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 -Loki- wrote:
... tried to implement a base/layer/highlight system without doing the logical thing and informing people what 'groups' were intended to go together...

With GW's system, there is no one correct answer. For example, Tempestus Scions are painted using a base of The Fang, washed with Reikland Fleshshade and given a layer of Thunderhawk Blue highlighted with Fenrisian Grey. Space Wolves on the other hand are based using The Fang, washed with Agrax Earthshade and given a layer of Russ Grey highlighted with Fenrisian Grey. Same bases and highlight color, but different washes and layers.

And GW did publish a list recommended colors for a several common paint schemes (from Orks to skeletons to the various Space Marine Chapters) for the first three or four months after the paint were released in White Dwarf. Add to that they have paint collections on their website for things like Blood Angels, High Elves and Uruk Hai that in essence gives you your basic 'groups' of paints.

I almost exclusively use Vallejo, both Model Colour and Game Colour (and even a bit of Model Air and Panzer Aces); I actually like the colors and ranges of Citadel but paying $4.25 for 12mL of paint feels like a gigantic ripoff. If they offered like 18mL, I'd never buy anything else (even if they would be slightly more expensive) but, like most things GW does they eschew smart business ideas for short-term goals by charging the most and offering the least to push you into buying more overall.

I am planning on experimenting with generic craft paint (e.g. Americana, Delta Ceramcoat) since they have a pretty good range of colors, are like a dollar or two and come in a huge bottle. The only problem I can see is that for highlights and the like I'd probably end up having to mix colors.

 jah-joshua wrote:
the coverage is amazing...

I haven't used a lot of P3 paints, but the ones I have tried don't seem to have exceptional coverage to me (I've only tried the greens and greys).

Anyone know when the Game Air range will be available in the states? Really wanting to try those out.

The Warstore says they've already received a small supply of the paints, but not the primers.

Best coverage, easy clean up, cheap...

http://www.cartooncolour.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=1

They are used by old school animators to paint the transparent sheets. Need to be smooth, so as not to see any brush strokes and they need to cover 100% so that the background sheets don't show through (with being back lit on top of that...). Of course that doesn't apply to transparents or tints from Cel-Vinyl...but still...

They are more of an artist's selection, which means you will need to do more mixing to get the right shade of green or grey...but for coverage, I haven't seen anything that compared to them. Not the Foundation Paints, not P3, not Reaper HD...nothing.

If you paint predominately plastics - they have an added benefit of not needing a primer coat.* The vinyl acrylic base is a pretty good adhesive in its own right, and again being designed to be painted directly onto the flexible plastic cel sheets, they stick to PVC, HIPS and even clean resin well enough.

* Not that they don't gain some benefit from a primer coat - but when I am painting things like a clear resin figure for effect or some of the transparent PVC stuff (or canopies...), I will often use Cel Vinyl for my base coat so I don't need to mess with priming.
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Other than that - not much more to be said that hasn't been said. Pretty much any of the acrylic paint lines are reasonably comparable. Questions generally fall to cost and availability more than anything else.

Using what you can get from your local store is a good idea. Running out in the middle of a project and having to wait a week to get paint sucks. However, in todays age of simple online shopping, it isn't a huge factor.

If you don't have a local game store that carries the regular hobby paints - Michaels and Hobby Lobby normally carry Testor's Acryl paints which are just as good as any of the hobby paints. Art paints will work as well - but are a bit of a hassle (even the fluid art paints are thicker and will need to be thinned down quite a bit).

And then of course, you do have craft paints. Available in pretty much every Walmart and other big box store across the country. Bit lower in quality - but serviceable and dirt cheap. Easy to get another bottle at 2 AM on a Saturday night if need be. Consistency tends to be the biggest issue that I have noticed with them. One bottle will be silky smooth, and the next from the same brand and the same color will look a bit like they used gravel for pigment.

AllSeeingSkink wrote:

 jah-joshua wrote:
the coverage is amazing...

I haven't used a lot of P3 paints, but the ones I have tried don't seem to have exceptional coverage to me (I've only tried the greens and greys).

i don't know what to tell you...
personally, i love them, and don't bother with other brands anymore...
they've been all i need since 2005, when they first came out...
i try other brands, because i do have an open mind, but am never satisfied with the tones, or the finish, as much as i am by P3...

most recently, i gave the Vallejo Air Metals a shot, and liked the results of Gold and Aluminium, but they are now drying out in the bottle (i even had a VGC gold show up already dried solid, brand new!!!), and i won't be replacing them...
P3 Quicksilver and Radiant Platinum are working just as well for my final highlights on metal (i was using Gold mixed with Aluminium, and then straight aluminium to finish my golds)...

the irony is, when i painted as a freelancer for the PP studio we used GW paints (before P3 came about)...
since then i have painted for Abberant Games and Dragonblood Miniatures using P3 paints...
that always makes me chuckle...

use whatever makes you happy...
one look at my work should show that i am pretty happy with my paint...

cheers
jah

As everyone else has said, Vallejo are good until they separate. The bottles are good. The paint doesn't dry out, and it's much easier to get the volume of paint you need.

They are a little tricky to mix though. I need some agitators...