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Is there a paint that is as good as the GW paints but cheaper?
Or is there a place to find GW paint that isn't as expensive as buying from the store?

Vallejo.

He said as good. Vallejo is better . But yeah, I would suggest getting Vallejo and buying from the Warstore as they usually give 10-20% discounts of MSRP. The dropper system that Vallejo has also helps to keep the paint from drying out and allows for ease of placing onto a paint pallet.

Another thing to look into is Army Painter primers. Good primer, in the shade of your army's main color. Could save you time and money.

Vallejo paints are great.

Army painter+vallejo?

There are several alternatives to GW's offerings: Vallejo, Reaper, P3, etc. are all every bit as good. In this quality range, it's more about personal preference than objective quality - each range behaves a bit differently, in general, and different colors within those ranges also may have quirks. Ideally, you should try some paints from different ranges and find what you like, but that's not always practical.

If you want a single range to replace GW, my vote goes to Vallejo, as well. The Game Color line (VGC, for short) mirrors the color range of GW's paints, comes in dropper bottles (far superior to the much maligned pots), behaves pretty well, and each bottle contains more paint for less money. VGC wins over GW in almost all cases. I keep GW paints around because they're locally available and work reasonably well (very well, in some specific cases), but I pick up VGC when I can.

TY everyone Vallejo it is.

"As good"
Apple Barrel and Folklore are just as good and only 1/8th the price. Which means GW is 8x more expensive for same quality paint.

Better and Cheaper?

Vallejo

I used to laugh at people suggesting Apple Barrel paint and always assumed they were trolling. Joke was on me.

I've played with a few different paints and have been replacing with Game Color as I finally finish off my old Citadel Colour pots.

Ive been using alot of P3 paints, cant say enough good things. Love pot's and the price.

martian_jo wrote:I used to laugh at people suggesting Apple Barrel paint and always assumed they were trolling.

Why is that i would like to know.

Seems like lots of GW paint users insist on using GW paint and saying its the best despite never trying other brands.

LunaHound wrote:"As good"
Apple Barrel and Folklore are just as good and only 1/8th the price. Which means GW is 8x more expensive for same quality paint.

Better and Cheaper?

Vallejo

I can't help but disagree with the statement that craft style paints are "just as good" as citadel paints. I'm not saying your paint selection should consist solely of miniature specific paints but the properties are not the same. I'm an equal opportunity buyer when it comes to paints. Some crafts paints are indeed suitable for minis and work just fine. If you aspire only to a painted standard and quality isn't a high priority, craft paints are especially useful. Even then craft paints certainly don't limit you to three color models that look ok at 3 feet. There's a guy on from the warp that paints at what I would consider a master level with them. But some of the properties are different enough to matter.

Suffice to say there is no one right answer. I happen to like P3 for flesh tones, bone, and parchment. Vallejo for flat black, reds, yellows, and browns. GW for blue, green, and metallics, Liquitex for some browns and purple Golden for a wider range of reds, and yellows, and especially a color called mars yellow and pthalo blue.
I have a variety of craft paints too. Mostly in a box next to my desk, I painted a stormboy squad with them and something seemed off so I went back and painted one with mini paints. The difference was startling. If you are interested I can show you. With equal time and equal effort craft paint delivers inferior results. YMMV. keep an eye out for things that work for you though. The Eldar found through the link in my sig are painted 90% or more with NON mini paints. The main color certainly isn't cheap @12ish dollars per 2oz bottle but it thins into nearly 4oz and looks fantastic. The Gold is from a 4oz tube of Liquitex Basics that my barcode scanner claims is 3.35.
Food for thought (although looking this pic is no longer current because I hung some racks with about 2 dozen Liquitex and Golden bottles that were under my desk at the time):



Automatically Appended Next Post:
I forgot to say anything about Tamiya, not cheaper than GW but worth looking at for some ideas, very different properties as they are alchohol based acrylics.

LunaHound wrote:

martian_jo wrote:I used to laugh at people suggesting Apple Barrel paint and always assumed they were trolling.

Why is that i would like to know.

Seems like lots of GW paint users insist on using GW paint and saying its the best despite never trying other brands.

IDK, I always had Apple Barrel around for other craft projects and picked them up at Walmart. Thought it was a joke when people asked for cheaper paints to direct them to Apple Barrel. It wasn't until I stumbled across a lengthy paint debate when I realized they were serious and went ahead and tried them for myself. Apple Barrel white is my go too when I need a little white to blend in for highlighting. My Skull white GW pots tend to dry up fast so I stopped buying them.

I still love my OLD Citadel Colour pots. If memory serves well they were made by the same people making the current P3 paints so I've been thinking about trying them out. I personally like trying new things, especially when they're cheaper.

@AustonT

I too can take a picture of my paints pots though my results with my paints are different.
We are just going to have to disagree then on what we claim.

But just so you know, my loyalty is towards the people, not GW.
So if that means i can help the people paint better ( with an obviously better product ) im going to point them towards that products. Or atleast cheaper for same products.

Actually... why not, about time i update a pic of my paint station.

@Lunahound
There is no way you read what I posted based on what you wrote.
I may not have provided the glowing reccomendation that you did for craft paints, but I certainly didn't blindly endorse GWs products to the exlusion of all else as your underlined section certainly implies.
In case you bother to read this post since it doesn't have pictures I have 146 paints in ready use, that is not including paints that are currently dry that I have not replaced and inks.
58 are GW colors
16 are Vallejo
15 are Golden
16 are Liquitex (17 if I can figure out where my Paynes Grey is)
7 are P3
9 are Tamiya
25 are craft paints

Less than half of my current and in use paint are GW and most of those survive only because I can't justify replacing them with Vallejo or P3 without using them up. Maybe 18 GW colors are must haves including washes and foundations. Which makes it average if not below.
1/6 of my current paints are craft paints, so I can easily assert that I have tested other options.
My loyalty is in fact to the hobby, I will not represent an item to be anything less or more than I believe it to be. Craft paints have thier place, but they are certainly not the same product or the same quality as miniature modelling paints or even other water soluble acrylics like Golden,Liquitex, or Windsor Newton.
If you truly cared about people in this hobby you would advise them of the positives and negatives of a product you recommend.

AustonT wrote:If you truly cared about people in this hobby you would advise them of the positives and negatives of a product you recommend.

Ask anyone, i do.

I just cant be expected to write down a whole review everytime i recommend something since i dont have it ready to be copy pasted.

But my points are always clear.
If you want to use 5 layers of thin water coats to get a smooth paint job , sure stay with GW or go with the alternatives 8x cheaper.
Or save the head ache , and use vallejo.

There isn't really much to explain. They know im not here to hurt them, im an incredibly lazy painter but i get stuff done.
It helps if i use the correct tools, and my gallery shows my paint results.

Here is my paint stuff, delivered.

LunaHound wrote:Apple Barrel and Folklore are just as good

Really? Because there are 15 craft paints on your desk that I can see, and about 46 GW paints and washes 35 if I just count what's on the left. So you have half as many craft paints as GW colors. If the are of equal quality and craft paints aren't nearly as cost prohibitive why isn't it the otherway around. What's more 5, or 1/3 of you epic craft paints are unopened.

LunaHound wrote: gallery shows my paint results

I won't short change you, you are a talented painter.
Which ones were painted using only craft paints?
For someone advocating that craf paint is of equal quality to miniature paints I see an awful lot of miniature paints on your table. Right now your wallet is speaking a lot more clearly than your keyboard.

AustonT wrote:

LunaHound wrote:Apple Barrel and Folklore are just as good

Really? Because there are 15 craft paints on your desk that I can see, and about 46 GW paints and washes 35 if I just count what's on the left. So you have half as many craft paints as GW colors. If the are of equal quality and craft paints aren't nearly as cost prohibitive why isn't it the otherway around. What's more 5, or 1/3 of you epic craft paints are unopened.

Easy answer to all the questions.

1) The lid snaps off easily, so i just twist them open and dip my brush in without the need to tear the wrapping off.

2) I discovered Vallejo after those and have been using Vallejo ever since.

Anymore doubts and questions? ASK >:'D

oh also you factor out i buy GW in their box deals, and seeing i have 3 generations of GW paints, OF COURSE they'll out number the craft paints.

Also a) If you look carefully, all my craft colors are primary colors. Means i get to mix them easily , larger bottle means larger batches of mixed colors
b) Having newer GW paints proves im NONE BIASED, means im still willing to give them a chance.

Which ones were painted using only craft paints?



Disagreement is fine, can we please not have the digs and insults as well please.

Ta.

reds8n

AustonT wrote:
Which ones were painted using only craft paints?

So am i supposed to list them? Ooookee dokee.

Killa Kans
Wood Elves ( archers )
1 of my sentinel
Part of my Ork Doc
All the blacks of my moldels
More part of my Orks, part of the Deff kopta

As well as mixed with various different brands of paints.

Also, maybe my response is just abit too out of the box to your question, allow me to elaborate.

Did i not say both GW and craft acrylics ( insert different brand names here ) they all need multiple thin coats? Yes i did say that.
Hence, when i discovered Vallejo that doesnt need those steps, Why Would I Not Stick With Just Vallejo?

AustonT wrote:For someone advocating that craf paint is of equal quality to miniature paints I see an awful lot of miniature paints on your table. Right now your wallet is speaking a lot more clearly than your keyboard.

Yet why does it only apply to me and not yourself? You are the one that brought it up. Also you are the one that felt necessary to post your paints.
All i did was follow you example.

Vallejo is awesome. Great paints, great selection and a number of very useful additives.

This company used to paints for games workshop : http://www.coatdarms.com/coat_darms/paintsets.php

Here is a conversion chart for the colour names. http://www.hiveworldterra.co.uk/Article/view_CoatDArmsConversionChart.html

The pots are bigger, but the price is similar so you are just getting more paint for the same money.

The only GW paints that I have been overly fond have been some of the foundation paints and washes.

I have purchased the Vallejo equivalents (to the GW foundations and washes) since I hate how easily the paint pots dry out...even when dipping paint onto a pallet and immediately closing the lid.

The Valleyo "Heavys" (the alternatives to the GW Foundations) have been dissapointing so far. I tried the Heavy Ochre and the Heavy Red and found them both to be chalky as well as not applying evenly (poor coverage).

I also found the Vallejo Washes to have more pigment compared to the GW washes (at least in the case of thier Blue and Black Washes) and did not spread as well over a model...acting more like an ink than a wash.

Apple barrel is too inconsistent. You'll buy two bottles and one will be way runnier than the other.

Oh wait, that's just like gw.

LunaHound wrote:

AustonT wrote:
Which ones were painted using only craft paints?

So am i supposed to list them? Ooookee dokee.

Killa Kans
Wood Elves ( archers )
1 of my sentinel
so really nothing after this point
Part of my Ork Doc
All the blacks of my moldels
More part of my Orks, part of the Deff kopta

As well as mixed with various different brands of paints.

Basically you use black craft paint, and haven't used craft paint on whole models extensively.

AustonT wrote:For someone advocating that craf paint is of equal quality to miniature paints I see an awful lot of miniature paints on your table. Right now your wallet is speaking a lot more clearly than your keyboard.

LunaHound wrote: Yet why does it only apply to me and not yourself? You are the one that brought it up. Also you are the one that felt necessary to post your paints.
All i did was follow you example.

This runs back to reading comprehension. But I'll summarize for you:
OP asks what paints are as good as GW but cheaper.
Gets responses
LunaHound says SUPERLOLZ GW PAINTS ARE JUST THA SAME AS APPLE BARREL! ps Vallejo is good too
AustonT says I dunno about that, some people get good results, but it requires more effort. Here are specific color and brands I use in hopes that you will broaden your horizons and look at more than just one brand and type of paint. I also have a link in my sig to models painted using non miniatures acrylics. Here's a picture to show I have exactly what I claim to.
LunaHound how dare you use pictures to illustrate a point. I hate GW and my results are better than yours. I will return with pictures of my workstation.
AustonT you didn't bother to read my post. Here's mathematical evidence of my wide and varied selection of paints that legitimizes my assertion that paint qualities rather than brand loyalty drive my purchases and advise. You should tell people about the potential shortfalls of products you advise.
LunaHound I did, now providing an actual explanation of the shortcomings of GW and craft paints which I lumped together again. Here's a picture of my workstation dominated by GW products I'm determined to rage against out numbering my craft paints 4:1 and making up more than half of my "correct tools"
AustonT points out inconsistency between words and pictures demands to see models painted only with craft paint.
LunaHound ramble, no models painted with craft paint
AustonT insults reading ability. Demands pictures of models painted only with craft paint.
LunaHound posts no pictures, or links to pictures and a list half of which are not painted with only craft paint. Starts (or continues) to get snarky.
AustonT washes my hands of you and releases you to God with this:

You misrepresented yourself and craftpaints by providing a bold statement that they are just as good as GW paints and provided no detail in either the positives or negatives of craft paints. After I provided what I consider to be a fair an balanced opinion of the paints I use and have experience with you seemed to take issue with the fact that I disagree with your bold and unsubstantiated statement.
The reason this:

AustonT wrote: For someone advocating that craf paint is of equal quality to miniature paints I see an awful lot of miniature paints on your table. Right now your wallet is speaking a lot more clearly than your keyboard.

Doesn't apply to me is because I never represented craft paints as being equal to miniature paints. And as evidenced and by my intent in my photo and later numerical data. My wallet has voted GW into one third of my selection, not including as I fairly could the inks that have replaced most of thier washes. In other words I put my money where my mouth is. These selections from my original post clearly state my position:

AustonT wrote:
Some crafts paints are indeed suitable for minis and work just fine.
craft paints certainly don't limit you
But some of the properties are different enough to matter.
Suffice to say there is no one right answer. I happen to like...
keep an eye out for things that work for you though.

The real matter here is, if you can't afford to buy some Vallejo paints as an alternative to GW paints then I am not sure how you justify buying any models from GW. This hobby is expensive and I've never understood spending huge amounts of money on models and then advocating the use of poor quality paint to save a couple bucks. Whether you buy GW or Vallejo or craft paints you're still spending a lot of money, so why go cheap on paint? I think it is very clear that in most cases a model painted with "miniature" specific paints turn out better than craft paints. There are always exceptions but they don't matter if the majority of painters can't pull it off. Craft paints are not a good alternative to GW or Vallejo or P3 etc.

I use a wide variety of paints. The list includes Testors enamel, Testors Acryl, Poly S, Craft Paints, Tamiya, Vallejo, Floquil Acrylic and Floquil Railroad Colors.

My personal favorites are Tamiya and Vallejo.

That being said I have recently tried GW and I was pleased with the results. But I need to paint a few more figures and try some more colors to form a better opinion.

IMO, Craft paints are not in the same class and Tamiya and Vallejo. In my experience they come off the figure extremely easy even with a primer base. This isn't too big of a deal for me as all of my figures receive an overall clear coat (normally laquer) to seal the paints. I just have to be extremely careful holding the figure during painting. Consistency between colors is an issue. Some colors are "runny" and others need to be thinned for best results. But, I have achieved (for me at least) some very pleasing results with the craft paints.

I would not ignore craft paints. I feel they just need more experience working with them to get a good coverage. I particularly like the black I have been buying from Walmart particularly if you are using it as your base color.


Just my 2 cents.

The problem I have is there are 1 dollar model paints in dropper bottles sold at my FLGS. A cheap alternative doesn't have to be craft paints. There are cheap alternatives made for modelling that will no doubt provide a better end result.

Thare1774 wrote:The problem I have is there are 1 dollar model paints in dropper bottles sold at my FLGS. A cheap alternative doesn't have to be craft paints. There are cheap alternatives made for modelling that will no doubt provide a better end result.

No argument here. You have a good point.

I wish I had a FLGS. The LHS (opened just last month) close by has only Testors Acryl and Enamels and absolutely zero gaming supplies of any kind.

The nearest FLGS for me is 60 miles one way. Not a real big deal, but it does limit the trips to weekends and a trip will usually take a 3 hour minimum chunk out of the weekend. With family demanding time, I usually mail order my paints, or find what alternatives are available close by in my area.


One area I have experienced where some of the quirks of craft paints weren't such a big deal is in painting scenery.