to dilute them with), but the results are so superior to the alternatives that it's worthwhile.

It depends. I like the P3 paints that I have used but I mostly stick to the GW paint line bc it generally seems that I run out of paint right around the time I am heading to the hobby store for some gaming. So I usually just end up getting the GW paints bc of convenience.

I like the texture paints, but not necessarily for basing. They can be useful for mud on treads, tires, and stompy feet etc.

The glazes are decent but they only really have a use in very certain situations it seems (usually on weird creatures, scales, or eye lenses etc.)

The one thing that GW paints are great for is the washes and the base paints. Their new Ceramite White base is a godsend for painting larger areas of white. The washes are super easy to use but I find that diluting them is usually a good idea, as you use way more than necessary most of the time. I still have a couple of the ye olde inks lying around too and like to mix and match them for some funky effects.

I'd say just experiment, or even go into a GW near you, if there is one, and ask the manager to show you how the new paints work. They should have a few "demonstration" pots lying around they will use to show you how great they are... which will inevitably lead them to doing a sales pitch, but that's the whole idea. May be worth asking. I know my store manager is willing to demonstrate the new paints for hobbyists starting out.

- VardenV2

The quality of the paints is fine, but the pot method makes mixing paints a bit of a chore, as well as airbrushing.

Vallejo makes fine products but again, I find the dropper bottle method slightly less effective for straight painting. The trade off being at while the paint doesn't dry in the pot, you waste paint every time by squirting a bit too much out.

There is no perfect method and it really comes down to personal preference.


That said, gw washes are the best and most convenient...so that at least takes that decision away

I hadn't even noticed those "Texture" paints... might be fun just to try out.

I'll probably stop by a hobby store and check out those Vallejo paints. It might be that I go back to using the GW line just because I was used to that from before.


One thing I used to use was "Red Gore" to paint a base color on Eldar Warlock cloaks. I noticed through the conversion chart the new version is Wazdakka Red, but that Wazdakka Red is a "Layer". Is a "Layer" just a more watered down "Base"... or am I going to find it just handles differently as a layer?

Use paint from the inventors of the stuff: Liquitex.

http://www.liquitex.com/ProfessionalColor/

My biggest issue with GW is their "pots" have improved but they are the only paints I have to every 3 months refresh with water or they dry out. The paint is good but I swear they designed it so you have to buy them again in 6 months time.

The original Citadel paints in the day-glow containers still hold the original paints (10-15yrs+?) .

 Talizvar wrote:
Use paint from the inventors of the stuff: Liquitex.

http://www.liquitex.com/ProfessionalColor/

My biggest issue with GW is their "pots" have improved but they are the only paints I have to every 3 months refresh with water or they dry out. The paint is good but I swear they designed it so you have to buy them again in 6 months time.

The original Citadel paints in the day-glow containers still hold the original paints (10-15yrs+?) .

I feel the same way, have had more modern paints dry up on me than paints I bought in... third edition...

also not nearly as bright in the same sense, colour scheme seems to be darker to reflect a more realism shoot em upper modern look. Looks less like material from heavy metal magazine and more like more hyper violent material from the 2000s

I think GW paints really only have two things going for them...

1) Ease of entry - You want to paint Ork Flesh? Look up the recipe on GW's site, then buy the paints and get to it. I think this is a legitimate benefit for a certain segment of the market. But I think that if you're motivated and knowledgeable enough to post in the painting forum of Dakka, then you're probably not in that segment. You can figure out how to mix and thin paint appropriately on your own.

2) Availability - If you need a pot of dark purple NOW, you can probably get the GW one faster than most of the alternatives. The value of this comes down to your schedule and preference. I usually paint a lot on the weekends, figure out what I need, place an order with Lotus Vault through eBay on Sunday night, and get the paint on Tuesday. A couple days delay in finishing a part is good enough for me - there's always other stuff for me to paint.

So for me, I don't see any value to the GW paints as a line. I own a few of them and like them, but mostly use VGC as my go-to brand.