Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I use Americana and FolkArt paints exclusively. They're $1.39/ea, and sometimes I can find them for $0.99 on sale. Maybe it's because I'm still fairly new to the hobby (<2yrs), but I don't have any plans on switching. I'm satisfied with the results.

Delta Ceramcoat or Folkart or Martha Stewart craft paints are all fine. Thin with matte medium, distilled water and a flow aid.

If you have researched paints you will have realized that the only differences will be in how finely ground the pigments may be, how many additives there are-- to inhibit fungal growth or somesuch-- including water, and that is about it. All acrylic paint uses the same base, Acrylic Polymer Emulsion.

If you want to, use actual artists acrylic paints, like Liquitex and Golden, either the soft/fluid acrylics, or even the thicker stuff that comes in a tube, which can be nicely thinned and works really, really well in my experience. These can be pricier though, but in this case, you are paying for quality, not just a name.

I'll just chip in here and add that many times, you don't need to pay for the very best, but you often you do get what you pay for.

While most paint generally gets you color onto a surface, they really aren't all the same. I've on occasion tried craft paint on terrain, but I've regretted it, as it just doesn't look as good as miniature paint. Then again, I probably spend as much time detailing my terrain as some people spend on their ICs. I'm very picky about color, and to me, visible grit in my paint is unacceptable.

At one point, when models were much cheaper and assembly was less an issue, I was willing to experiment more, I think. Now that most GW models are multipart plastic and require quite a bit of time and thought to prep, I almost never try cheap paints.

The Golden liquid acrylics are not terrible, but the color range is very limited, and while the value is good per mL, I don't think most miniature painters will go through enough paint for that to be a benefit. If you live in US/Canada, a good place to buy these is Michaels with a 50% coupon.

Another way to get quality paints "on the cheap" is to scour hobby shops for discount days on paint (like boxing day). I've gotten GW paints as cheap as $2.50 USD, this year, and Vallejo paints as cheap as $3.50 USD, which I s a pretty huge savings.