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Alright, since I got started in this hobby, I have used Testors enamel paints, and I basically just use them for heavy dry-brushing. For Plague Marines, or something that is supposed to look dirty, this technique works just fine. However, I just tried painting a loyalist marine, going for a "clean" look. It looked like crap. The paint was uneven on the model, and it just looks horrible. Is this the paint? Or is it the Craftsmart brushes I'm using?

Probably both. Enamels work ok on stuff like model planes and cars, but doesnt scale down for miniatures very well without some effort.

Most people use the acrylics just because of the ease of use. I started all this using enamels, and quickly learned that acrylics had many advantages- and didnt smell as bad

So, you dont have to spend a fortune of the GW brand brushes and paints to get clean results- there are mant better/affordable brushes available, as well as paint options (vallejo, reaper etc etc)

sometimes i want to go back to using the old metallic enamels that revell made for experimentation. However i wasn't a fan of the glossy finish they left. And if you wanted to strip the model to start all over - think again!

Best bet is to invest in some good paint brushes from GW and use more water based acrylic paint you will notice a difference straight away.

The thing with enamels is that you need a lot of paint thinner. The paints are thick and need thinning and the brushes need to be cleaned often.

Imo, there's really no difference between the packages of paintbrushes you pick up at WalMart for 5 bucks, and the single brush you get at GW for 5 bucks. Just like with any type of art stuff, the program (in this case brushes) aren't going to make it good. Brushes are all made of the same stuff.

My suggestion is just go for acrylic paints. They're easy to clean up, you'll never have to smell paint thinner on your hands again, and much easier to work with.

I painted for a long time with the acrylic paint you get at craft stores or even in the craft department at Walmart. The stuff isn't great, but is better than Testors model paint, and cheap too. I upgraded to GW paints some years back, and am currently resuplying with Valejo colors. As far as brushes, I get the cheap 5 pack assortment from the craft store, then spend an extra 2 or 3 bucks on a good brand detail brush from the same store. GW makes good paints, but their brushes and other modeling supplies are overpriced imho.

anooci wrote:... Brushes are all made of the same stuff.

Not quite, you can get brushes made from various materials, the very best are Kolinsky sable brushes and with a little care and attention will last way beyond most other types.

When I started out I used enamels because acrylics hadn't been invented. The UK Humbrol and Airfix paints were fine for miniatures. I switched to acrylics for the same reason as everyone else -- ease of use, and no smelly thinner.

The make of brush does make a difference. The fineness and evenness of the bristles is worse on cheap brushes. Also, they tend to shed bristles more easily.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Another advantage of acrylics is the various media you can mix them with.

Gotta chime in here and agree...not all brushes are the same. I understand how some people may feel that way, but different fibers, manufacturers, ect can all make a difference in a brushes use, feel, and longevity.

Trust me, most of the people you see doing golden daemon type painting are not using Wal Mart brushes for a reason.

I'd even go so far as to most GD painters probably don't use GW brushes except for drybrushing or applying pva glue to their bases.

Even some of the cheapest art store brushes keep a better tip. Around the time Apoc came out I needed a new and bought one of their number "0"
The first I do when I buy a new brush is dip it in water and test the tip. This thing had bristles going all over the place as though somehow they messed up and created a hybrid between a square tip round and a standard sharp point brush.
I tried returning it and they refused, understandably, since I couldnt prove whether I'd done anything with or to the brush since I bought. Fair enough.
Before buying a brush Before buying a new brush, and to make I wouldn't get a lemon, I asked the poor salesman if I could test it with a cup of water. At first he would'nt allow it. So I explained again that I already had 1 bad brush and that unless brushes are pretty much like pens in that you never buy one without testing it first he eventually changed his mind.

I tested all of their number 0's and they all the same problem. Tested all the brushes one size bigger, same problem.

Moral of this story: If you don't mind spending big money on fresh drybrushing tools, go right ahead. Otherwise, go to an art supply and get real quality brushes. 2 of my most common I've been using for 3 years now and they're still fine.

Cheers,

Dark_Gear

Brush wise I would reccommend the Army Painter brushes. I picked up a set of em a few months back and haven't regretted it since.

I've used the humbrol enamels on occasions and can say they don't look too bad if you're going for a really shiny glossy finish- in all honesty the acrylics (in my opinion) look a lot better, plus with the enamel you need turps or white spirit to clean the brush properly (and that does absolutely no favours for the brush itself)

Humbrol do matt paint too. If yours came out gloss you probably weren't stirring them enough.

The finish doesn't matter anyway because we all varnish our figures, don't we, boys and girls?

However acrylics are still better.