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What does everyone use, and why?

Thanks, Hits

I use GW paints, mainly because I started with them and I'm most confident and know the colors well with them ^^

Great Unclean One wrote:I use GW paints, mainly because I started with them and I'm most confident and know the colors well with them ^^

This.
The original GW colours and Inks are my real faves but are harder to find nowadays. I've got some left that are over 10years old and are still good!

I use valljeos game color and vallejos model color, mostly because i didn't like the gw paints before and vallejos paint cover good. They also has so many different colours.

I'm switching to Montana Gold as primer for my next project, but as it stands, I'm using pretty much all GW paints because they are kept in stock where I play 40k, and it's an easy way to support the shop while getting the colors I need. I would try something else if someone provided a convincing argument though.

I use a robust mix of vallejo and GW, with a few bright P3 paints used for the odd task.

Roughly, I like vallejo for reds, yellows, oranges, bones and whites. Anything with poor coverage really. I also love gunmetal grey for a dark metal, and I use a lot of the mediums for small effects.

I'm fine with GW for most other shades. I use most their metalics as they are bright. I love them for foundations and washes. Especially washes.

P3, I mostly use their "khador red" along with other neon colours here and there because theyre very vibrant.


I don't believe that any range specificly trumps another. I think you get a much better result by pooling the best that each "formula" has to offer. Believing wholeheartedly in one over the others is a "cult" thing.

Regnak wrote:

Great Unclean One wrote:I use GW paints, mainly because I started with them and I'm most confident and know the colors well with them ^^

This.
The original GW colours and Inks are my real faves but are harder to find nowadays. I've got some left that are over 10years old and are still good!

Have you guys tried other paints? if so, which?

I use a mix. A lot of times it just depends on the particular color I need/want. My base are GW paints, but I have a bunch of of the Vallejo camo colors, a couple of Reaper and P3 colors.

This.
The original GW colours and Inks are my real faves but are harder to find nowadays. I've got some left that are over 10years old and are still good!

I believe these ones now go by the name Coat D'arms.

As for me, I use some GW (some of the old ones Ive had from 2e) and P3. I like P3 best because they are very easy to thin while keeping good colour.

From my understanding, GW, Vallejo, Reaper, and P3 are the most commonly used and basically all work equally well. It comes down to how you paint. I think Vallejo and the Reaper Master Series have flow-aid mixed in which makes them good for blending. I think GW are generally used a lot because they are both easy to find and all of GWs paint tutorials make use of these paints.

I use GW, just cuz' they work and I have them(my older bro started the hobby before me and that's what he used). I may eventually switch to Valejo (spelled right?) because everyone says they're better but I have a nice selection at the moment and I don't feel like spending more money than is needed. I also don't want to find the equivalents to the GW paints, as I have set techniques using specific colors. I've heard that there are cheat sheets, though.

LunaHound wrote:

Regnak wrote:

Great Unclean One wrote:I use GW paints, mainly because I started with them and I'm most confident and know the colors well with them ^^

This.
The original GW colours and Inks are my real faves but are harder to find nowadays. I've got some left that are over 10years old and are still good!

Have you guys tried other paints? if so, which?

I did at one point use the old range of humbrol paints.. thats was around.... 15years ago... but switched to the GW ones as they were waterbased and had a wide rang of colours... and since then I've become comfortable with them and as they say in Waynes World "We Fear Change!"

I started with Apple Barrel craft paints ($1 per large bottle), but switched to Reaper Master Series.

The reaper cover very well and blend well. Plus, I really like the dropper bottles. You drop out the exact amount you need, which makes mixing your colors more consistent.

I don't like the GW paint pots. They look like they dry out if you leave them open. To mix up your own colors, you'll have to pour them, which would be messy and waste a lot of paint.

Just my 2 cents.

For simple colors I use Apple Barrel. $2 for a big tube of black, white, and the 3 primary colors is pretty damn good.
I use some GW washes and paints. I really like their metallics and a few select colors (Bleached Bone comes to mind).
For Primers and some other colors I use Reaper. Great paints at a cheap(er) price. $3.00 compared to $3.75 isn't too bad.
I also really dig P3. A bit more expensive than Reaper but not as much as GW. They cover excellently and have some of the best shades I've seen thus far.

I use mainly GW because it is readily available for me but I do have a few Vallejo paints they are excellent for a base coat for the brighter GW such as skull white or bleached bone or golden yellow. works for me give it a try

Check out my workbench heh:


I use a wide variety. I am really liking the P3 paints and still use mostly GW (it's what I have the most of), but as I am putting everything into my airbrush these days, I use a lot of Vallejo and Reaper Master Series because of their droppers. The Reaper MS Triads are pretty darn cool as a concept. The Vallejo and P3 washes are not bad but certainly glossier than the GW version. The P3 armour wash reminds of the WonderWash-black. I really like all of them, but the GW paints do tend to dry up.

Luna, I've not really used any other paints, I used Vallejo briefly but didn't like the consistency of them, they were a wee bit too watery for my taste.

It's also because I now have an extensive collection of GW paints and this makes it easier to use them

Nice to see so many replies. Iv been using GW paints for quite a while (12 years-ish on and off) i have all the GW colours available with some old ones and a few doubles, but i think its time for a change. I think i'm going to go for the Vallejo Game Set. Any other suggestions?

Reaper master paints ftw!!

I've been using Apple Barrel and Folk Art paints due to the cheapness and availability in my area.

Has anyone else used these brands? How do they compare to the more expensive paints?

@Heffling: They're Ok. I use them for my simple colors, the three primary, black and white, and nothing else. They require quite a bit of thinning if you're not using them for terrain. But they aren't too bad. They don't really compare to some of the P3s, GW and Reaper paints though. They can be fine but you have to work with them quite a bit more than the 3 brands I just listed. If need be the others can be used without having to water down.

Mostly Apple Barrel. Been using it for over 15 years to good effect. But I will use GW paints for specific colors on occasion (Like orange or red hues). I experimented with making my own inks using color float until I made a batch that never, ever dries. Sucks to ink your minis and then a week later it's still wet with ink :(

So now I am using GW inks with Apple Barrel paints.

i mainly use vallejo and GW paints and lately ive been using oil paints as they are extremly useful for blending, i porberly prefer them as i use them al the time for my a level work.