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(This might be a first post of this account, but I used to have another way back in the day)

I've been playing 40k since about 87-88 when the game first came out. I still own my original copies of Rogue Trader and the Compendium, plus 30 RT plastic marines that I used to play. When I first got started playing a friend of mine convinced me to buy some craft paints. From what I can remember of his paint jobs (size 3 brush, 3 colors) it made sense for him.

Unfortunately, not really knowing any better, I continued down this dark and evil path for most of my wargaming career. I think that a lot of people would have trouble telling that I was using craft store crap, but that was because of my l33t skillz and understanding of the paints that I was using. In my time I've probably painted several hundred figures, anything from 40K to Battletech to Chainmail to Warmachine to HeroQuest plastics. A conservative guess would put the number at 300-400 minis. Probably nothing I've ever done would win a Golden Demon, but I might take home a local paint trophy, and I've managed to win few "Best Painted Army" awards in various local Rogue Trader Tournaments.

Anyway, at Gencon this year I managed to sign up for some painting classes. I end up taking about 4 classes, from Alan Carrasco, Jeremy Bonamant, Thomas Schadle, and Susan Wachowski. Suddenly I saw the light. It was very clear to me that the paints that I had been using all these years were clearly holding me back from achieving the next level in painting goodness. I had achieved all that I could with the craft store crap, and it was now time to ditch it in favor of some much better paints.

So I did my research, poke around a bit, and finally decided to buy the entire Vallejo Game Color line, which comes in a handy storage suitcase.

Which is where Neal at the Warstore comes in. He had the best prices, and an excellent reputation from the denizens of wargaming sites such as this one.

So I spent $180 of my hard earned money to buy a new set of paints, over the internet, from a guy who I had never heard of before. I waited breathlessly as I checked and re-checked the shipping status on the UPS tracking site. When would they arrive, would they be as cool as everbody said? Would I have made a good decision to ditch about $100 worth of paints that I had come to know intimately?

Finally the big day arrived, and I rushed home to greet the package. You can imagine my chagrin and dismay as I opened the package and discovered that ALL the paints were lying in a jumbled heap on the bottom of the case, crushing the foam used to hold the paints in place. The case was RUINED!

Devastated I stared into the case wondering what could possibly fix this abysmal catastrophe of epic proportions..... was all my hard earned cash ruined? Had a really sunk $180! into a bunch of worthless sh!t?

Not to fear I called up Neal, at the War Store, and in moments he had agreed to send me a brand new case, free of charge, that day. The day was saved! Hurry for Neal!!!!

That's a cool story. Neal has a fantastic reputation for customer service, so I'm not suprised to hear that he made it right.

As for craft paints, you're probably right in that they can hold you back, but you have to be painting to a pretty high standard to really run into that wall. I've used both craft and hobby paints now for years, and it's my own ability, not the tools, that are holding me back.

Does craft paints mean poster paints (like children use at primary school) or artists' acrylics?

Probably artist's acrylics, like Delta Ceramcoat or something similar.

I thought he was referring to Testors paints for models and that ilk that requires paint thinner to clean off the bushes. That's what I used when I first got into the hobby, but mostly because I had plenty from when I used to do sci-fi and car models.

I think by craft paints he is referring to the cheaper paints available at places like michaels.. apple barrel, ceramacoat, basically the acrylic colors you can get for 99 cents a tube or 1.25 a bottle etc.

OP, I am glad to hear that Neal hooked you up. He's a ray of sunshine in an otherwise abysmally gloomy day..

two_heads_talking wrote:I think by craft paints he is referring to the cheaper paints available at places like michaels.. apple barrel, ceramacoat, basically the acrylic colors you can get for 99 cents a tube or 1.25 a bottle etc.

OP, I am glad to hear that Neal hooked you up. He's a ray of sunshine in an otherwise abysmally gloomy day..

Yeah, that's what I mean by craft paints. In all honesty, for most painters they work more than fine, with a great selection of colors. They work even better on terrain.

Oh, I've got a rather large selection of Apple Barrel, Folk Art type paints. I've been collecting them for years, since they're only a buck a bottle, whenever I'd see one I liked, I'd buy it.

Neal definitely seems to deserve the rep he's gotten over the years.

Polonius wrote:

two_heads_talking wrote:I think by craft paints he is referring to the cheaper paints available at places like michaels.. apple barrel, ceramacoat, basically the acrylic colors you can get for 99 cents a tube or 1.25 a bottle etc.

OP, I am glad to hear that Neal hooked you up. He's a ray of sunshine in an otherwise abysmally gloomy day..

Yeah, that's what I mean by craft paints. In all honesty, for most painters they work more than fine, with a great selection of colors. They work even better on terrain.

Exactly, there is no way I'm using vallejo to paint 24 sqft of terrain.

Dont forget to complete your painting revolution. Get yourself some raphael brushes or windsor and newton series 7 kolinsky's

I'm going to put in a good word for da Vinci sable brushes.

Really, once you move into artists brushes, it's going to be more about the specific brush you buy than the label on it.

No brush maker is perfect, certainly not after shipping, so be sure to try before you buy.

That single whisker that never lays down right is going to bother you for as long as you own that brush.

JohnHwangDD wrote:That single whisker that never lays down right is going to bother you for as long as you own that brush.

That's why I keep those tiny vanity scissors on my paint desk.

Platuan4th wrote:That's why I keep those tiny vanity scissors on my paint desk.

Quoted for truth. Don't be afraid to trim an old brush, it can lengthen the lifespan of its usefulness immensely.

Who are you in Cincinnati? Are you an Acme gamer? Send me a PM...



Ghidorah

LucasLAD wrote:Dont forget to complete your painting revolution. Get yourself some raphael brushes or windsor and newton series 7 kolinsky's

I've actually got a decent set of brushes, some of which are Windsor-Newton sable brushes, which are not series 7, but they do have kolinsky sable I believe. My gf's a graphic designer, and knows a bit about painting, and she's glad I got the new paints, but she thinks the brushes are fine, so I'm not going to worry about it for a while. I'll probably be getting some Series 7 when the current brushes start to fish hook.