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I use all paint ranges for various reasons.

I'm glad my FLGS stocks P3, Vallejo and GW. I can pick and choose. I need some greens tonight, which I used buy Citadel. I'll be grabbing the Vallejo matches of Dark Angels green, Snot green and Scorpion green. I wouldn't want to be in a hobby that didn't have Jack Bone, which is a far nicer bone basecoat than Bleached Bone (though Bleached Bone layers over a Devlan Mud washed Jack Bone nicely).

I'd also hate to see the GW washes go anywhere. I'm really hoping the new range doesn't screw with them, While I've found an alternative for Devlan Mud, their other washes are equally as good. I'm also a fan of GW's metallics. I've tried Vallejo metallics (though admittedly not the Air range metallics) and wasn't impressed, and I've seen enough horror stories about P3 metallics to avoid them.

Ascalam wrote:Even working up from a light brown or Iyanden darksun it's hard to get a good strong yellow, for me.

Other than that the range is good, and the washes are great

You should be using multiple coats for almost everything. Blues, browns, reds, and especially whites and yellows.

no particular loyalty to any brand...although I think my liquitex are absent in this shot.

Kaldor wrote:

Ascalam wrote:Even working up from a light brown or Iyanden darksun it's hard to get a good strong yellow, for me.

Other than that the range is good, and the washes are great

You should be using multiple coats for almost everything. Blues, browns, reds, and especially whites and yellows.

By multiple i mean dozens, not two or three... It gets old painting the same ork unit yellow again and again and again..

I have the greatest respect for anyone willing to put in the effort to paint all yellow/white armies, as i have less patience than that

Because I like using waterbased paints and it's the only waterbased paint I can seem to find that's not poop.

I myself until coming to this forum didn't even know about other paint suppliers besides GW so thats probably a really good answer to your question right there! well besides those horrid little metal pots down the model planes store... the ones that dry glossy and shiny.

Anyway

now that I have a choice I go with vallejo paints! easy to monitor color mixing as you don't dab out of the pot, forces good practice of using a pallet and require less thinning!

As for GW though, even with my choice I think im still in favour of there metallics and washes.

I used to be a huge fan of GW paints. Now the only paints i'll buy are the foundations and washes, though the new line may tempt me to pick some up.
Now though I use p3, vallejo or coat d'arms. Cheaper, more paint and better bottles

Motograter wrote:I used to be a huge fan of GW paints. Now the only paints i'll buy are the foundations and washes, though the new line may tempt me to pick some up.
Now though I use p3, vallejo or coat d'arms. Cheaper, more paint and better bottles

Oh god, Citadel bottles are the worst design imaginable.

It's like they're designed to waste as much paint as possible.

I use GW paints because that is what I started with and I've gotten used to them, I know how to get a decent effect with the colours I have available.

I also don't use a pallete, nor do I particularly want to start, and so because I can take the paint straight from the pot that is ideal.

I love the foundation range and washes, and even if I took the plunge and switched to Vallejo I'd still use them

The only thing that annoys me, is the pot design... On the last few releases, there's been a tab that keeps the lid open for easy access to the paint, on the more recent ones, the tab is gone, which makes it a bit of pain sometimes...

Started with them over a decade ago, and after coming back from a hiatus, the foundations and washes are superb for good effects that are quick to achieve. The normal paints are lovely shades and thin easily. I find Vallejo paints split a little too easily when I use them myself, but their matte varnish is amazing. All in all I think most people use citadel as they are freely available, most people start off using them, and you can match painting articles pretty easily etc. Looking forward to seeing what the new range brings on Saturday...

I use GW paints as they are widely available. If I got any others I would have to order them on-line and then pay for postage, when you only need to the one colour or a mear handfull the added hassle of waiting for the post man is not worth it too me. Never really had an issue with GW paints either.

I am interested in the P3 paints, but currently they are only available in box sets from the local comic shop. Not individually.

The planned change to the 145 paint range does have me a little excited. Interested to see what additional colours come out.

This may make me a heathen but...

I pretty much buy Apple Barrel ($0.50 for 2 oz) or Folk Art ($1.00 for 2 oz). At wal-mart of all places.

Between the two brands I there hasn't been a color I wanted that I couldn't find. I haven't noticed a speck of difference in the way they layer compared to the few GW paints I have and the Black and White are both opaque enough to prime with (though you have to thin the white ALOT.) In fact, the metallic colors seem pleasantly thinner than GW's. But that might be in my head.

The only thing I buy "expensive brand" paints for are foundation colors other than black or white and washes. And yeah, then I usually buy citadel just because it's what the store has. Convenience wins out.


[edit reasons]Switched two sentances for clarity. And 2 typos.[/edit]

Charlatan wrote:
I pretty much buy Apple Barrel ($0.50 for 2 oz) or Folk Art ($1.00 for 2 oz). At wal-mart of all places.

Between the two brands I there hasn't been a color I wanted that I couldn't find. The black and white are both opaque enough to prime with, and I haven't noticed a speck of difference in the way they layer compared to the few GW paints I have. In fact, the metallic colors seem pleasantly thinner than GW's.

I think there are quite a few people that do use these paints for minis. On the plus side, they have a LOT of pigment. However, they do require a lot of thinning to prevent them from giving your minis a chalky look. Some people have claimed that these paints are chunky -- have you had any "chunkiness" that couldn't be fixed by thinning the paint?

I did use some cheap craft acrylic paint on some test kroot a while back. The models were primed with the GW black primer. I decided I didn't like the color after a year or two and stripped it with Simple Green. Turns out they were stained. Or I just haven't gotten all of the paint off yet. Either way, impressive work for cheap paint!

I thought it was because they're made by elves in a hollow tree.

I prefer GW paints because I know what exactly I need to paint the minatures. I don't like guessing wrong and selecting the wrong Paint.

I use the cheap acrylics like Apple Barrel on terrain pieces and on bases and fur when I'm dry brushing.

I've stopped using them on miniatures when I want good detail. I prefer Reaper Master Series or GW Foundation paints (the few I've used).

elrabin wrote:
I think there are quite a few people that do use these paints for minis. On the plus side, they have a LOT of pigment. However, they do require a lot of thinning to prevent them from giving your minis a chalky look. Some people have claimed that these paints are chunky -- have you had any "chunkiness" that couldn't be fixed by thinning the paint?

I did use some cheap craft acrylic paint on some test kroot a while back. The models were primed with the GW black primer. I decided I didn't like the color after a year or two and stripped it with Simple Green. Turns out they were stained. Or I just haven't gotten all of the paint off yet. Either way, impressive work for cheap paint!

With the apple barrel no, they actually tended to seem too thin when I was starting out and didn't quite have the hang of layering yet.

With the folk art, yes, I've had chunkiness problems. Especially with a couple darker tones I wanted that were labeled "High Pigment." I've been able to thin them alright though.

The white gives me the most trouble. I swear there's more water than paint in the pot I've mixed it in and I still need to be cautious because it goes on completely opaque.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

kronk wrote:I use the cheap acrylics like Apple Barrel on terrain pieces and on bases and fur when I'm dry brushing.

I've stopped using them on miniatures when I want good detail. I prefer Reaper Master Series or GW Foundation paints (the few I've used).

Yeah.. See I've always had a sneaking feeling that if I were just a better painter I'd notice the difference more. Maybe one day. ; p

I love GW paints. I hate their pots. I am slowly movig over to Vellajo paints mainly for the price and bottle storage. The reason for the small move over is I just now have a store that stocks their range. In the 4 states I have lived and the 10 stores I played at, 1 has just started carring Vallejo.

I like the foundation paints.... I dont mind the washes either although they do give the model a shine.

P3 and Vallejo I buy if i cant get the right colour with GW..

IE: Metallic blue and pink.

Without having read the last 2 pages:

I like CERTAIN GW paints. Their silver metallics are the best besides VMA metallics. Their Foundations are quite useful, and their washes are a staple in most of my current work.

Other than those 3 types, GW paints are nothing special. Vallejo does all the regular colors for less money and in dropper bottles.

Now with the GW formula changing, I'll have to wait and see if the new metallics live up to the old ones. If not, then it's VMA for all my metals. For golds I use a variety of brands: P3, Reaper, VGC, VMC, VMA. GW's golds haven't treated me well.

I use GW paint for the simple reasons, that I have yet to find a paint that works as well as it dose. And for me they are cheaper than the other paint ranges out at the moment

I'm actually getting tired of Vallejo paints and how watery they are. They go on smooth, but you need tons of coats because they are like pigmented water. The same GW color will cover in 1-2 coats.

I'm hoping that one of the new greens will be something like Scaly Green(which GW discontinued, but I want for my base armor color), so I can keep painting my Eldar. I found the color I need from VMC, but I hate the quality of it so much it kicks me right out of the mood to paint them.

People must be getting bad batches of Vallejo. All of mine are nice and thick except some of the older ones.

I have a full stock of P3 and GW paints. I find P3 a better quality, but more prep care needed to use them. I'm also a bit offset as I'm still not used to their spectrum of color when I use them. That said, there is nothing inherently wrong with GW's paints. They are still very solid.

I use paints from a few ranges because there are some colours that are better in some ranges than others.

People likes GW paints?

The only time I see people liking GW ( over ) other paints, are people that only ever tried GW paints.

Because they're avaliable.

LunaHound wrote:People likes GW paints?

The only time I see people liking GW ( over ) other paints, are people that only ever tried GW paints.

Regardless, GW sells some good stuff in their paint line.
The Foundations and washes are very very good, as are the metallics.

The ONLY GW paints I use are the foundation paints and washes.

The rest of the paints I use are Vallejo.

They're cheaper and more readily available (two stores stock them inside 10-15 minutes travel. ONE store stocks GW, and that IS a GW store).

The colour density is fine. If I want to paint white, I start with a primer coat of white anyway. Same with ANY bright colour.

I love Chaos Black. P3 and Vallejo black dont take water well and have a satin finish. Chaos Black dries matt and takes dilution very well...

lets see if Abaddon Black holds up.

GW also has a very "clean" yellow, red and green. Very close to "true" colors as they dont add a white pigment to them. Because of that they dont cover well though but work well for highlighting, mixing and glazes

everything else its P3 and Vallejo for me. I want to try Reaper soon though.